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Native American Flute DECODED

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Native American Flute Kindle book
This book about the Native American flute decodes all those mysteries of the flute. It answers questions like: What kind of music can I play on the NA flute? Is it difficult to learn the NA flute? Do I need to know anything about music to learn? Where can I find a flute builder who will meet my needs? Where can I find music to play on my flute? I want to play the blues. Will the NA flute let me? I want to play classical music, and music for my kids, and music around the campfire and world music. Is music like this possible on the NA flute? These are just some of the many questions addressed in this useful book. To get the book, Kindle edition, CLICK FOR KINDLE. If you would like the PDF version for your smartphone, iPad, computer or PC tablet, CLICK FOR PDF.
The book is an all-text ebook. There are many ideas in the book, so to augment your experience we have posted this web page with illustrations and audio examples so you can understand the ebook even better. If you haven't downloaded the ebook yet, do that now. Then read the book. It's only 37 pages long, but it's jam packed with information. Once you've read the book, or at least part of it, come back to this page and peruse through the content here. Don't worry: the URL to get back to this page is in the book. We don't want you to get lost. :-)
Earth Flute Native American flute book Earth Flute audio button

 

All flute audios under the blue-green buttons are just a few of the 101 tunes included in Earth Flute, written by Dick Claassen. This Native American flute method book will show you how to play the Native American flute, even if you have no music background. If you want to learn the Native American flute from the ground up, and not sweat bullets in the process, this is the book for you!
The Native American flute The Native American Flute audio button All flute audios under the orange buttons are included in The Native American Flute - Myth, History, Craft, written by C.S. Fuqua. The book is a well researched history of the Native American flute as well as a step-by-step how-to that illustrates how to build the ancient Anasazi end blown flute as well as instructions for the more modern Native American flute. Also included is the TAB for Native American flute Emmy nominated recording artist Mary Youngblood's tune, Beneath the Raven Moon.
Experimental Native American flute Experimental Native American flute button Experimental flute tunes are under the purple buttons. Half the fun of playing the Native American flute is about trying new things. Chris and I often think outside the box with our flutes, and you can hear our musings under the purple buttons. We would be remiss if we would not mention the generous organization, FreeSound.org. This site has thousands of free audio samples, and you will hear some of these samples under our flute playing where noted.
G PVC Native American flute E bamboo Native American flute C# bamboo Native American flute THREE FLUTE KEYS AND HOW THEY SOUND: The G flute is made from PVC. The second flute is a bamboo E flute.The third flute, a C#, is also bamboo. Click each flute picture to hear me play it. Flutes are made by WindPoem.
Native American flute cross section INSIDE THE FLUTE: This is a cross section of the two-chamber setup. The end you blow into is called the slow air chamber. The air is redirected under a channel under the totem, and when the air comes out, it's moving rapidly when it strikes the labida. The air splits, and this makes a sound. Diagram is from the book, The Native American Flute - Myth, History, Craft.
Adjust Native American flute totem for best tone ADJUSTING THE TOTEM: All Native American flutes have a movable totem. The totem is tied on, but Chris Fuqua's PVC flutes have an easy to adjust friction fit sliding ring totem.
Tonal range of the Native American flute THE FLUTE'S TONAL RANGE: The keyboard illustration shows us the tonal range of the Native American flute. It doesn't seem like a lot of notes, but an infinite number of tunes can be played within this small range. We overcome this seemingly small range by either playing a tune in different keys on the flute, or playing different flutes that are tuned to different keys.The illustration is in the key of C, but there are many keys available to us on the flute.
Native American flute note hole distances NOTE HOLE DISTANCES: If you have physical issues like small hands or arthritis, find a flute builder who will accommodate you. The name of the top flute in this photo shall remain nameless, but the bottom flute was made by WindPoemFlutes. Notice how the note hole distances are much shorter than those in the top flute.
PLAYING MANY SCALES ON ONE FLUTE: Click the button to hear me play the first part of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on just one flute. People don't realize the Native American flute has this kind of power and flexibility. I played this on an E bamboo flute, and if you listen closely, you will hear me play it in six different keys, all on one flute!
penny whistle and recorder WHISTLES: Penny whistles and recorders play differently than the Native American flute. The fingering configurations are totally different. Where can you learn how to play the Native American flute? From my flute method book, Earth Flute.
