How to Play Native American Flute Music

A Native American flute makes soft airy sounds. It is made of soft wood, such as Cedar, Redwood or Juniper. Traditionally, Native American flautists improvised or learned songs from one another. Here's what you need to know to play the Native American flute.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Native American flute
• Fingering chart
• Song book (optional)

1. Learn fingering for different notes on your flute. Many Native American flutes come with their own fingering chart that shows you how to hold your fingers to produce a certain note. If you do not have a fingering chart, you might want to use the one on Walking-Spirit.com. This chart has information for flutes in almost any key.

2. Blow softly into your Native American flute. Increase your breath pressure until you play the note you're after. Gentle breath is important in Native American flute music.

3. Play distinct notes by tonguing. As you blow into your flute try pronouncing a D or T. This tongue movement will give you a crisp beginning to your notes. Try doing this every time you change notes, and you'll hear each note's beginning separated from the previous one.

4. Practice slurring notes as you play. Slurring is the opposite of tonguing, and it is one of the easiest techniques in woodwinds. It simply means you use one continuous breath to play two different notes. Get your fingers ready and slur between two or more notes.

5. Produce a trill. You can play a single note trill using one note and your tongue. As you play this note, roll your tongue in a way that some cultures pronounce R's. For a double-note trill, move your fingers quickly between two different notes. You do not need to roll your tongue for a double-note trill.

6. Use these techniques to improvise your own music, or buy a music book that has different Native American tunes in it.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the pads of your fingers to cover the holes on your flute. You need to make sure the holes are sealed, but you do not have to press very hard to do this.
• Fingering charts are useful in showing you different ways your fingers can produce different notes. However, they're more useful if you intend to by tablet music, or Native American sheet music, to play. A fingering chart can help you convert the notes on a page to music from your flute.

Resources

• Find a fingering chart here.
• Find Native American tableture here.

[FluteMaker]

on 3/8/2008 I am deeply concerned about the opening statement 'A Native American flute makes soft airy sounds.' A flute created by a knowledgeable and experienced flute maker has a strong 'voice' and is not at all 'airy'. Perhaps you should research a little more before making such misleading and inaccurate statements!