native american flute playing
All of the above can be learned from home, using only written material and YouTube videos. Then, you will learn how to play the scale and form basic melodies. I offer my Native American Style Flutes and Music for your enjoyment and pleasure. The very first step is to learn patience. They’re a good foundation that will support the next lessons and exercises. And finally, you will learn how to read the simplest tablature for Native American flute music. When you do, take a break. Although the Native flute is a very simple instrument to play, it still requires practice. Very light to hold, this flute-wood produces a classic warm, rich and resonant tone. I have published a how-to article about this, that will also teach you how to read notes and how to use Nakai’s Tablature. Be sure to check my Native American Flute songbook, Calm Forest, available for Kindle and as Paperback. The humble Native American flute has survived many generations. And can you learn it yourself, with no instructor around? Don't forget to become a fan on Facebook and subscribe to new posts via RSS or via email. And it will also explain the basics of graphical tablature. Playing the Native American Flute. And this may take a bit of practice… or not :). It's great for beginners, no need to read staff music - it uses simplified fingering notation. Playing to the hearts of others is another. " But if you forget how a specific note is played, well, then just take a quick look at the tablature – the fingering chart, and play the note. You can reverse the process and close the holes one by one to play the scale backwards. Just play up and down the scale as many times as you like – the goal is to get better :). At the very top is a symbolic mouthpiece and there are six holes below. With few minutes of practice, you can already make simple melodies. The black dots are the closed holes, and the white holes are the open holes. The third hole from the top is often present in flutes – but some flutes do not have it, it depends on the flute’s maker. Native American Flute Musicians In Flute Dreams, you are shown that playing the Native American Love Flute is as much a spiritual expression as it is a physical one. Lisa Early. Don't forget to become a fan on Facebook and subscribe to new posts via RSS or via email. After a bit of practice – from 15 to 40 minutes or so, you should be able to play the whole scale without the tablature, just by looking at the staff. It’s normal in most cases – just repeat the whole exercises and take another break. Circles: Rounds for the Native American Flute 6 Hole. With a few articles, a book or two, some instructional videos often available on YouTube, you can learn almost everything you need, including various decorations and “special effects”. By repeating this exercise, the connections in your brain are formed for good – after a couple of hours of practice in total, you will memorize how to play the notes for the rest of your life. This is how humans learn things :). With the illustration above, and a bit of practice, you can learn how to read staff music for the NAF :). This page begins the largest section of Flutopedia, topics on playing the Native American flute. Notice the angle between your fingers and the rest of the flute – it should not be a 90 degrees angle :). Beginners should go for basic keys such as A, G or F# – these flutes have smaller spaces between finger holes so most people will be able to play them. A Native American flute is more than a mere musical instrument. It blends well with instruments from all around the world. At the same time, you will be improving your breathing as it is an essential aspect of flute playing. The fundamental note of each flute is in a key to vibrate a particular chakra. You should really learn how to read music notation, because a lot of songs can be played on the NAF, but at the same time, a lot of these songs is written on a staff without the tablature. Wind Songs for 6 Hole Flute. Exactly how to do this, I explain in this article. All rights reserved. In other words – high notes need more air, low notes need less air. When all the finger holes are closed, the sound the flute makes is called “the fundamental” – it’s the flute’s fundamental tone, or “Key”. The instrument was originally very personal; its music was played without accompaniment in courtship, healing, meditation, and spiritual rituals. Rest them at an angle, say 60 to 50 degrees. First, if you’re a total beginner, the best way to hold the flute is the one that feels comfortable and allows you to seal the finger holes nicely. flute-playing fertility deity who originated in the art and folklore of several Native North American cultures, particularly in the Southwestern region of the United States. Cover the finger holes with your flat fingers, and not with the tips of your fingers. There are many techniques and tricks that the Native American flute community in particular and the larger community ⦠Once you get comfortable with basic fingering, scale and articulations, you can visit Flutopedia and FluteTree, where you can find tablature for popular melodies. In this article you will learn how to form an embouchure, how to blow into the flute, and how to make the sound. This increases your accuracy, the seal of the finger holes, and the speed of your fingers. Playing the Native American style flute is not difficult. My “Calm Forest” songbook, available in print, is another way to learn interesting melodies with tablature. It becomes quite useful when you wish to learn flute decorations and articulations. The Native American flute for me is something that is instantly available to give me a peaceful, serene, meditative calm, after a hectic day...even if I never play superbly. Look at the illustration below. This website uses cookies to improve your experience, gather stats and manage ads. Short answer – yes, you play learn to play Native American flute without a teacher or instructor. Let’s start with learning the basic tablature. Flat fingers provide a much better seal on the finger holes. It depends on the flute – different flutes have different shapes of mouthpieces. Then all you have to do is play the songs. I have been playing and creating these instruments since 1995. 