Pentatonic scale in key of C PENTATONIC SCALE: The Pentatonic scale is the basic scale of the Native American flute. The notes of this universal scale fit together so you can play them in just about any order and you'll still sound good. This example is in the key of C. The green asterisk with the yellow center (highest note) is the octave note which is not part of the Pentatonic scale but is often used to round out the scale.
Native American flute audio Free as an Eagle FREE AS AN EAGLE: Many flute players like to play extemporaneously within the Pentatonic scale. This audio is an example of that style of playing. Although the flute is capable of delivering music in any genre, (you'll hear this in the many following examples), it's great fun to "go Pentatonic" at times, even after you've explored the many other scales on the flute.
My Country Tis of Thee on the Native American flute TAPS: The bugle call, "Taps", is a tune that is rooted deep into the souls of every American, regardless of religion, regardless of politics. Taps is played at every military funeral, it's played at sundown on every military installation, and it's played every Memorial Day, a day when America honors its military soldiers. So what better way might we pay honor to the Native American flute than to play Taps? Forget politics, forget your individual view on war. Temporarily cast all that aside and just listen....
Hot Blues on the Native American flute HOT BLUES!: Face it! Everybody loves the blues! The Native American flute's built in Pentatonic scale makes short work of the blues! You can effectively jam within this scale, and even beginners sound good using the notes in this scale. But using these five notes, (plus the octave note), we can also compose structured blues, and when we do, we can stand tall with any blues or rock group and rip it up!
Angels We Have Heard on High on the Native American flute ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH: It's great fun to play Christmas carols on the Native American flute. Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, Noel -- these tunes and dozens more play well on the flute. To do that, we play within the several major scales available on the flute. Of course we can play Silent Night on the flute, but I chose this tune instead so you could get a better idea of the flute's flexibility.
Shaman Mojo on the Native American flute SHAMAN MOJO: Although the richness of the Native American flute's sound makes this a stand-alone instrument, much like the cello or the violin, it's fun, at times, to play along with another instrument. In this tune I'm playing along with a jam buddy who is accompanying me with an Apache frame drum. There are various sizes of frame drums, but this one seems to be just the right size and volume for my flute playing.
Wild Mountain Thyme on the Native American flute WILD MOUNTAIN THYME: This beautiful Celtic melody sounds just terrific on the Native American flute. I was inspired to work out this tune after listening to classical guitarist, David Russell, play it on his guitar. We can often find inspiration for new tunes by listening to music not played on the Native American flute. The tune is the inspiration. The way it's played is the inspiration. From that we can work out our own version.
My Country Tis of Thee on Native American flute MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE: Regardless of what country we might live in, patriotic tunes of our home country are great fun to play. An American favorite is "My Country Tis of Thee". It's easy to play, and it's inspiring to both player and listener. I play this tune on an E bamboo flute. Imagine playing this at a patriotic event! Just stick on your flute mic and plug into an amp!
Sakura on the Native American flute SAKURA: You will probably recognize this traditional Japanese flute tune when you hear it. Ordinarily the tune is played on the shakuhachi, that long 5-hole bamboo end-blown flute Japanese musicians have developed to a fine art. I play this tune on the bamboo Native American flute. The flute I used for my rendition is in the key of E. Tunes like this are will be popular to your listeners.
Pretty Saro on the Native American flute PRETTY SARO: If you want to wax romantic with your significant other, the Native American flute will help you express yourself. This beautiful old American folk tune, "Pretty Saro", voices so very beautifully on the flute. This haunting melody from the Appalacian Mountains of the United States will endure forever, simply because it's one of those tunes that is just perfect in its conception.
Jacobs Ladder on the Native American flute JACOBS LADDER - a duet: Jacobs Ladder is a familiar tune to most of us, but playing it as a flute duet gives this venerable campfire tune a new life. Two flutes as a duet sound rich and full. To try this with a friend, you must make sure that both flutes are in the same key. This duet was played on two E flutes. Try playing this on an E flute and a G flute and you would be quickly shown the door! :-)
Gregorian chant on the Native American flute GREGORIAN CHANT: All types of flutes are frequently used for meditation. The Native American flute is the perfect instrument to be used in this way. We can play extemporaneously, (freely without regard to musical structure), or within the structure of a composition. I adapted a specific Gregorian chant for beginning musicians to play on the flute. It's not precisely like the original chant, but the structured composition makes the TAB easy to play.
