Make a bûchette

The bûchette is a vessel flute (“ocarina”) carved from a small log. It is elegantly hollowed out from one end (rather than split) and its mouthpiece is similar to that of a recorder: a fipple with an internal duct.

The larger model (let’s call it alto) has 7 to 9 holes and plays from D3 to F4. It can be played chromatically at the cost ofsome tricky fingering, but its tuning makes it particularly easy to play in A minor or Phrygian Dominant (the “Spanish Gipsy” scale). The tone is round but more complex than a classic ocarina and slightly “windy”; the instrument vibrates pleasantly in the hands while playing.

See our bbûchettes in store

[plans and manufacturing advice coming soon]

In the meantime, here are a few photos of a 9-hole model: