Making a Quena

A quena is an Andean flute, very common in Perú, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.  These can also be found in other places, but the music made with these is notably Andean. 

If you'd like to hear some examples, Peru Folk Radio is my favorite Peruvian station:
http://www.perufolkradio.com/

To start with, say: KEH-huh with the "eh" being like Canadian's say it.  It is not KAY-nah unless you are a complete redneck. If you speak Spanish, you should already know how to say "qué". 

I want to learn to play one so I ordered one from Bolivia.  It has been about 3 weeks and I am still waiting waiting waiting.  Since these are reputedly very easy to make, I figured it would be fun to try.

I elected to use bamboo because I like it and because I already have some.  Specifically, I have the tiki torches left over from the 4th of July that I bought at the dollar store.  Seriously.

Materials:

1. Screwdriver - my longest one
2. Clamp - (It came with my Dremel-style tool.)
3. Work surface - I used a TV tray.
4. Pencil
5. Scotch tape
6. Hammer
7. Drill
8. Drill bits
9. Tape measure
10. Saw
11. Laptop videos and sites
12. Tiki torch (I had 4 of them.)  (PVC is also popular.  Use what you've got.  I have seen sites with beautiful Pyrex ones.)
13. Superglue - optional--for small cuts on fingers or bamboo that splits a very little bit
14. Grinding stone - optional--I have one that is 6 or 7 mm at its thickest, in a cone shape.  This was PERFECT for this project.  

Here is the first of a video series in making a quena.  This one shows what you need to make one out of PVC. (You can see the rest by clicking the link below the word "quena" in the title.)

4 min video I wish I would have watched before I ever tried my first time. Good chart. Good demonstration. 3rd video in the series above.

 Websites that helped me:
YouTube: Make a Quena from beginning to end-8 minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ4GNDk3nck&feature=plcp
At 7 minutes in, he slides the measurements past the camera slowly to read them. 

Instructable: Make 4 Easy Bamboo Flutes-Quena --This makes it look very doable
 http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-4-easy-Bamboo-Flutes-for-free/step3/Bamboo-Flute-End-Blown-Quena/

Translated website that was especially helpful for the mouth portion
The original Spanish Quena-instructions site
http://pacoweb.net/Quena/constru.htm

YouTube-How to Tie a Quena (to help prevent splitting or hide ugly spots)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc5G6YKjJaE

Quena Playing:

Old manual that is posted online
http://www.scribd.com/doc/48233255/METODO-DE-QUENA

Brief single page: Posture and mouth position with great image
http://jlfeijooi.en.eresmas.com/quena/posicion.htm

YouTube: Checho - Famous Peruvian quena player giving basic instructions- English subtitles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1zYc7B4m3E&feature=channel&list=UL

YyouTube: Checho #2-How to hold the Quena and basic notes-English subtitles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KokaUFf0LsI&feature=plcp

YouTube-Michaela Chauque video-very nice demonstration of mouth movements
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz5_EJnB8yQ&

My Quena making adventure

I started off earlier this week making 2 of them.  They are difficult to play and I can't do anything with them.  OBVIOUSLY, I screwed up.  A little more research after those first two attempts and my 3rd one is much, much better. Each site had differing measurements or, more commonly, vague ones.  I chose to use this set because the mm are more precise than inches and the video was especially helpful.

1. I chose the tiki torch with the longest space between joints that was also the most aesthetically appealing. (That's fancy talk for "pretty".)  I gathered up the stuff and:
2. Cut the bamboo. 29.2 cm  I put tape around it to prevent splitting and cut just beyond that.  The tape marked my cutting line nicely.  
3. Put a piece of Scotch tape down the length of the front of the flute.  You decide where you want your front to be.   
4. Using the Dremel (or files, if you have them), the mouth will be cut a rounded 8mm wide at the top narrowing down to 7mm wide and 8mm deep.  Angle the cut so that below that 8mm  deep mark, it has a bit of an angle or the look of a slide. try to do a slight angle on the back side, too. Try it out now to make sure it works.  If you have no experience, you can do what I did the first night--I put in a TV show and while watching it, I practiced until I could get a tone.  It took me about 2 hours of goofing off.
5. If there is a  joint in the bamboo, you will have to de-crud the inside.  Put your screwdriver in the tube and use the hammer to knock it down.  Work it a bit.  You will see the bits fall out. 
6. Draw a straight line on the tape (I used the side of the package of extra sawblades.)  It might be easier to put the tape on the table to mark it.  
7. Also mark on this line, 23.7cm, 21.1cm, 19.1cm, 16.9cm,14.6cm, 12.5cm, and on the back, 11.2cm (thumb hole). Measure these from the mouth portion.
8. Drill these out with a small bit.  You will enlarge them later.
9. Expand the holes a little. If you want to tune the instrument after you have practiced at it and have some experience, don't enlarge them too much.  Expect to need to de-crud the backs of the holes.  The bamboo has a sort of "skin" running down the inside.  I worked at it with my screwdriver.  I would bet that a brush would work better, but I don't have one handy.
10. Tie your quena, if you want.  
11. Play, play, play.

Update:
I got my quena from Bolivia today (August 23).  It is bigger than I anticipated.  Difficult to hold properly and cover all the holes with my fingers.  I think that I only need practice.
Once I have gotten SOMEwhere with it, I will post a vid.
:)


~~~~~~~
Video on playing El Condor Pasa (in Spanish)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGrgyK47mqg

Circular breathing video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhZZgzzm_Mg

YouTube collection of individuals demonstrating demonstrations with their quenas
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=quena+tocar