On the surface this is simply a widget that brings a virtual six-hole bansuri flute into your life. It’s in the key of D.
There’s a screen with note buttons and also finger hole you click to make it sound. Alternatively, you can just use the keys on your computer keyboard (which feels much more naturaly). The idea behind the design is to replicate the real-life version; so as you cover and uncover holes, the pitch change according to the underlying logic. Whether on tablet or desktop, it aims to be intuitive.
How to Use the Virtual Flute
Pressing and holding the Blow button produce a sustained breath tone. As long as the tone is playing, tapping any of the six round finger hole button will open or close them. The lower the note you’re trying to produce, the more holes you need to cover from the top down. This means you can use the fingers to raise/lower the pitch, just like you would if playing a real flute. You can also make smooth melodic lines and even ‘slide’ from one note to another.
The Blow button is the space bar on your keyboard. This is a handy shortcut so you can keep the breath going while you play the other keys. Alternatively, if you’re in more of a rush, simply click on one of the note buttons on the grid underneath the flute to hear the note with the given fingering played instanty. These buttons represent the notes of the D major scale and span across an octave from D4 upwards to D5.
You’ll also notice that these buttons are numbered from 1-8. These numbers map onto the computer keys, allowing you to perform simple melodies without needing your mouse at all. It’s great practice for scales but will also let you try out individual notes too without having to keep a sustained breath.
The widget feature a virtual six-hole bansuri flute. You have several controls to shape the sound. These are located in the bottom panel and top row.
By activating the Overblow button you will shift the whole range upwards by an octave. So instead of playing notes from C3 upwards (the lower end of the range), they plays as though they were one octave higher. That’s a very useful feature because it enables you to explore the higher part of the flute without having to alter the fingering pattern you use for the lower half.
The Drone button produces a drone note that sustains with a soft, background chord that consists only of A and D tones. This is like the sound of a tanpura. It gives the music played on the flute a harmonic base that makes the notes played on the flute clearer. It can be turned on and off whenever you wish to match the mood of what you are playing.
The master output level can be controlled by the volume slider on the lower right. This may come in handy when playing together with a drone for example. Use the volume slider to adjust the flute level relative to the drone.
A short pre-programmed pentatonic phrase can be heard from the Folk Lick button. This is a useful start in learning the finger sequencing of familiar melodic phrases. Watching the holes play out as the phrase sounds will give you a good idea of how these types of melodic phrases is played.
A Cut Ornament is a popular decorating technique where the note is briefly interrupted before returning to it with a flick up to the next higher note. These all help your exploration of the small details of style associated with Indian flute music without the need to know anything about the techniques themselves.
If you want to make best use of the widget, focus on the note-to-note transition. It is frequently this meend (or slide between notes) that gives the bansuri its characteristic sound. For a tiny scoop in the melody, press the Blow button down and raise up through two finger holes together. This makes the line vocal and gets an effect that isn’t possible with simple on-off key presses. You can also play around with the overblow mode combined with the drone to experience how the harmonics work together on the melody.
If you want to play along with this quick reminder of how to use it, just click on the help panel. It will expand with the details for each of the keyboard shortcuts and fingering tips. You’ll also notice that the full screen button makes it go big which is especially nice on small screens where sometimes it can be tricky to get those precise clicks in.
How should you use it? Well, there’s not one ‘correct’ answer to that question. Yes, it is for a beginning player who needs help practicing their technique without having to play physically on a flute. It is definitely a yes as an instrument for simple noodling around.
One thing about using the web audio engine here is that your input to the instrument convert to sound nearly instantaneously. If you know some tunes and want to trace them out, or if you just want to improvise some lines, the interface will respond clearly to your touch. Find a volume that feels comfortable to you and spend some time exploring the range of this instrument.
Once you get used to how the controls work, it’s really very easy to jump straight into playing music. You should of spent more time on it.