I got this bamboo flute from Ebay for around 16 dollars. My goal was to try out a flute and to see if I liked it before I bought anything expensive. I know that you have to blow over the hole of the flute..but I am having trouble with this. I tried every which way for days, watched youtube videos, and still having a seriously difficult time getting a sound out. I am starting to worry that it isn't me that is the problem; that the flute is just poorly made. It came from China.

I am still really into flutes, I am just confused..Maybe I should go with a name brand anyways. What do you guys think?

There's a lot of variables here.
Making a sound on a flute the first time is hard.
Cheap flutes can be very difficult or impossible.
Combining the two might make the whole thing ten times as hard, not just twice as hard.
You might find it useful to borrow a flute long enough just to try to learn to make a sound. If there's a music store anywhere near you, they should let you try out a flute in the store for free.

I think I am just going to have to buy an entry YAMAHA flute. I think this cheap bamboo flute would look good on my wall. I really wanted a brass flute anyways, they look so hot. Personally I would just get a flute to look at and touch if I wasn't into playing them lol

I would have to buy online, the only music store is reallly far away. Once I get good practice with this entry flute and get good at it, I might step up my flute. I will just self teach myself for now since I am kind of on a tight budget. It is one thing to have a good flute and not able to play it because you aren't skilled enough yet...and another when you can't play the flute because it is badly made. x__x

Bamboo flutes made in China probably have terribly (and roughly) cut embouchure holes -- making a sound might be very difficult at best.

Just go to any local music store that also does lessons. They will have student flutes for sale that are used. $250-$300 seems to be the normal price range for an ex-rental flute that's been gone over and cleaned up properly.

My son plays a Yamaha, as does most of the band for marching/field show season. It's tough and gets the job done, and is easy to play (which is a must given that they are moving around while playing).

If you don't like it, you can always sell it to someone for no worse than a $50 or so loss.