North Indian Bansuri Flutes

 G.S. Sachdev
G.S. Sachdev
  The North Indian bansuri is a side-blown flute invented in this century by Pannalal Ghosh. It is made of single-jointed, thin-walled bamboo and is tuned to an untempered chromatic scale. Ghosh created the modern bansuri by adding a seventh finger hole to the traditional instrument. Bansuri have a range of approximately three octaves. These flutes are made of the finest quality bamboo available, cut by the maker, Jeff Whittier, in the Nuuanu Pal region of Oahu, Hawaii. Also available are bansuri made of specially selected bamboo from India.


Keys & Sizes

Bansuri are available in the following sizes:

 Model #
  * Tonic

Key

Length

AF-1
  F

 C

 14"

AF-2
  E

 B

 15"

AF-3
  D#

B Flat

16"

AF-4
  D

A

17"

AF-5
  C#

G#

18"

AF-6
  C

G

19"

AF-7
  B

F

20"

AF-8
  A#

F#

21"

AF-9
  A

E

22"

AF-10
  G#

D#

23"

AF-11
  G

D

24"

AF-12
  F#

C#

25"

AF-13
  F

C

26"

AF-14
  E

B

27"

AF-15
  D# (Bass)

A#

28"

AF-16
  D (Bass)

A

29"

* The tonic of the bansuri is the note sounded when 3 finger holes are closed. 6 holes closed determines the key. The same flute may be referred to by either its tonic or key.

Jeff Whittier is a performing musician of the North Indian tradition. He has been making bansuri since 1971, providing instruments for students of G. S. Sachdev, Hariprasad Chaurasia and for the Ali Akbar School of Indian Music in northern California.

Other Bamboo Flutes made by Jeff Whittier
South American Kena
Chinese D'Tzu

More information on Bansuri

Lyon Leifer's How to Play the Bansuri: A Manual for Self-Instruction
Recordings of North Indian Bansuri Music¨

Jeff Whittier, PLAYING THE BANSURI: A Manual for the North Indian Flute

North Insdian Bansuri Fingering Chart

Ordering Information / Price List for North Indian Bansuri Flutes
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