Aside from the simple act of beating out a rhythm by hitting something hollow with a stick, the other most universally common form for creating music is the blowing of air through a hollow tube. Variations of the the six holed flute, either played transversely like today's modern flutes, or by blowing down into the shaft like a recorder, have been found in cultures all over the world.

While relatively simple to play at its most basic, it takes a highly skilled player to play music of a more complicated nature because with only six holes it takes amazing breath control to push the flute's range beyond the octave it was built to play. In recent years it has been modified to include a seventh finger hole in order to facilitate a player's ability to meet the demands of more complicated music. Even though the instrument was not designed originally to play these styles of music, with this modification, and in the hands of a skilled player, its unique sound can bring a new life to familiar pieces of music.

In India this type of flute has as many names as there are dialects spoken, but it is most commonly known as either a Bansuri in the north or a Venu (an eight holed variety) in the south. No matter what name is used to refer to this flute, it's roots run deep in Hindu culture as the God Krishna is often depicted as playing the transverse version. Despite its history, the Bansuri's limited range has caused it to receive short shrift until recent times, as it was considered inadequate for performing anything but folk music. Now, especially with the addition of the seventh fingering hole, it is common to hear it used in both the classical and popular repertoire.

It's also only been in recent years that attempts have been made to cross pollinate Western and Eastern music with instruments of the other culture. While a lot of platitudes have been said about music being the universal language, the truth of the matter is that it can be as specific to a culture as a language and a belief system and can prove very difficult for someone outside that culture to reproduce.