11:36. This page contains affiliate links. Do this gently at first, and start increasing the strength and pressure of the air flow bit by bit. Flute Playing Tips & Techniques. Terry Mack and Peaceful Spirit Flutes are a proud supporter of Flutopedia. No musical experience is necessary. Jack’s flutes are well-made and perfectly tuned, although they come in limited woods or keys (more on that later). See more ideas about native american flute, native american, native american music. If you believe you have really small hands, go for the key of A – it’s a smaller flute but it still have a nice tone. The next step is to memorize the Nakai staff notation – in other words, you learn how to read music! The above illustration shows a typical six-holes flute. The Native American style flute is often compared to the Shakuhachi â a meditation flute used by monks of the Zen Buddhism. Personally, I recommend Jack Ferguson’s flutes if you’re a total beginner with limited budget. It is an emblem â an art piece that holds great cultural and aesthetic significance. Each native american flute, as well as each hole, has a sweet spot where the ½ hole note plays clear. To play it, you'll need to learn how to hold the flute⦠That is why it is shown on the illustration above as a constantly closed hole – in the basic pentatonic scale, it plays no role at all. Such as taking a flute out under a shade tree and discovering what sorts of sounds one can make. Unless otherwise noted, all content is Copyright © 2014-2020 Flutecraft.org and its respecitve authors. Purchasing my products is a simple way to support FluteCraft.org :). Exactly how to do this, I explain in this article. In this guide to learning to play the Native American Flute, students are given the tools to express love through their playing. Ray Carlos Nakai was born in Flagstaff, Arizona⦠Sometimes, you may need to hold the big bass flute almost vertically, because large flutes will weaken your muscles after a couple minutes of playing. A affordable flute for beginners that sounds very nice is quite possible to find and purchase. What matters is the key of the flute – it’s the fundamental note that it makes when all the finger holes are closed. In reality it’s all about memorizing – you create new connection between the neurons in your brain. High Spirits instructional DVD and YouTube videos helped me, too. Beginner's Song Book 6 Hole Flute. Below the tablature (fingering chart), you can see a classic staff – with the four #### symbols – the sharp symbols. And in case of some flutes, you may even notice an overblow, when the tone of the flute’s sound goes up significantly. Read my review of High Spirit Golden Eagle flute. It’s not a popular instrument in Poland, so I had no access to teachers or instructors. So keep it closed all the time for now. I find it magical the way the music just seems to transport me away, and your instruments especially have such a wonderful sound that brings me so much peace and light. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. All rights reserved. Playing from one's own heart is but a step along a greater journey. Discover how your Native American Flute is a diverse instrument. In case of the Native American style flute they suggest we’re dealing with the Nakai notation. Now you know how to make a sound with your flute. I awoke the next morning with an unquenchable desire to find out more about this music. Simple Songs 6 Hole. After you get the basics of playing the Native flute, Nakai’s book will put everything together. Aug 26, 2018 - Explore gail neu's board "Native American Flute Musicians", followed by 574 people on Pinterest. You can learn to play Native American flute in your home, by yourself. An obvious thing to do when you wish to learn how to play the flute is to make the first sound. And why wouldnât it? Within an hour you can memorize a couple of songs, and after few weeks of regular practice you can play nicely your own songs. It's available as e-book for Kindle on Amazon. This website contains links and references to products and services that may include affiliates, sponsorships, or other business relationships in which Flute Craft and its author may receive compensation from referrals or sales actions. The instrument produces a beautiful sound enjoyed by many music enthusiasts and excellent musicians alike. As I have wrote already, you can learn to play Native American flute all by yourself, without leaving your home. The construction design and materials contribute to the simplicity and beauty of the instrument. This requires learning how to form an embouchure with your mouth and how you breathe in the air into the mouthpiece, and of course, how to actually hold the flute. Before you do so, there are few things you need to learn. No – you don’t have to. Plaza de España was built for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929 Expo 29 and is a major. This course will guide you through the basics of playing your flute ⦠You will learn basic melodies within few hours, but you should prepare yourself for at least one year of practice before you become fluent. One of these is the playing of the Native American Flute. Start slowly first, and then increase the speed a little, and then a little more. It's available as e-book for Kindle on Amazon. There are different Keys – it’s a term originating in the European music theory. It was during this period of development that the tuning of Native American flutes began to be brought into conformity with western musical traditions. An instructor would be fine if you wish to learn how traditional Native melodies were constructed. Odell Borg of High Spirits builds wonderful flutes in various keys. See more ideas about flute, native american flute, native flute. However, as you progress deeper into your playing you may want to broaden your knowledge. With greater budget, you can afford flutes made of exotic woods, or made by famous flutemakers such as Ken Light, who builds flutes for famous artist, Carlos R. Nakai. Spiritual Music - Relax Night and Day. Playing the Native American Flute To play the flute, first grasp the flute loosely by covering the upper two or three holes of the flute with the left hand, beginning with the index finger at ⦠As you do so, you will notice the sound getting from weak to loud, from “unsure” to steady. Western Red Cedar is the quintessential Native American love flute wood. This way of writing NAF music on the staff has been developed by Carlos R. Nakai. For now, you don’t have to worry about it. This is because the higher the note, the more air it requires to remain a steady note. An elderly musician playing a wooden flute, horn type of instrument while in traditional native, leather clothing at the. This website contains links and references to products and services that may include affiliates, sponsorships, or other business relationships in which Flute Craft and its author may receive compensation from referrals or sales actions. Always make sure you seal the holes properly. Plaza de España, Seville, Spain - Native American playing flute. There is nothing quite like an authentic Native American flute in terms of sound, quality, and craftsmanship. The Native Flute is a long, double-chambered whistle, tuned in the alto to contrabass range. sharing the beauty of native american flutes since 2014. One need only blow into it in order to create a captivating and evocative sound. A Native American flute can play multiple scales – but for now, do not worry about it, focus on the basics first, and later on you will be able to expand your knowledge. Let’s answer the important question, asked by many: do you need to read notes in order to play the Native flute? Take the flute into both your hands and place it in front of you at a general 45 angle, the end of the flute facing the ground – the bigger the flute, the more vertical your hold becomes. Use it to practice the basic pentatonic scale.