Itsy Bitsy Spider on the Native American flute ITSY BITSY SPIDER: How many times have you sung Isty Bitsy Spider to children in your family? Many times. Many, many times. This tune plays really well on the Native American flute, and it's very easy to play! I played this particular version on my E bamboo flute. There is no greater reward than making our kids happy. If you want a real reason to take up the Native American flute, look at those kids you love. There's your reason....
Buffalo Man played on the Native American flute BUFFALO MAN: I first conceived the tune when I imagined what the early Native American buffalo hunter probably experienced when he was performing the buffalo dance, the ritual that would insure his success in the upcoming buffalo hunt. No doubt the dancer became inflamed with emotional fire and determination as he visualized that future buffalo in the crosshairs of his bow! This tune gives us an opportunity to really rock out!
Tibetan Gong Meditation played on the Native American flute TIBETAN GONG MEDITATION: It's an interesting exercise to play meditatively and extemporaneously against the rhythmic striking of a chime or gong. The Tibetan bowl, often called a "singing bowl", complements the Native American flute beautifully. This tune was played on a C# bamboo flute in a key I can't even remember, with the rhythmic striking of the bowl in the background.
State of Grace played on the Native American flute STATE OF GRACE: Sometimes I just pick up my flute, sit down, and play. This tune reflects one of those times. Sometimes what we play doesn't sound like much. Sometimes we can't believe our own ears. In a recent playing session I liked what I was playing so I turned on my digital recorder and captured this extemporaneous tune. It's straight from the heart so I named it "State of Grace". I found the audio background at FreeSound.org
Amazing Grace on the Native American flute AMAZING GRACE: If you want to hear the venerable old hymn, Amazing Grace, in all its glory, listen to how Chris Fuqua plays it. This hymn is so well known, it's universal. You can play this in just about any place on the planet and people will know it. They might not be Christian, but the tune will be familiar. The hymn actually began as a poem without music. The melody was added later. The MP3 and TAB for this tune is in the book package, The Native American Flute - Myth, History, Craft.
Big Daddy's Pond played on the Native American flute BIG DADDY'S POND: Chris Fuqua composed this flute tune, complete with frogs and other assorted sounds of the swamp as background to his playing. The MP3 and TAB for this tune is in the book package, The Native American Flute - Myth, History, Craft. Free audio backgrounds can be found at FreeSound.org. Just download them, then play them on your computer while you play your flute along with it.
When Heaven Cries played on the Native American flute WHEN HEAVEN CRIES: Here's another composition by Chris Fuqua where the very title of the tune invites contemplation. Sit back, listen, and wonder what this tune means. The audio background isn't as complex as in Big Daddy's Pond, above. The temptation is to use busy backgrounds. This tune shows restraint, and the balance between flute and audio background is very effective. The MP3 and TAB for this tune is in the book package, The Native American Flute - Myth, History, Craft.
Kepler ID# 76710801 and the Native American flute Kepler ID# 76710801: This probably seems like a strange title for a tune, but SETI recorded a star pulse deep in space. The name of that star is the title of this tune. Chris Fuqua plays beautiful, extemporaneous music on three different flutes against the haunting background of this star pulse. Click the button for a real example of experimental flute at its finest. Chris' haunting melodies in this audio is the perfect way to round out this list of tunes.

Visit Chris Fuqua's flute workshop at Wind Poem Flutes

Visit Dick Claassen's Earth Flute flute method book description page
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DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PDF BOOK FILE OF NATIVE AMERICAN FLUTE DECODED:

MAC INSTRUCTIONS: Click here, drag the download file from your download folder and onto your desktop, then double click. The unzipped PDF will appear on your desktop. Double click the PDF to open and read.

PC INSTRUCTIONS: Click here, drag the download file from your download folder and onto your desktop, then double click. The Winzip window opens, (whether you have Winzip installed on your PC or not). Click the UNZIP button. Then open your C drive where you will see a folder simply named FLUTE. Double click open the folder and the PDF will be inside. Double click the PDF to open and read.

IPAD AND SMARTPHONE INSTRUCTIONS: First download the file with your MAC or PC computer. Then email the unzipped file to yourself. Open your email from your iPad or smartphone and download the PDF. (Remember, you emailed the unzipped PDF to yourself when you first unzipped it onto your computer.) Make sure you have installed a free PDF player on your iPad or smartphone or else you won't be able to read the PDF.

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