Whistling the Blues... with Native American Flutes?

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 3:02 am

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 7:57 am

Zubivka: interesting parallel, the flageolet. I hadn't thought of it. I think the organ pipes i was thinking of were probably derived from the flageolet design.

I think i should say what i have too, just for reference. I have a "Chief Black&Decker model" (as the unplayable wall hangers sold in tourist shops are sometimes sarcastically called), another small flute i built from a kit bought from eBay which actually works very well, and also the plastic model by Ken Light (Amon Olorin flutes), with the F# and G bodies.

The Ken Light is the one i play regularly. I can't recommend it highly enough. You can't go wrong with it, and it will give you enough experience to be able to choose a good flute when you want to buy a prettier, more expensive wooden one. To give you an idea of the quality, Nakai often records with this model. It's not a mass-produced thing.

g

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Tue Sep 09, 2003 9:02 am

The advice NM native americans gave me about
these flutes is to 'play from the heart.'

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 1:01 am

glauber wrote:plastic model by Ken Light (Amon Olorin flutes), with the F# and G bodies.

The Ken Light is the one i play regularly. I can't recommend it highly enough. You can't go wrong with it, and it will give you enough experience to be able to choose a good flute when you want to buy a prettier, more expensive wooden one. To give you an idea of the quality, Nakai often records with this model. It's not a mass-produced thing.

Thanks for comforting me in the choice I made. On my side it was of course an uneducated hunch, mostly because I was sure with this model I wouldn't get any turquoise insets, Quetzalcoatl feathers, patent-leather braids and die-cast totem...

Just a question, now: if one can play a Low D whistle without much problems, what is the lowest minor-scale six-hole NA flute one can finger?

slowair · Post by **slowair** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 7:39 am

Zubivka wrote:
glauber wrote:
Just a question, now: if one can play a Low D whistle without much problems, what is the lowest minor-scale six-hole NA flute one can finger?

I've never played a low D whistle, but I do have a bass C NA flute that is not a problem to play.

Mike

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 9:12 am

slowair wrote:I've never played a low D whistle, but I do have a bass C NA flute that is not a problem to play.

Which doesn't help me mucho: FAIK, you could have hands the size of base-ball gloves, and play Low A whistles with your fingertips!

herbivore12 · Post by **herbivore12** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 10:29 am

I think it's a bit easier to play a large NAF than a whistle pitched in (roughly) the same key.

For example, the Butch Hall D-minor flute I have is easy for me to play with my fingertips, whereas I used piper's grip ona Goldie Overton Low D. I played a friends low C-minor NAF, and used a comfortable piper's grip, no problem.

The outside diameter of the low flutes is quite large though, so if you have very small hands, maybe it'd be more challenging. If you have average hands, you can probably play the D-minor flute with fingertips.

The lower pitched NAFs -- low D-minor and below -- have a great, deep, resonant sound. Very relaxing to play.

--Aaron

nancymae · Post by **nancymae** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 11:19 am

I was looking at all the links the everyone provided...and WOW...are there some expensive NA whistles out there!!!! I did check out the links and the sounds....very nice sounds!! Very ereathral (sp??). I also notice...being a novice whistle player myself...that the Native American Whistle players use similar oramentations...which I found very interesting. My question is....can I get the same sound on a low Irish whislte??????

Thanks in advance!!

Nancy

NancyF · Post by **NancyF** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 5:22 pm

Nobody hit on the best flutes I have:

http://www.highspirits.com/odell.html

Pitched in western keys on purpose for play with other instruments, one piece construction so the don't come unglued from playing them. I bought mine direct from one of the companies partners, musician Travis Terry, who has done a lot of studio work with people on western instruments. You can hear him in movies and he was going into the studio this past spring with an Irish band in Albuquerque (sorry that's all I can remember about it)

I have a Kestrel, in D, naturally. It is well made, loud and right on pitch.

I also have a nice, real instrument made by Navajo Marvin Yazzie. Although it is perfectly in tune with itself, it was meant for solo play because it is in something between B and Bb.

All my other NA flutes are pretty much in the toy/tourist category.

---NancyF

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 2:25 am

NancyF wrote: http://www.highspirits.com/odell.html

Pitched in western keys on purpose for play with other instruments, one piece construction so the don't come unglued from playing them.

I wondered about these...

Now what do you mean by "western keys"? Should I take it means "concert pitch minor pentatonic" (this of course excluding the extra 6th hole), as opposed to "traditional NA scales" with equally sized, spaced, holes?

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 4:59 am

Check out the site of my good friend Eric Marczak:

http://geocities.com/whistleworld/
This is not an online catalog, but if you e-mail or call Eric, he will give you all the info.
He makes and plays gorgeous NA style flutes, and his work is very reasonably priced. Eric will make custom "fetishes" for you ( those little carvings that form the external windway of the flute), do different tunings, etc. He also makes fabulous double barrelled flutes to various specs. I have one in apricot wood with a drone without fingerholes, and a second barrel with six holes tuned to a normal diatonic scale. It's like a whistle/bagpipe and as you might expect is wonderful for playing pipe tunes.

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 6:10 am

brewerpaul wrote:He also makes fabulous double barrelled flutes to various specs. I have one in apricot wood with a drone without fingerholes, and a second barrel with six holes tuned to a normal diatonic scale. It's like a whistle/bagpipe and as you might expect is wonderful for playing pipe tunes.

Now that is really something I'm after, esp. in our "native European" Bretagne: I'd love such a diatonic flute in Bflat with a Bb drone!
Some NA flute makers seem to do interesting things in this spirit, and some even let you play at will their double whistle "solo" single-sided (muting the drone). But getting these in majors scale and Bb...
Thanks for the contact, Paul!
Btw, could you please post a photo of this droned whistle/flute?

PS: Anyone with a direct link for Guillermo Martinez?

scottielvr · Post by **scottielvr** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 10:58 am

Zubivka wrote:PS: Anyone with a direct link for Guillermo Martinez?

Southern California Flute Circle
Contact Person: Guillermo Martinez
28691 Modjeska Canyon Road
Modjeska, CA 92626
Phone: 714-649-3244
E-mail: Quetflutes@earthlink.net

Hope this is the correct one!

NancyF · Post by **NancyF** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 11:56 am

Zub, I meant our regular alphabet keys. Like D, G and Bb. They are still pentatonic, the just play notes of the piano instead of inbetween piano keys.

--NancyF

NancyF · Post by **NancyF** » Thu Sep 11, 2003 11:58 am

Zub, just saw your other question about droned flutes. High spirits has one of those too.

http://www.highspirits.com/mcart/index.cgi?code=3&cat=5

I have heard one played, very nice.

---Nancy

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Whistling the Blues... with Native American Flutes?

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