Fujara flute assessment

Fujara assessment (the more stars the better performance in the category):

• Overtones 30% : Crucial category! How rich and robust is the overtone spectrum of the Fujara? The overtone spectrum of any fujara is decisive for its timber and overall feeling when playing and listening to the Fujara.
• Voice 30% : Strong, haunting, possibly clean and still soft voice is ideal. Due to Fujara construction, little grain is always present in the fujara voice. It makes it actually soft and haunting on contrary to recorder-like clean but sharp voice.
• Playability† 25% : How easy can you "catch" various over-tones of the Fujara by over-blowing? The more stars, the easier is the fujara to play and the flute helps you to hit the right tones. This category could be called "overblowing" too.
  • Breath (optional category): How much breath the fujara takes to produce sound? The more stars, the more breath-efficient the Fujara is, meaning you can play longer or stronger or more dynamic with one breathful.
    Usually more breathy (less stars) Fujara flutes are less sensitive and thus have better playability (more stars) and vice versa.
• Tuning 15% : How well in tune is the fujara? Is the fundamental tuned precisely, are the tones of fujara diatonic major scale tuned precisely? Decisive category for the ones who wish to play fujara in ensemble together with other "western tuned" instruments.

† There is a rule of thumb that the more breath efficient Fujara flute is the harder it is to play and vice versa. So, usually a perfect playability means that the Fujara flute needs a bit more breath too. Although this might be very desirable for for beginners, more advanced players should better choose breath efficient Fujara flutes even if they are more sensitive and thus require more precise breath.

‡ Thanks to the Fujara construction and overtone playing technique, fujara is naturally in tune with itself. Thusly, any Fujara is well suited for solo play. For playing together with other "western tuned" instruments, Fujaras marked with 5 & 4 stars in tuning should be preferred.

• - Modern Fujara: fundamental tuned precisely, all the notes in the Fujara major diatonic scale (g - g) tuned precisely in equal temperament.
• - Modern Fujara: fundamental tuned precisely, all the notes in the Fujara major diatonic scale are well tuned, though not perfect.
• - Modern Fujara: fundamental tuned precisely, there are some fujara typical -off- notes in its scale.
• - Traditional Fujara flute: fundamental tuned precisely. Fujara is well in tune with itself as well as with other traditionally tuned Fujara flutes of the same pitch.
• - Traditional Fujara flute: fundamental not tuned. Fujara is well in tune with itself but not with other instruments. Recommended for solo playing only!

By adding up the different playing attributes and taking the weighted average we come up with the overall rating.

Example:

Natural Beauty Fujara flute, sound category: very good+

Fujara grade:

• Overtones:
• Voice:        
• Playability:  
• Tuning:      
  Final Grade: 3.40

Final grade is counted this way: (3 x 0.3) + (4 x 0.3) + (4 x 0.25) + (2 x 0.15) = 3.40
where three and half stars are the closest representative of this value,
meaning that the Fujara flutes' sound category is: very good+ .