NOVICA Decorative Wood Traditional Peruvian Quena Flute, Brown, 'Jacaranda'

Received this flute today and I am impressed with the quality and sound. It is nicely made with a nice case, the wood looks great, the embouchure notch is smooth and symmetrical. It could be decorative if that's all you wanted it for... ...but what a waste. It sounds great! I am getting almost a full second octave after an hour or so and the resonance is deep and not very airy. I am a very much an amateur hobbyist flute player(I usually just noodle around, hopefully in the woods) so I don't think it would take anyone too long to have decent results, and you will keep getting better with time. If you haven't played end blown flutes you should know that they are tricky and you will have to spend some time before you can get a good sound. As far as end blown flutes go I find this one to be fairly easy to play. Easier than bamboo but possibly more limited in timbral range. We will see. Just wanted to mention that this is a good sounding flute since, unless you have experience with these types of flutes, you might not be able to tell. It might be easier to start with a side blown flute if the difficulty sounds daunting. If you are totally new to flutes or breath powered instruments you should know that they are very relaxing since controlling the breath has that as a side effect.

I have a wide variety of flutes but, due to some recent medical problems, I can no longer turn my head adequately to properly play my transverse flutes. I have a Shakuhachi vertical head joint being built for my classic flute so I can get back to playing but I got impatient and started looking for a flute I could play now. I stumbled across this Novica Quena, which has a very similar embouchure to the Japanese Shakuhachi flute and, for this price figured I couldn't go too far wrong. I received my Quena yesterday and spent the evening playing it. The tone is warm, the intonation is spot on. This is an amazing value for such a quality musical instrument. The Novica Quena uses a large bore with a smaller end hole to improve intonation across all three octaves similar to the tapered bore of a classic flute. The hole pattern is the same as a penny whistle or simple flute with the addition of a thumb hole on the underside. Surprise! The thumb hole adds some clarity to the highest note in the first octave but, after you practice a bit to polish your intonation at octave changes, you can just leave the thumb hole closed and play it with the same fingerings as a simple flute. All flute cross fingerings work as you expect to play sharps and flats. I don't know why but I was loath to leave the house this morning without it. Maybe I'll sneak down to my car at lunch time and get in some practice. P.S. The holes on this quena are quite large, which makes for a big sound but could present a problem for kids or other small fingered players.

This seems to be a well-crafted flute. I heard some say that you should check to see if the inside is smooth. This flute has a rough inside and I'm not sure if this detracts from its sound quality. Though the wood of the flute is beautiful and has a great finish, the decorative stripes on it are not strips but are only formed by wrapping a nylon-like translucent thread. I didn't even handle this flute on a daily basis and they came loose and came off in a matter of days. Still, it is a beautiful instrument and economical, while there may be others that only cost a little less but are actually "toys". I don't think you'd be going wrong by purchasing this flute if this is your beginner instrument.

What it lacks in adornments it makes up for with excellent smooth sanding, understated presentation, and terrific sound. It has a simple beauty, and a full sound that reminds me of my concert flute. The fingering is a bit like a tenor recorder, and it has a break key on the back (that I never use). The holes are on the large side but small enough to close with fingertips, or with 2nd pad of the knuckle in a pipers grip. Their large size allows for great dynamics, and very smooth bends and slurs. It's not tunable exactly, but it's not too hard to get in tune with another instrument by adjusting embouchure and adjusting coverage on the holes. It doesn't appear to be laquered but I have not had any problems with moisture swelling the wood, and it looks like it's been oiled on the outside. The carrying case is much more decorated, and it's wool like material keeps moisture levels stable.

I was curious about learning the quena but did not want to spend a lot of money in case I decided it was not the instrument for me. I chose this Novica quena because of its attractiveness and very affordable price - I was not disappointed! Upon receiving it, I picked it up and played it very easily. Note, however, that I was already familiar with rim-blown flutes, including one that has a quena embouchure. If you are new to rim-blown flutes, you will have to invest time and have plenty of patience - it could take days for you just to get any sound out of it. I do not know how this compares to a "professional" quena, but I am not a "professional" player so it does not matter.

I'm not a musician, but figured I could learn at least the basics. I can't figure out how to make any sound except blowing air. Not one note. I've watched YouTube videos, and a reviewer on Amazon seemed to do ok. So either I'm not genetically capable of making the right shape with my lips or the flute was not cut right. I'm at a loss. I have tried this many times at different angles, each time giving up in frustration. Then I'll dig it out again sometime later. Still can't play a note. In other news, the plastic thread wrappings (like fishing line) came off the first time I tried to use it. The fabric case looks, cool, though.

If you are a professional musician, do not buy this flute, it is off tune. Otherwise, it is a good toy to play.

Sonido dulce y limpio. Al principio cuesta sacar el sonido por la ubicación precisa de los labios en la boquilla y porque debe soplarse con el aire caliente del diafragma. No soy músico ni había tocado una flauta en la vida, pero no me costó trabajo encontrar la manera de sacar el sonido del instrumento. Recomiendo el producto, lo puedes llevar como compañero de viaje. Lo único que no me gustó es que hubiese sido bueno que trajera el paño, el aceite y la bara para hacerle mantenimiento por dentro, incluido en ese precio. Recomiendo el producto.