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EOD November 3rd: 3m 30s across three separate melodies, not counting repeat sections and stuff; one's a bit of a permutation of a previous. At this point I'm going to have the bases for eight tracks before the end of the first week, which confuses me mightily, but is awfully good, really. I've got a freakish amount of total recording time down. I'm about two days ahead of the timeline quota.

(These recordings are my equivalent of the roughed-in outline or very, very, very early first-draft for the normal NaNoWriMo crowd. -_^ )

I went back and listened to Monday's notes. I kinda like 'em.

So far all of these continue to be solo flute pieces, but ... one of today's hinted strongly that it's hiding something meant for a larger ensemble. I'm hearing hints of strings and percussion and multiple flute layers. And some low horns. Huh.

(Do not get the idea that these are all worthwhile pieces. NaNoteWriMo is about doing it at all more than doing it well. I'm having a hell of a good time but I'm not under the delusion that this is high art. However, I do think I'm getting learning value out of it. ^_^ )

Oh, and, while I'm at it, the new flute is at the functional-completeness stage. This flute has taught me four - four! - melodies so far. I think I may call him Splinter. But I'm not sure. (And yes, possibly the most woo-woo bullshit metaphor I've ever experienced is the distinct idea that as I make new flutes, they teach me their songs. That's honestly what it feels like. However, this keeps happening, so I will continue to run with it as long as I keep getting songs out as a result.)

Splinter, btw? Crazy cool flute. I shouldn't say that about my own work but I really like this one. At 137cm, Splinter also doubles as a walking staff and (inevitably short-lived) martial arts weapon. It's five segments long, tho' only two are in the actual resonance chamber, of course. It'll receive a lot of binding - a lot of binding - but little other decoration, I think. I have a couple of ideas but they would need tools and inlay skills I don't have. Also probably needs a little more tuning. We'll see tomorrow after he's had a chance to recover from all the heat.

hey it's like deja vu all over again

Secret Kitty Has a Secret

D-major flute "Splinter" complete.

Splinter, (2007/11/4, D major)

Complete except for the rubber foot I need to figure out how to put in the bottom for use as a walking stick, tho' I have no real intension of actually doing that. Splinter is a bit under 140cm long, which is to say just over four and a half feet. If you balance him on your left shoulder when playing, the weight is a non-issue. The second octave is not bad - better than I might have expected, tho' not as good as Scar's, something I knew when I got into this project and does not bother me overmuch. A little heavy on the harmonics, as you'd expect for a beast with walls thicker than optimal.

The good part of that is that the rest of this bamboo sample has thinner walls and better geometry, so should behave very well. This was the not-so-useful end.

As much as anything else, Splinter is a flute for posing in silhouette. As a flute, he's a reasonable D-major with an absurdly long head. As a walking stick, I suppose he's as good as any other piece of bamboo that's been smoothed and oiled; he's bound to hell and back with good heavy nylon, so should resist cracking for a reasonably long time. As a staff, he's not bad except for the inevitable fragility; balance is okay; you go from playing position to a basic defensive stance in one motion; from there, you have an obvious set of three attacks in sequence, one motion each. And from playing position, he'd make a good thwackin' stick with which to chastise an unruly conductor. -_^ Of course, I'd hate for anyone to actually fight with a flute like this - bamboo just isn't strong enough. So borrow someone else's.

What'd I learn today from Splinter? A better way of starting bindings, resulting in more even tensioning, less wear on my thumbnails, and less frustration.

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