Native American Flute

The Native American flute has always been a very personal instrument, traditionally played by men during formal courting rituals and also for the purpose of meditation and healing.  Each flute was specially designed according to the physical dimensions of the flute player himself.

The length of the instrument was made to be the distance from the inside of the elbow to the tip of the pointer finger, and the location of the holes was determined by the fist and also thumb width.  This way every flute was unique, with the music being the special sound of the person himself.

Exactly when and how the Native Americans first began making flutes is uncertain, but there is some evidence to suggest it may have been around 1400 years ago with the ancient Pueblo people and their Anasazi flute.  While the standard Native American flute is played by blowing directly into the mouthpiece (the fipple), the Anasazi flute is played by blowing over the rim of the instrument.  This style is common throughout Meso and South America.  It is much more difficult to play than the fipple flute, and it is suggested that the traditional Native American style may have developed from the rim-blown variety down south.

Sometimes two or more flutes are made together as one instrument.  These drone flutes have on one side a standard flute and on the other a sound chamber without any finger holes.  This extra chamber produces a fixed note and so is used for playing harmony without accompaniment.

In the last 50 years the Native American flute has become one of the most popular ethnic instruments in the world, with many artists and musicians choosing the flute for its rich soulful tone and distinct character.