Anyone know of bamboo growing on public land that could afford a stalk or two missing. Sprogg has a homework assignment to make an instrament. Figured a flute would be easy enough for her.

Never make a flute from green bamboo.

Maybe a local florist will order a dried stalk for you, or order online.

Native's used Elderberry as well as Cedar. Elderberry is hollow. But a flute is very involved and takes a deal of experience to make.
Some easier ones to make would be a clacker out of Elderberry. The wood doesn't have to be dried to use. Use a straight branch about 18 inches to 2 ft long, on one end cut a slit right down the center about halfway or so. Then remove some of the core from the sides so the slit is wider at the open end and narrows at the other. Once you've done that you can remove or leave the bark on. Wrap leather/beads around it. Decorate with feathers.
It's used to keep the beat by holding the base in one hand and hitting the palm of the other hand. The two ends come together and make a clacking sound. The sound depends on the diameter of the branch used.
Another beat keeper is made with a forked branch. Yarn is wrapped around the branch completely coverng it. A line is tied to the forked ends with oyster, clam, etc shells hanging from it. You can also string beads/bells and let them hang from the branches.
There's also the bull roarer - think Croc Dundee when he when to make his "call". I used paint sticks. The first thing I did was drill holes in both pieces in one end, the glued them together, painted designs on both sides and put a long piece of leather thru the hole. It's used by swinging the wood around in a circle.
good luck

Not green elderberry.
You shouldn't put green elderberry in your mouth.
The juice is toxic.

I never said to put it in the mouth.
Besides it's not the sap it's the berries that are the danger.

What's the point of making a flute if you're not going to put it in your mouth?

http://www.ehow.com/way_5422138_homemade-flutes.html

Yeah, what she said.

The thread was on making a flute.

Follow the bouncy ball, GSD recommended against the flute and provided an alternative instrument. One that you don’t put in your mouth unless you have an oral fixation.



I agree with GSD on the flute, if you don’t know what you’re doing and just drilling holes in a hollow tube, you’ll have a hollow tube with holes in it. If you know what you’re doing and how far apart the holes need to be then go for it.

I like the clacker idea. Any kid can hand it off to another kid to play and create some backbeat rhythm with it. Simple to make and easy to use by others.

This was the entire post I responded to:



The bulk of the post was added later, and I didn't go back to see the "c.a." addition after it was edited the first time.

At the 1:35 mark.

I think that's awesome. Sproggs think you're hilarious. We agree that next assignment like this we're making the carrot whistle. Assignment was due today and she's excited to have been the only one to do something semi-unique. Hopefully she'll score an A. We may try GSDlover's suggestions for the heck of it this weekend.

I have a lot of bamboo. Many are dry and about 10 ft long. You can even did some up and take them home for future use.
give me your email and I will contact you.