I bought a C Key Dizi, never having played any kind of flute before. I can already play almost two octaves on it, and it sounds phenomenal. I liked it so much I decided to pick up a second Dizi, and tried a NicoShine F key for a just a few dollars less from a different seller: it arrived broken, mismatched and disconnected ferrules, with a head that was unplayable. This flute, on the other hand, is a real live musical instrument, but would be worth the money just as a display piece. Phenomenal, mellow sound from the C, easy to play and establish embouchure with. I can't overstate how much I adore this flute, and seeing the alternatives in this price-range, I can't recommend them enough. After I received my purchase, the seller even reached out to see how I was enjoying it, and made sure I was happy with it! I returned the broken F Nicoshine, and ordered a second flute (D Key with the Bitter Bamboo Finish) from Physcool, which will be here tomorrow.

Bottom Line: This is a marvelous Dizi, excellent for beginners, unbelievable value. The Dimo was super easy to apply, it sounds great, and it's been super easy to learn.

(If your hands are on the smaller side or your fingers are on the thin side, you might consider a slightly smaller Dizi than C, as it may be difficult for you to reach or completely cover all the tone holes.)

The media could not be loaded. It can be tricky getting a note out the first few minutes, but after practicing for an hour the flute became more responsive after pressing down on the membrane, not too much pressure or else you'll tear the membrane. I am happy with the tone I got on my first day playing a dizi flute.

The dizi (bamboo flute) came inside a very nice padded case. The case is shrink wrapped as well. Inside the case, it has a red velvet bag for the dizi. It is long enough to cover the full assembled length of the dizi.

The dizi came in 2 parts. The connection is tight but still not too hard to connect and disconnect. There is also a red tassel for you to hang at the end for decoration.

It also came with a packet of membrane and glue for you to cover the 2nd hole. It is a little tricky to glue it. The first time I did, the membrane came off after it was dried. I applied more glue and water to glue it back. It seems to be sticking now. Some advices I found online suggest beginners to use scotch tape, which is much easier although the sound produced maybe a bit different. I don't have scotch tape so I had to do it the hard way....
There is also a finger chart included for you to learn how to play.

I have never played before. I watched some YouTube videos and was able to figure out how to make a sound in less than an hour. It is a bit tricky. It seems I have to blow the air a little differently for each note to make a sound. It'll take awhile to figure out....

The dizi looks beautiful and without cracks. It produces a decent sound. For a beginner who have never played dizi, this fits my budget and I'm happy with the quality.

While never having played a Dizi or a transverse flute, I was able to place the Dimo (membrane) somewhat correctly and with the help of YouTube and H.H. Lee's book "How to Play the Dizi, the Chinese Flute" I was able to get some sounds! The more I've been playing and working on my embouchure and breath (you don't have to blow hard! Something I've learned with the Shakuhachi), the more the notes sound possibly like they should. While I'm still going to give a 5 star, it looks like there was a crack at the blowing hole that was repaired and then lacquered over. You can see the line but I don't feel a vibration or loss of tone. (Hard to say though as a beginner, lol) I have not played with a tuner to see if it's in tune, but will update when I do. Any way, I'm thinking of ordering the G key. Very pleased, now I have to play more. :)

*** Update as of November - I ordered a Dizi in G from the same seller in black bamboo and it is great too. After applying the Dimo and getting used to a different sized blow hole, I was able to play this flute as well. This time, I had my tuner app going and with the right breath the flute is perfectly in tune. Same thing with the flute in D. So much fun to play.

First of all, excellent instrument.

Second, here is why I ended up buying 3 of them.

I first bought a C dizi, which is definitely my favorite one to play now, but at first it wasn't. Each dizi is a different size depending on the key, this includes the length of the instrument, the size of the holes and how far apart the holes are. Due to the size difference, each one sounds different too, thus the Key they are assigned (the higher the letter the higher the sound ie C has lower sounds than G). My favorite sounding one is the C, but at first the holes where too far apart for my hands and the holes a bit to big for my fingers, specially on the right hand. I was frustrated because I couldn't close the holes well enough to produce clear sounds.

I really wanted to play a dizi, so I did more research on whole sizes and didn't find a clear answer. I then decided to try out a D dizi and a G dizi so see which one would be a better fit, so I bought them both. I definitely like the D and G. If your fingers are on the slimmer side, G is good to play, but because the key is so high, its more difficult to produce clear sounds (and that's coming from someone who has no problem playing a western flute). The D dizi is a really good choice if you aren't 100% sure on sound and size. It's not that hard to produce clear sounds on the D, and the wholes aren't too far apart. If you can only invest in one, I would say D is the best start.

Now, if your fingers are on the slimmer side and you still want to play a C dizi, or your dizi still feels big for your hands, you can adjust your playing style and use the second joint of your fingers instead of the tip to cover the holes. This works very well for me and I actually play all my dizi this way now, regardless of size. If you aren't sure on what I mean, look up some videos on professionals playing the Dizi and you'll see that many of them don't use the tip of their fingers to cover the hole, specially the holes of the right hand. I still use the tip of my fingers to cover the holes on the left. Also, don't be deceived by your own fingers just because you are on the bigger side. I'm 5'10", 180 Lbs and the tip of my fingers are still smaller than I thought. But again, you can always adjust playing style.

In summary, this is a great choice for a dizi, specially if you're just starting. Think well about what size would be a good fit for your hands and which sounds you prefer, and I think you'll be very happy with your Dizi.

PS: Do some research on the membrane too.