Flutes from Asia have traditionally been made from bamboo. Because this material is readily available in Asia, and because it has many uses, the techniques in working with this wood have been highly developed. The flute (Nohkan) used in the Noh drama displays the utmost sophistication in working with (see Figs. 1 and 3). The used in making the Nohkan must be or (susu dake, smoked bamboo or yaki dake, burned bamboo). This smoking process evaporates the oil from the and once this is accomplished the has a long life span-around three or four hundred years. This is generally obtained from the ceilings of century-old farmhouses where the smoke from the open hearth has treated the wood. In addition to being smoked, the should be female (me dake). This term is used to describe that which has a long interval between the joints; small joints; and where the inside of the wood is cylindrical. This is in contrast to male bamboo, (o dake) which has a shorter distance between the joints; large joints; and which is much less cylindrical. Male is used in making the vertical flute, the Shakuhachi. As pitch is not such an important consideration, there are many variations regarding the measurements of the instrument. The following figures represent average measurements of ten professional instruments. Overall length 396 mm; length of the barrel from the plug of bees-wax to the end of the flute 292 mm; the diameter of this barrel at its widest point 12 mm; the diameter of the barrel at its narrowest point 8 mm; the length of the inserted tube 100 mm. For other dimensions see Fig. 3. The older way of making the flute is to construct it in six sections. Fig. 2 shows five sections; however, section 3 is cut into two parts and you could, therefore, consider the flute to be in six sections. First, the specially prepared is cut into strips (often eight, although the number varies). These strips are then reversed so that the outside of the flute is really the inner part of the bamboo. Glue is used to put the strips together. Next, the mouth hole and finger holes are cut into the main body of the instrument by the use of a pattern which is the maker's secret (see Fig. 1). The next step, which is perhaps the most interesting feature of the Nohkan is the insertion of a small tube into the barrel between the mouth hole and the nearest finger hole. This tube is called the nodo (throat) and it serves to upset the natural accoustical expectation of a more or less perfect octave when overblown as will later be explained. The barrel is then lacquered with a red lacquer as well as the outside of the mouth and finger holes. From the mouth hole to the top of the flute, the barrel is filled with bees-wax in which lead wrapped in mulberry fibre paper is imbedded. The wax, of course, serves as a plug and the lead adds weight giving balance to the instrument. A gold relief is placed at the tip of the flute into the wax to heighten the beauty of the instrument. Into the top section of the flute a