- Songs of Glimmerwick flute types are determined by your answers to the flute maker Bristlecone's attunement questions.
- Every witch needs an instrument — humans cannot channel the hum of the trees without a medium.
- Four attunement questions cover resonance, flavor, sound of water, and your sense of time.
- The flute is played with your keyboard (A S D F J K L and colon keys), with space held for high notes.
- Spell songs are learned from scrolls in practice mode; stars let you cast instantly from the quick flute bar.
How Flutes Work in Songs of Glimmerwick
In Songs of Glimmerwick, magic and music are the same thing. The world has been silenced, and it only comes alive through the songs of a witch. As the headmistress of the School of Magic and Melody explains, every student — every witch, in fact — needs an instrument to conduct magic. Humans cannot truly hear the hum of the trees or the chorus in the leaves, so your flute serves as the medium that channels those sounds into spells.
The flute maker Bristlecone, a talking tree who runs his shop south of campus through the forest, crafts your first instrument. When you pick it up, he explains its purpose and lets you test it on the spot.
Video Highlights:
- Character creation and arrival on the Salt Wind Coast
- Meeting Bristlecone the tree flute maker and answering attunement questions
- The supply list: flute, robe, cauldron, potion, and trinket
- First flute performance using keyboard keys
- Learning the Song of Tilling in the garden quest
Bristlecone stresses that anyone can do magic if they study hard — the flute is a tool, not a talent gate. Don't worry about picking the "wrong" answers during crafting.
The Four Attunement Questions and Flute Types
Your flute's character comes from four questions Bristlecone asks before crafting. Each answer shapes your instrument — one confirmed result is a flute carved from honey walnut, linked to the "honeyed" flavor answer.
| Question | Possible Answers | What It Shapes |
|---|---|---|
| "Spark and dew — with which do you most resonate?" | Crystal / Acorn / Spark / Dew | Core magical resonance of the flute |
| "Salted, pickled, spiced, or honeyed?" | Salted / Pickled / Spiced / Honeyed | Wood and material flavor (honeyed links to honey walnut) |
| "Crash of the sea, roaring waterfall, pattering rain, or babbling brook?" | Sea / Waterfall / Rain / Brook | The flute's tonal water-quality |
| "One week or 1,000 years?" | One week / 1,000 years | Your sense of time — answer 1,000 years and he jokes you can collect it in 1,000 years |
Bristlecone delivers the joke answer if you pick "1,000 years" — he tells you to come back then. He immediately confirms he has everything needed to craft your instrument, so no answer actually blocks your flute.
Known Flute Combinations
| Resonance | Flavor | Water Sound | Resulting Trait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acorn | Honeyed | Babbling brook | Honey walnut flute, warm folk timbre |
| Crystal | Spiced | Pattering rain | Brighter, sharper tone (community-reported) |
| Dew | Salted | Sea crash | Cooler, coastal character (community-reported) |
| Spark | Pickled | Waterfall | Bold, percussive character (community-reported) |
Only the honey walnut result is confirmed in the demo playthrough; other combinations are themed around the same question structure, so experiment across save files to hear the differences yourself.
Step-by-Step: Getting Your First Flute
Arrive at the Etchery
Complete the intro, create your witch, and meet the headmistress across the bridge. She gives you a letter and a supply list.
Gather Your Supplies in Town
Head east to the town of Whisk. Collect your robe (Swish and Stitch), potion starter set, cauldron, and skill trinket (the Practical Practice) before returning — Bristlecone sends you back for them anyway.
Visit Bristlecone South of Campus
Follow the cleared path through the forest. Answer his four attunement questions to define your flute type.
Collect and Play Your Flute
Return after shopping. He hands over your flute — carve materials like honey walnut reflect your answers — and invites you to try it immediately.
Grab the robe and cauldron items first, then the trinket. The Cup and Kettle may be closed for the season, so your potion starter set comes from the potions shop instead.
Playing the Flute and Song Magic
Once you have your flute, spellcasting becomes a rhythm-style keyboard performance.
Performance Keys
- A S D F J K L and colon play notes
- Hold space for high notes
- Used for spell songs and practice mode
Practice Mode
- Click a spell scroll to enter practice
- Hit notes in sequence to earn stars
- Missing notes costs the second star
Quick Flute Bar
- Earned stars let you cast instantly
- Garden spells appear only in the garden
- Casting always costs mana — snack to recover
You can also cast any learned spell manually using the three to five notes listed in your song book inside the playing menu, so earning stars is optional convenience rather than a requirement.
| Spell Song | Effect | How to Learn |
|---|---|---|
| Song of Tilling | Charms your hoe to till soil for planting | Scroll from the garden keeper, practice mode |
| Axe Enchantment | Chops dead trees and logs | Garden cleanup quest reward |
| Garden spells (general) | Mana-powered garden maintenance | Appear in quick flute bar while in the garden |
A perfect score appears to be needed for the second star, but you can retry scrolls anytime — and a single star already unlocks instant casting from the quick flute bar.
Flute Mastery Checklist
Flute & Song Magic Milestones:
- Answer all four of Bristlecone's attunement questions
- Collect every item on the school supply list
- Receive your crafted flute (honey walnut or your combination)
- Play your first notes with the keyboard layout
- Learn the Song of Tilling from its scroll
- Earn a star to unlock the quick flute bar
- Enchant your axe and clear the garden's dead trees
No flute song handles the garden weeds — they are highly resistant to magic. You will need a scythe from town, and gold is tight early on, so plan your budget around it.
FAQ
Q: Do Songs of Glimmerwick flute types change gameplay?
Your answers to Bristlecone's four questions determine the character of your instrument, such as a flute carved from honey walnut. The demo shows the flute functioning the same way regardless of answers, so treat it as personalization rather than a power choice.
Q: Can I get a flute without answering the questions?
No — Bristlecone requires all four attunement answers before he can craft your instrument. Fortunately the process takes only a minute, and he jokes about the '1,000 years' answer before confirming he has everything he needs.
Q: How do I actually play the flute?
Use the keys A, S, D, F, J, K, L, and the colon key for notes, holding space for high notes. Spell songs are performed in practice mode via scrolls, and mastered songs can be cast instantly from the quick flute bar.
Q: Do I need to earn stars on every song?
No. Stars are not required to cast spells — you can always cast manually using the notes in your song book. Stars simply unlock convenient instant casting and grant XP toward your progression.