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 Akoudi. The large hole in the middle is the blowing hole, and the three smaller holes on the top are finger holes. The two open ends of the tube are also used, played with the thumbs. | |
| Koudi | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Aerophone |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | (Flute) |
| Inventor(s) | Yu Xunfa |
Thekoudi (Chinese:口笛; pinyin: kǒudí; also spelledkou di) is a very smallChineseflute made from bamboo. It is the smallest flute in the Chinese flute family. Its original shape derives from prehistorical instruments made with animal bone, but the modern koudi is made with wood, bamboo or PVC. It was invented in 1971 bydizi masterYu Xunfa (俞逊发, 1946–2006).[1]
In 1971, the Chinese Flute player Yu Xunfa, who was inspired by original prehistorical instrument, made the first Koudi. This instrument contains one octave, and two years later this instrument went to public by playing the recomposed Romanian folk songCiocârlia (《云雀》). After that, to expand the range, Xu made the five-hole Koudi, and Bai Chengren (白诚仁) composedMorning of A Miao Village《苗岭的早晨》(MaoLing de ZaoChen).[2]The instrument comes in two sizes. The smaller size, calledgaoyin koudi, which is only 5–6 cm in length, has only the holes on the sides, where the thumbs can control the full range of pitch by incrementally opening the holes. The larger size, referred to aszhongyin koudi, is 8–9 cm long and has an additional 2–4 holes on the front (played with the fingers, these holes give slightly more precision to pitch changes). Thegaoyin koudi is pitched an octave above thexiao di, whereas thezhongyin koudi is pitched an octave above thebang di. The range of thekoudi is about a ninth or tenth, and it can bend notes over the entire range of the instrument.
A related instrument in Hunnan province called thetuliang is also center-blown and open-ended but is much larger (about the size of thequdi).
Basically, a Koudi has two octaves.
MiaoLing de ZaoChen by Yu Xunfa
Notable gaohu players include: