The Modern Native American Flute
Andrew J. Knight
3 December 2012
The Modern Native American Flute The modern Native American Flute produces beautiful and haunting melodies, often replicating the sounds of nature. It is similar in sound and purpose to its ancestors, such as the traditional Anasazi and Kokopelli flutes, but different in design and construction. With a unique sound production mechanism, this style of flute in fact is different from all other wind instruments the world over (Goss). Due to this uniqueness, they are said to be one of the easiest instruments to learn, allowing a person with little or no musical background to create and improvise enchanting melodies. This amazing instrument was almost lost as Native American cultures and traditions were being stamped out by Indian Schools in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s (August, “History”). Thankfully, it did not completely disappear and has seen a strong resurgence starting in the 1960s with its melodic and almost meditative tones, making it very popular in New Age music (Burton 91). Today Native American Flute music and the flutes themselves are quite popular, so popular, in fact, that it can be difficult to find a flute crafted by a Native American (Native American Indian Flutes). These wonderful instruments are pleasant to listen to and easy to enjoy, but with a bit of knowledge of their history and lore, design and construction, and playing techniques, they can truly be appreciated. The earliest examples of the modern Native American Flute date back to 1823 (Goss). These flutes are quite different from their early cousins, the rim blown flutes and whistles. Rim blown flutes are hollow tubes with finger holes that are played by blowing across the open end to create sound, much like blowing across an open jug to make a sound. This style of flute is very old and is found worldwide. Some of the earliest examples were found in present-day Germany and France and are estimated to be between 33,000 and 37,000 years old. These
3 December 2012
The Modern Native American Flute The modern Native American Flute produces beautiful and haunting melodies, often replicating the sounds of nature. It is similar in sound and purpose to its ancestors, such as the traditional Anasazi and Kokopelli flutes, but different in design and construction. With a unique sound production mechanism, this style of flute in fact is different from all other wind instruments the world over (Goss). Due to this uniqueness, they are said to be one of the easiest instruments to learn, allowing a person with little or no musical background to create and improvise enchanting melodies. This amazing instrument was almost lost as Native American cultures and traditions were being stamped out by Indian Schools in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s (August, “History”). Thankfully, it did not completely disappear and has seen a strong resurgence starting in the 1960s with its melodic and almost meditative tones, making it very popular in New Age music (Burton 91). Today Native American Flute music and the flutes themselves are quite popular, so popular, in fact, that it can be difficult to find a flute crafted by a Native American (Native American Indian Flutes). These wonderful instruments are pleasant to listen to and easy to enjoy, but with a bit of knowledge of their history and lore, design and construction, and playing techniques, they can truly be appreciated. The earliest examples of the modern Native American Flute date back to 1823 (Goss). These flutes are quite different from their early cousins, the rim blown flutes and whistles. Rim blown flutes are hollow tubes with finger holes that are played by blowing across the open end to create sound, much like blowing across an open jug to make a sound. This style of flute is very old and is found worldwide. Some of the earliest examples were found in present-day Germany and France and are estimated to be between 33,000 and 37,000 years old. These
Cited: August, Scott. "NAF Part 5 Ancestral Puebloan, "Anasazi" Flute." Web log post. Echoes From The Mesa. N.p., 9 Oct. 2005. Web. 03 Dec. 2012. ---, "The History of the Native American Flute." CedarMesa.com. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. Burton, Bryan. Moving within the Circle: Contemporary Native American Music and Dance. Danbury, CT: World Music, 1993. Print. Ellis, John. Making a Knock-About Flute from "Urban Bamboo" Melbourne, FL: John Ellis, 2009. Print. Goss, Clint, Ph.D. “The Development of Flutes in the Americas.” Flutopedia.com. - an Encyclopedia for the Native American Flute. N.p., 29 Oct. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. "Native American Indian Flutes." Native American Flutes. Native Languages of the Americas, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2012