Shvi

The shvi (Armenian: Շվի, "whistle", pronounced sh-vee) is a fipple flute with a labium mouth piece. Commonly made of wood (apricot, boxwood, ebony ) or bamboo and up to 12 inches (300 mm) in length, it typically has a range of an octave and a-half. The tav shvi is made from apricot wood, it is up to 18 inches (460 mm) long, and is tuned 1/4 lower producing a more lyrical and intimate sound.

The shvi is up to 12 inches in length and is made of reed, the bark of willows, or walnut wood. It has 8 holes on the front, 7 of which are used while playing, and one thumbhole. One octave is obtained by blowing normally into the shvi and a second octave is attained by blowing with slightly more force. The lower octave has a timbre similar to a recorder whereas the higher octave sounds similar to a piccolo or flute. 8-hole traditional flute. Typically, most Armenian duduk or zurna players learn the shvi before moving on to either instrument.

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