When played, this form of flute is held in a horizontal position. The point is inserted into the mouth and the three consecutive holes at divisions Nos. 5, 5.5, and 6 are covered by the first, second, and third fingers, respectively, of the right hand.
In pitch this instrument is lower than the other three but in the quality of the music it in no wise differs from them.
GUITARS
The vine-string guitar.--There are two kinds of vine-string guitars, differing only in size and name, as far as I know, so that a description of the smaller one7 will answer for the larger.8
7Kúd-luñg.
8Bin-i-já-an.
It varies in length from 1.5 meters to 2 meters.9 The combined neck and finger board and the hollow boat-shaped sounding box are of one piece. The other part of the guitar is a thin strip of wood with a lozenge-shaped hole in the center, that fits with great accuracy on the bottom of the sounding box. The head is always a scroll, rudely carved into a remote suggestion of a rooster's head, as the name indicates,10 and two holes are pierced in it for the insertion of the tuning pegs. Along the neck are from 9 to 12 little wooden frets, fastened to the finger board with beeswax. I can give no information as to the rule by which the interfret distances are determined.
9Ordinarily the bán-ti or the sa-gu-bád-bad wood is used.