What Is A Native Flute?

As we first begin to explore the Native American flute, we find an array of terms used to describe and identify the flute. Many are used interchangeably, though they are not synonymous while others are used in an attempt compare the flute with something supposedly more familiar. Most of the ancient expedition chroniclers, ethnomusicologists and archeologists alike indiscriminately and interchangeably used such terms as "flute, "flageolet," and "whistle." Further compounding the issue was references to "recorders," "fifes," and panpipes." As a result, we have multiple-hole "whistles" and no-hole "flutes." At best, the menagerie of terms is confusing. The following definitions will hopefully bring us to a common reference point, using the terms in a much more accurate manner. One of the first wind instruments to appear in ancient cultures was the "whistle." It is defined as a short instrument consisting of single tube (or other shape) with a mouthpiece opening and either an open or closed end. An opening or notch is cut into the wall that causes blown air to vibrate and produce sound. Most whistles have no finger holes and predominantly produce a single tone, although additional tones can be produced by altering the air flow (with a finger) around the notch opening or end opening if there is one. However, there are whistles that have one or two holes. Pennywhistles and similiar "whistles" are actually misnamed, for they are really fipple flutes. It should also be noted that most modern whistles made with a ball, such as made by the American Whistle Company, should be called ball whistles. Since this design was similar to the individual pipes on an organ, there were sometimes referred to as "pipes," which is confusing because Native Americans already had an object known as the pipe. Nonetheless, a series of these pipes or whistles sheathed together constitutes what is known as a panpipe, such as the ancient Hopewellian panpipe, made of bone and copper. When we come to the term "flute," understand that this is a general term covering a variety of instruments that basically possessed no reed device to vibrate the air. We must add additional terms to identify the type of flute. The "transverse" or side-blown flute is perhaps the most common of all. It is an instrument held horizontally to the ground. It is a long tube with a sound hole and multiple finger holes. Sound is created by directing a stream of air across the sound hole, which strikes the far edge of the sound hole and vibrates the air. Originally made of bone and wood, it was later also made of metal and glass. The Silver or Boehm flute is a modern transverse flute as is the smaller and higher pitched piccolo (whose predecessor was the fife). The "end-blown" flutes can be found in a variety of designs. The Japanese "shakuhachi," is played much like a transverse flute, but the stream of air is directed across the end of the flute rather than a side opening. A "recorder" is also an end-blown flute, most often described as being a tube with a large to small tapering bore, with a small and flat mouthpiece that directed the airflow directly to notched sound hole. It has eight finger holes, including one on the bottom side. Closely related to the recorder is the "flageolet," which differs mainly in that it only has six finger holes, including two on the bottom. It should also be noted that the flageolet was only in use from the early 16th century to the end of the 19th century. It should also be noted that the term "flageolet" can also refer to a fipple flute. With the exception of the generic terms "flute" and "end-blown flute," none of the preceding terms accurately identify and describe the Native American flute. The terms that do are "fipple flute" or "duct flute." Both refer to design elements, although differing elements. A fipple flute has an edge on the far the edge of a sound hole that splits the air flow and directs the air into the sound chamber. A duct flute has a channel or flue around a plug in the tube that directs the air against the fipple edge of the sound hole. Native American flutes are not the only fipple flutes. Certain whistles, recorders, flageolets and even some organ pipes are fipple flutes as well. Perhaps the most accurate term, as used by Dr. Payne, would be "duct flutes." Exclusively on the most common design of the Native American flute is a block (also referred to as a bird, fetish, totem, effigy, saddle, and slider) that sits on the flute above the channel or flue across the fipple and assists in the directing of the airflow. In some designs, the channel is carved directly into the block, while in others, the channel is carved into the body of the flute. And there is the historic design that places the channel in a spacer between the flute body and the block.

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History of Native Flute Tunings

Like many of the physical features, the tuning of the Native American flute has evolved over the years. The "traditional" tuning method of course came first and in itself evolved as makers began to discover relationships between lengths, distances and hole sizes. And naturally, fingers, hands and arms were used as the "measuring" devices. As time passed, perhaps "measuring sticks" or western measuring devices were employed to more quickly and accurately duplicate flutes, but still these flutes would have been in tune to only themselves and more importantly, the player. The use of the western "pentatonic" or minor key tuning was first introduced and popularized by Michael Graham Allen (Coyote Oldman) and the late Kim Berton in the early 1970s. This tuning has become the de facto standard. "Diatonic" and "chromatic," both major key tunings came later and are offered by a number of makers. Even within the pentatonic tuning, variations have emerged. The "watershed" tuning (an extended range tuning) emerged from New England and was introduced to Eric Keppel (Earthsounds) by an old maker there. From the lower Atlantic states, came the "Southeastern" tuning as offered by Tsa'ne Do'se and others. And many makers offer slight variations on the basic pentatonic, such as Ken Light (Amon Olorin) and Butch Hall. So even the fingering charts offered on this site may not work for every flute. It's best to obtain a fingering chart from the maker of the flute.

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Other Definitions

Whenever you hear or read about Native American flutes, you will encounter terms that are not always clearly defined or are used synonymously and can cause a certain amount of confusion. Based on conversations with numerous flute makers, here are a few important definitions. Today, native flutes are crafted by both Native Americans and non-natives. To distinquish between the two (as required by law), natives made "Native American Flutes," while non-native make "Native American Style Flutes." In this program, "native flute" will be used to refer to both types collectively. "Lakota Style" is used most often to designate a five-hole flute, Confusingly is it sometimes also used to describe a "Plains" flute. "Southwestern Style" refers to a six-hole flute. Attached to the top of a native flute is a piece of wood, commonly called a "block," but it is also known as a "bird," "fetish," "totem," "saddle," and "slider." "Plains Style" and "Woodlands Style" refer to design and sound attributes, and will be described in detail in the Construction section.

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