The dizi is a traditional Chinese transverse flute, usually made of bamboo. Its main feature is an extra hole between the embouchure and the finger holes, covered with a thin membrane from the inner layer of a reed stem (dimo).
It is this membrane that, vibrating, gives the dizi's sound its inimitable bright, slightly “buzzing,” and strikingly vivid timbre, setting it apart from other flutes of the world. The instrument has been known in China for more than two thousand years and holds a central place both in folk music and in classical opera and the modern Chinese orchestra. The dizi is capable of gentle, lyrical cantilena and of virtuoso, rapid runs, and so remains one of the most beloved and expressive melodic colours of Chinese music.
