Flute Techniques
Flute Techniques
The Southwest Native American flute varied quite a bit from tribe to tribe and from flute maker to flute maker. Most Native American flutes were held vertically, although there have been a few transverse flutes found. There was no uniformity in terms of length, diameter, number of finger holes, or material constructed from in the flutes that have been found.
The length of the flute varied from tribe to tribe and maker to maker. It has been thought that the difference in length was determined by either the distance from the fingertips to the elbow or possibly whatever length felt comfortable for the player to hold. The number of holes varied from flutes with three holes (Apache) to the more usual flutes with five or six holes. The finger holes were generally either drilled into the material with a sharp tool or burned in. The distance between the finger holes was also variable, but was likely dependent upon the size of the player’s hands and what felt comfortable.The materials flutes were made from varied depending upon their tribe and maker. Some materials they were made from include: various woods, bone, reed, clay, and metal.
There were two main types of vertically-held flutes in the Southwest. The flutes found among the Pueblo tribes were made of bamboo or cane. There were six holes drilled into the wood, separated into groups of three. There was a V-shaped notch in one end of the flute that the player would blow across to create the sound. The flutes found among the Apache tribes were also made of bamboo or cane. Bamboo and cane were great materials for making wooden flutes because of their hollow nature. The Apache flute had only three holes and had two notches cut into the upper end. The first notch was either covered with a finger or piece of buckskin called a “bandage” and the second notch served as a vent and the end of the instrument was blown into directly to create a sound.
Due to the oppression of Native Americans and the suppression of any display of their culture, Native American flute making and playing became nearly extinct. This is why we do not have much knowledge about how and why Native Americans made and played flutes. This art was revived in the 1970s through recordings and the flute making of Doc Tate Nevaquaya, Tom Mauchahty Ware, and Kevin Locke.
R. Carlos Nakai is a very important scholar on the tradition and practice of Native American flute construction and playing. Through his studies, Nakai has discovered that the Native American flute was not pitched in a diatonic scale but has studied flutes pitched closer to lydian, mixolydian, dorian, and phrygian modes. Nakai has also created a fingering system for the native flute based upon the Boehm fingering system.
With the revival of the Native American flute, there is now a contemporary Native American flute made by both Native Americans and Non-Native Americans. This flute is referred to as the “end-blown flute” in order to distinguish it from its earlier construction. The end-blown flute is also played vertically and the sound production is very similar to that of the older flute of the Apache tribe. However, now there is a wooden “block” that covers the upper notch, rather than a finger or bandage. There is still quite a bit of variance in flutes from maker to maker, however there is beginning to be a standard that is established. Tuning still somewhat varies from instrument to instrument, however most makers are striving to tune their flutes to the European tuning standard (A=440). The Native American flute has some intonation issues with more modern instruments, because of its lack of a key system, yet it still creates a pleasing and exotic sound. Despite its tuning issues, the Native American flute still produces pitches recognizable by the classically-trained ear, which has led to its growing popularity because there is finally music being written specifically for the Native American flute.
Baxter, Marsha Lynne. “The Chinese Dizi, The Native American Courting Flute, and the Andean Panpipes: An Investigation of Pedagogy and Musical Practice”. Columbia University. 2001.
Joyce, Kathleen Ann. “The Native American Flute in the Southwestern United States: Past and Present”. University of Arizona. 2006.
“Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens. If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline, and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.”
-Shin’ichi Suzuki
Extra Scholarly Work: Native American Flute
By: Jessica Huey