Instrument lists

WIND INSTRUMENTS

FLUTES

Alghoza - Rajasthani double whistle. A melody whistle and a low drone whistle are played simultaneously using circular breathing. A wonderful otherworldly sound is produced.

Bansuri - Classical Hindustani transverse bamboo flute. Classic soft Indian tone. Mostly diatonic. I have most keys.

Bāwū -  Chinese transverse reed flute. This flute is played horizontally like a western flute but the sound is produced by a free reed that is closer to a harmonica or accordion. This produced it’s very ‘reedy’ characteristically Chinese tone

Branch - aka the magic branch. This is an overtone duct flute half way between koncovka and seljefløyte produced by Winnie Clement. It is played using only natural harmonics. The bottom of the flute is covered or uncovered to produce two distinct harmonic series. These overlap in the middle to give a scale almost equivalent to a lydian mode. A scale which is often perceived as both strange and yet somehow familiar.

Fife - Small side blown transverse flute often used in traditional Irish marching bands

Filimbi - West African end blown harmonic duct flute

Koncovka - Slovak duct-blown overtone fipple flute without finger holes uses.

Ocarina - Fipple blown vessel flutes with distinctively soft tones.

Pan pipes - A series of end blown closed tube pipes collected into a scale. 

This instrument is ancient and almost global but is often characteristically associated with the music of the Andes.

Persian ney - Dental embouchure end blown flute with a characteristic deep husky tone.

Qromatica - A modern variation on the Tambin created by Sylvain Leroux. It has two overlapping sets of fingering holes giving the player access to a full chromatic scale. 

The same beautiful tone as a traditional tambin in western equal temperament.

Recorders - Fully chromatic western fipple flutes with complex internal ducts mostly associated with medieval and early classical music. 

Shakuhachi - A traditional Japanese end blown duct flute with an intense spacious sound often associated with Zen meditation or martial arts.

Swanee - The classic slide fipple mostly used for theatrical or comic effect but can also be very sweet.

Tabor pipes - Three hole fipple whistle which used overblowing to allow a full melody be played with one hand. Thus the other hand is liberated to play an accompanying instrument, most often a drum or drone of some kind. Traditionally used in dance music or street precessions and is still common in many parts of Europe.

Txistu - The Basque equivalent of the tabor pipe often tunes in a minor mode.

Whistles - Simple fipple flutes used worldwide. In Europe they are mostly often associated with Traditional Celtic music, in particular Irish. They come in a range of sizes. The small whistles have a penetrating tone that allows them to cut through in larger groups of fiddles and pipes. Low whistles have a softer tone often used to play haunting slow aires or accompany songs.

Tambim - Transverse flute of the Fulani  people of west Africa made from the Tambin vine which produces a conical bore. 

Tambin has a very distinctive tone which is characteristically played with dramatic vocalisations.

Xiāo - Chinese end blown bamboo flute with sweet clear tone.

REEDS

Bombarde - A loud double instrument from Brittany used in dance music for Fest noz and Bal. Traditionally played in duet with the Binioù. 

Diatonic Clarinet - This is a simple clarinet with the same fingering as the bombarde. Used where the softer single reed tone is required.

Duduk - Armenian double reed with very distinctive deep rich resonant tone. Traditionally made from Apricot wood hence the true Armenian name is Tsiranapogh meaning Apricot-made wind instrument. It has become very popular in film music where a sense of mournful emotional space is needed.

Gralla - Catalan double reed street shawm with loud penetrating tone used in precession often with percussion.

Tarota - Catalan double reed shawm usually lower than Gralla and with a more delicate medieval sounding tone. 

Cross fingering allows for more chromatic playing even on un-keyed instruments..

Totek chanter - Indian folk double reed with bright tone reminiscent of a bagpipe chanter.

Yidaki - One of my own unique creations. The love child of a bass clarinet, a koncovka and a yidaki (didgeridoo). Using circular breathing a continuous low drone is then layered with intense often dark harmonics, calls and and screeches.. There is nothing quite like it. It can be the closest I’ve ever heard an acoustic instrument coming to a digital sound.

HORNS

I have a large collection of primitive horns including animal horns, shofar, conches and nfīr.