"Handflute" is a kind of musical instrument played on the hands. The hands are placed together as if praying. After making a space inside the gripped hands, one blows into the gap between the two thumbs. It is similar to making a tone by blowing over the top of an open bottle.
At first, only a simple piping sound can be produced with this technique. However, by increasing or decreasing the size of the space inside the hands, the tone can be controlled. Gradually, with a lot of practice, it becomes possible to produce melodies. Mastering this technique takes a lot of skill and practice, so very few people have this rare talent.
So he's not blowing a blade of grass of something?
There were actually some boys that used to do this in school, especially during assemblies when you were supposed to be quiet and stuff and somebody would break out into the "Good, Bad and the Ugly" I used to do it, too, but they were better at it. None of us did it that well by any means. I hadn't thought about that in many, many years. As I remember it, you had your mouth in like a very low pitch whistle embouchure. ---------- David Elk River Harmonicas
I remember as a kid being able to do owl hoots. My Bangladeshi friend, Abdul could play tunes (but nowhere near as skillfully as this) and taught me how to get other notes. I think in the end I could get maybe 4 or 5 different tones. Then I discovered girls and beer and all kinds of other distractions - like a little tin sandwich with ten holes that made silly noises.
I have a buddy I play with who is a flute player, he does this wonderfully well, I call it "jazz hands". Richard Tibbetts in San Diego--he should be famous (but he's not). Pmail me and I will send you an audio recording of him soloing on "Borneo".
Last Edited by on Apr 14, 2012 2:39 PM
Yea I remember the blade of grass held taut between the thumbs then blow into cupped hands, sounded like a cockerel, good for Little Red Rooster:)
Then what this guy is doing amazingly well and what Mr VLUN describes. I was the same, just managing a handful of tones.
Surely it can't be long before a Youtube vid surfaces showing a classical composition using the dummy fart technique that my schoolmate used to do with such graceful ease using only a hand jammed under his armpit. ---------- Grey Owl YouTube Grey Owl Abstract Photos
I played flute from grade school into college, but never learned how to do this. I still can't, but if I had ever heard something like this I would have tried a lot harder. ---------- Danny
