You may have heard or even played a Native American flute before. The sound can be eerie, haunting, beautiful, and mysterious. The instrument looks very similar to other flutes and whistles, but there's a lot going on beneath the surface...
The Native American flute is a simple-system fipple flute, not requiring an embouchure to play (in contrast to Western concert flutes). The instrument is comprised of two air chambers: one for slow air compression and one for resonating. An internal wall and external totem/block (held in place by a tie) create a narrow windway or flue between these chambers. The slow air chamber can act as a secondary resonator, creating a distinctive sound. The block on the outside of the instrument funnels breath from the slow air chamber into the sound chamber, where the air vibrates to create a musical tone projected through the sound hole just beneath the block (diagram here).
Historically, North American indigenous flutes were played by men to serenade women during courtship. There are many stories and myths surrounding the emergence of the North American indigenous flute. In one such telling of the folk myth, a man sits under a tree, thinking of the woman he loves. While sitting in solitude, a woodpecker above his head drills several holes in a hollow branch. When this branch falls before him, he picks it up and begins to play, expressing his feelings through the music. The woman he loves follows the sound of the flute, captivated by the beautiful tones produced. When she finds him beneath the tree, pouring his heart and soul into the music, she realizes her love for him.
Because of its romantic associations, this instrument is sometimes referred to as a love flute (more on this here). The romantic songs played on the flute originated in the vocal tradition, and typically start with a cryptic message that is only resolved in the latter half of the song, concluding with a reiteration of the opening phrase (read more and hear an example here). While this musical courtship tradition is one of the strongest oral traditions of indigenous tribes across North America, uses for the instrument vary from one tribal community to the next. For example, the Hopi tribe uses flutes in prayer ceremonies, and many indigenous people have played the flute as a form of entertainment during travel (read more here).
The North American indigenous flute likely developed from bone and reed whistles, later adapted to practically any type of wood available. These ancient flutes had anywhere between 2 and 8 holes. Great variability in design and materials has resulted in many different tuning conventions and styles of playing the instrument (Listen to R. Carlos Nakai discuss this and demonstrate different flutes here). The oldest extant wooden example of this instrument – the Beltrami Native American flute – was collected by Italian adventurer Giacomo Costantino Beltrami in 1823 while searching for the headwaters of the Mississippi River (more on this here). Other old examples of related flutes have been discovered, and they are each distinct and unique. Because many were historically crafted from river reeds, which sadly tend to disintegrate over time, much of the lineage and history of this instrument is largely a mystery to this day. What is decidedly clear is that the flute has a long-standing place in the traditions of indigenous societies across North America.
A modern adaptation of the traditional two-chambered duct flute was made in the 1980s by Euro-American Michael Graham Allen. He designed an instrument which he called the "Native American flute" and used a pentatonic minor scale, with the hope of making the music more globally accessible. Since this time, other flute makers have designed Native American flutes that can be played in other scales, making it possible to accompany different vocal ranges. As with most aspects of the instrument, there is no one universal fingering system. Contemporary Native American flutes, while similar in appearance to the more traditional varieties, are not designed with the music of vocal traditions in mind. However, the adapted instrument has since been popularized by R. Carlos Nakai, of Navajo-Ute heritage.
Because of its size and simplicity of design, the flute is an excellent travel companion. It's a great instrument to start on if you haven't had much experience playing music, but it's just as fun and rewarding to a seasoned musician. The Native American flute is designed for everyone to play. Just as each person is unique with their own voice, the voicing and appearance of each flute varies widely. There are many different options in terms of design, pitch range, timbre, and play-feel. You might find that you end up wanting to have more than one, for use in different musical contexts. You can take all sorts of different pathways on your musical journey, but perhaps the best advice comes from R. Carlos Nakai: Play your soul!
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Check out our Native American Flute selection on our online store here
You can also find a number of beautiful, hand-crafted bespoke flute cases in our store. These carry-pouches are an excellent way to keep your flutes cozy this winter season – they also make for wonderful gifts! Designed with Native American style flutes in mind, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes... Explore our collection of flute bags here