The ''dimo'' () is a special membrane applied to the transverse

Chinese flute Flutes made in China come in a variety of different types: Transverse flutes: * Dizi (and its varieties such as the qudi and bangdi; primary transverse flutes, usually made of bamboo and distinctively has a buzzing membrane) * Koudi (a small c ...

called '' dizi'' (or ''di''), giving the instrument its characteristic buzzing

timbre In music, timbre (), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes sounds according to their source, such as choir voices and musical instrument ...

. ''Dimo'', made from the tissue-thin membrane from the interior of a specific variety of bamboo, are supplied as tubular sleeves. Only a small rectangle is needed at a time, so for application, a small section is cut off the end of the ''di mo'' sleeve, and that small tube is cut open to make a rough rectangle of flat membrane. The Korean transverse bamboo flute called ''

daegeum The ''daegeum'' (also spelled ''taegum'', ''daegum'' or ''taegŭm'') is a large bamboo flute, a transverse flute used in traditional Korean music. It has a buzzing membrane that gives it a special timbre. It is used in court, aristocratic, and f ...

'' has a similar buzzing membrane. The Korean ''

sogeum The ''sogeum'' (; also spelled ''sogum'' or ''sogŭm'') is a small bamboo transverse flute used in traditional Korean music. Unlike the larger '' daegeum'', it does not have a buzzing membrane (although it did have one in ancient times). It is ...

'' and ''

junggeum The ''junggeum'' (), also ''chunggum'' or ''chunggŭm'', is a medium-sized transverse bamboo flute formerly used in traditional Korean music. Unlike the larger '' daegeum'', it does not have a buzzing membrane (although it did have one in ancie ...

'', Vietnamese ''

sáo The ''sáo'' (also called ''sáo trúc'' — pronounced , like "''shall-joog"'') is a family of flutes found in Vietnam, considered a symbol of rural Vietnam. ''Sáo'' is the literal Vietnamese word for "flute". The most common variety is played w ...

'', and the Thai '' khlui'' also once had membranes, but these are not used today.

Application

The ''di mo'' is applied to the membrane hole (or Mo kong) of the dizi using a special, traditional glue called '' Ejiao''. One of the advantages of ''ejiao'' is that the glue is water-soluble, so that it can be wetted again to re-adjust the ''di mo''. After applying the glue around the ''mo kong'', the ''di mo'' is applied, and then adjusted while the glue is still wet so that many creases form in a sequence along the length of the hole. Each crease should be parallel to the one before, crossing the hole horizontally, so that together they form a sort of pleat or corrugation. If ''Ejiao'' is not available, a substitute can be improvised by simply crushing

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

into a fine, relatively dry paste, and applying as normal. It should be used quickly. Although the purpose of applying ''di mo'' is simply to make the ''dizi'' operational, the application technique is considered to be an art in itself.

References

Dizi {{Flute-stub