FairyRingMushroom Co.

Hand-made wooden Native American style Flutes, Irish Whistles, FairyRing Flutes

Hand-stretched leather drums (painted and unpainted)

Please select a box below:

Our hand-made Native American style and Folk flutes are 6-hole flutes tuned in pentatonic modes 1 & 4. . .  Our Transverse flutes are tuned in either pentatonic modes 1 & 4 or diatnoic tuning (indicated on flute description).  Please click a box above to view our flutes.

We use the following hardwoods

How do they sound?

As we are sure you know,  woods produce a more mellow sound than metal or plastic instruments.  Different woods vary in the sound they produce.  Some vibrate more, giving a softer type of tone.   Others are a bit more crisp.

*We have placed an asterisk next to the woods above to indicate that typically this wood produces a softer, more mellow  sound relative to other woods.

**Two asterisks indicate a less soft sound

***Three - somewhat crisp (for wood)

To read about these woods in detail, please click the "WOODS" bar on the left of this page.

FairyRingMushroom Co.

The Care and Feeding of your Wooden Flute

Your flute has been soaked in linseed oil for at least three days, providing time for the oil to penetrate deeply into the wood. We, at FairyRingMushroom Co., enjoy providing a soft earthy finish on most of our flutes allowing the natural beauty and feel of the woods to be experienced.

The Care of Your Flute

The Native American Indian Style wooden flute consists of a mouthpiece, Slow Air Chamber (SAC), partition (under the block, also called a fetish or bird), and Sound Chamber. While playing the flute moisture from the player’s breath accumulates throughout the flute, primarily in the areas of the mouthpiece, Slow Air Chamber (SAC) and under the block. Most of our flutes are constructed with a moisture venting hole on the underside of the flute, under the leather. (It is important to insure this hole is covered with the leather while playing the flute.) Even with the venting hole moisture will accumulate in the SAC.

Some flautists use the technique of whipping or swinging the flute by holding the far end of the flute and “flinging” the mouthpiece end to allow the built up moisture to be expelled. Another technique is to turn the flute with the block on the bottom, place a finger in front of the block (to suppress sound) and blow firmly to allow the accumulated moisture to be driven out of the SAC and the flue (the air passage under the block).

It is our goal to continue to research and develop the most effective methods of minimizing this inherent problem encountered with any wind instrument.

After playing your flute for any significant period of time it is highly recommended that you remove the block and leave the flute sitting with the mouth end down for about 30 minutes to dry. If the flute is allowed to sit with any appreciable moisture the moisture may gradually soak into the wood, potentially reducing the life span of your flute.  This does not need to be done after short playing sessions.

The Feeding of Your Flute

As you use your flute it may be exposed to the elements, such as temperature and humidity changes. Playing the flute also humidifies the interior of your flute (as described above).  These things make your flute hungry.