D&D 5E Can Dragonborn play a flute?

[steeldragons]

That's it. All Dragonborn (if I ever introduce them to my game world) are masters of NOSE-POWERED BAGPIPES!

People from all around will pay huge ticket prices to see a dragonborn concert virtuoso of the 'Dragon's Windbag'...or "Dragonwind bag."

 

[aramis erak]

A dragonborn wind instrument would probably need to be carefully made. Depending on the user's breath weapon, I assume reeds would ether char or corrode quickly. A form of metal flute might actually be rather popular due to it's resilience to such things.

They're actually not as resistant as people think.

I've done instrument repairs... metal flutes are the hangar queens of the symphony.

And, having tested a flute using a hair dryer - i'm allergic to silver, and was repairing it, so I had to check it for pad leaks - if you can generate a steady stream of air, and can hold the flute in the right place, you can play a flute, be it transverse or end-hole (eg: shakuhachi (wikipedia link)).

Specifically, the physics involved are splitting a relatively smoth stream of air against the far side of the hole to generate a turbulence with between 60 and around 14000 hz. The tube amplifies certain overtones and undertones in harmonic frequencies (based upon the length) which then become the frequency set heard.

Reeds are often harder to play. Oboe is about the hardest embouchure to maintain - correct lip pressure for the air pressure used and sealing against the sides to maintain the pressure...

 

[thalmin]

Dragonborn are very good at playing the lute. They don't need picks, thanks to the claws. But they go through strings faster than any RenFaire performer I know!

 

[Sunseeker]

Reptiles have lips, so do dragons, to some degree or another. Lips are necessary for proper speech and dragons are highly capable of speaking.

A good example would be Smaug from the new Hobbit movies.

A dragonborn might play a flute differently, but I wouldn't go as far to say they need to use their noses.

 

[Herobizkit]

Now I have this vision of a flute sticking out the side of a dragonborn's mouth like Popeye's corncob pipe.

♪ I'm strong to the finich
I has silver lineach
I'm One-Eye the Dragon Man!
TOOT! TOOT! ♫​

 

[Minigiant]

Of course

How else could they call their Dragonzords when a monster attack their cities?

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Regardless of if they're Sorcerors or not, a Dragonborn playing a pibroch on the nose bagpipes should have to roll on the Wild Magic Table. That would be epic.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Asked the music connoisseur of the Dragonborn bard with the nose flute, "Is that Handel's Water Music you are playing?"
"No, it's snot."

[/puerile joke]

 

[Umbran]

[/puerile joke]

Part of being an adult is having the ability to choose when to indulge in the childish...

"Dragonwind bag."

"Dragonwind" sounds like an affliction they get after having too many dragonbeans. This is music your party does *not* want to hear.

I now have a desire to play a very... earthy dragonborn.

 

[Mercule]

Dragons can manipulate their nostrils to hold their breath underwater. So why not play a...

Noseflute?

Yech. I'm enough of a germophobe with a regular flute.

This also makes me wonder about compatibility....
DM: You find a flute with large openings. It radiates magic.
Elven Bard: I give it a try. Can I play it?
DM: Seems to work well enough.
EB: Cool. I'll practice with it during the short rest, to get attuned.
DM: OK. Oh, as you're working with it, you notice some brownish green crust around the main opening.
Dragonborn Barbarian walks by: Awesome! A noseflute! Mama used to play me lullabies with one of those. It had a great warble when her hay fever was acting up.
EB: Noseflute? Hay fever? *Erp*