There were just under 600 individual Native tribes here in this country prior to 'contact' of outside peoples. In today's world we separate peoples by their language, then into countries. What we would have had in America would have been just under 600 countries. Wow! For the folks that paid attention in history class, the majority of the books were wrong. There was a tremendous population on this continent prior to the first visitors. It has been said that almost all of these ancestors used the flute in one way or another. From religious, spiritual and ceremonial, for courting and hunting reasons, to medicine use, to plain old recreational uses. The most popular stories and uses would come from the Plains area tribes and their use of the flute for courting purposes. We get the rather popular name 'love flute' from this area.
Although the origins of the flute are mostly lost to the past, we do have a few intact prehistoric flutes, as well as documentation in the form of rock art. Some of the rock art dates around 1 A.D. to 500 A.D. We believe the Anasazi of the four corners area were responsible for these petroglyphs and pictographs. Rock art dating around 1000 A.D. begins to depict a figure we know today as the kokopelli. Knowing the extensive trade and traveling systems of the Native Americans, one can only presume it was not long before all tribes were using and making these flutes. As an example, Ohio had no indigenous tribes homesteading on it's mainly hunting ground lands, pre mid 1700 to 1800 era, but have found an array of artifacts that have been traced to a great deal of the woodland tribes. There are some artifacts that can be traced to many of the plains tribes as well. The Native peoples had a tremendous trade route infrastructure.
Being Cherokee, my ancestors used this instrument for recreational purposes and still do to this day. Of course the flute means different things to each individual and this must continue to be a personal thing. The evolution of the ideals would be best reflected by the plains people once again. Being a courting flute, the women were not aloud to play these instruments. Some say they were not even aloud to look upon the flute. Each flute was an individual creation and was looked upon as rude, if not worse, for someone else to play another's flute. They were constructed by the individuals body measurements, so, was truly his flute. He knew the meaning of making his flute, no one else did or should have. Remember, these ancestors respected others privacy. Imagine that! The man would use his arm length as a measuring tool for the overall length of his flute. At the joint of his elbow would be the sound hole or 'window' locations. He would then use the width of his hand as it was wrapped around the flute as a starting point from the sound area or 'windows' to the start of the holes. Then his thumb width as a point of centering for the holes. As you can tell, each individuals flute had a voice of it's very own, directly related to the maker, not the tribe. This is interesting because everything was done for the betterment of the tribe or clan, not the individual. Perhaps the flute was indeed one of the few items that was looked upon as personal.
Luckily, the evolution of intent has changed so that women are more than urged to play the flute as well as be shared amongst all who would like to be a part of the medicine. There are still people who frown upon women using the flute, as well as women playing the drum. I suppose we will always have this balance, be it good or bad.
The Cherokee people were a part of the Five Civilized tribes, I will focus on them regarding the types of flutes used in more ancient days. The Cherokee and Creek peoples (pre contact) used a flute that had no finger holes and was approx. 7 - 12 inches long, and was primarily used for hunting purposes as well as Medicine Flutes. I have heard the Creeks had 6 hole flutes, as well. The Choctaw people used flutes with 2 holes in them. The Chickasaw people had flutes with 3 holes which began the array of notes which could form a musical chord and scale. The Seminole people had a no hole - closed bore whistle as well as a 4 hole flute. The material used for these flutes were mainly river cane. This is our indigenous bamboo. These ancient flute designs more than likely originated from the Central Americas, as did the people. The Cherokees lived in the Smoky Mountains of mainly Tennessee, Carolinas and northern Georgia. They were also a part of Alabama, the Virginias and Kentucky. Since river cane grew in the valley, the people who lived in the mountains were the first that used a variety of hardwoods for their flutes.
The evolution of the flute has taken leaps and bounds in no other area
more than the tuning characteristics. The scaling of the ancient
flutes followed none of the tunings we have today. They, of course, did
not have the exacting instruments like pianos, guitars, harpsichords,
etc. or electronic tuners as we have today. Nor did the people need them.
I use the word exacting very loosely! When they made their flutes, it
was far more the ear that was the judge for the sound characteristics
as well as the body measurements that made them what they were. Something
we may be missing out on in today's flute world. In recent history we
have
developed a standard for these flutes, as we tend to do for everything,
and for the most part have forgotten any older tunings or modes. Today
we have the pentatonic minor key scale that we have incorporated into
our present day Native flutes. This scale means five, or penta. To boil
it down to the physical flute, we would have a 5 note scale, or a four
hole flute. Yes, I know. The 5th hole is just the octave of the first
note on the flute and is not counted twice. Thanks to Michael Graham
Allen's forethought and expertise in putting this tuning to this flute,
this pentatonic scale is probably the easiest to play by ear as well
as a scale that does not have a 'sour' note to be played. By taking the
2nd and 6th interval out of the scale, all other notes are perfect together.
Mathematically speaking. After all, music is just math, right???? As
far as the key of these flutes go, they are tuned to a minor key. This
is actually why the flute has been dubbed a pensive sounding instrument
or sad, mournful, or sorrowful sound and so on. The standard that we
have today would be as follows, a minor keyed pentatonic scaled mode
1 flute. Mode 1 is just a means of explaining the lack of the 2nd and
6th intervals
I mentioned earlier. Another popular mode is the mode 4 tuning.
I have been creating a mode 4 flute for some time now with a decent
amount of interest. The mode 4 is again a minor keyed flute with a slight
variation of notes. Still the pentatonic scale, so, 5 notes with an octave.
As far as fingering goes, it is still a 4 holed flute. After adding the
octave it becomes the 5 holed flute. With this mode the 5th interval
is replaced by the 6th. A much different
sound and emotion. This mode 4 is not nearly as popular as the mode
1. However, when you combine the two modes mentioned you will have the
standard 6 hole flute everyone loves and enjoys. Most see
this flute as a mode 1 with an extra note. It is indeed two modes combined
into one flute. The biggest struggle to this 6 hole flute is playing
it correctly to get the two modes precise. By playing it incorrectly
is actually how the more contemporary sound came to be from this 6 holed
flute. You can play the standard 6 hole flute in mode 1, mode 4, or in
a contemporary way. From this point you have many other modes as well
as scales to choose from. Some examples are the pentatonic mode 2, mode
3 and mode 5. Mode
2 has a bit of an oriental sound or feel to it. Quite beautiful to hear.
Mode 3 is a bit strange at first and has not really been given a so called
name to describe it. Interesting though! Then the mode 5 scale has been
dubbed the Celtic mode or in early American settler terms, the mountain
mode, such as that of the mountain dulcimer. These three modes are
a major scaled tuning. You will drift away from the pensive sound and
go
more
toward the contemporary sound of today's music. You also have a diatonic
tuning and modes as well as the chromatic scaled flutes.
The Native flutes today have been put in 2 different categories, the
'plains style' & the 'woodlands style'. Also, completely separate, the 'plains
voice' & the 'woodlands voice'. The 'woodlands style' flute has it's air/wind channel in the body of the flute. The 'plains style' flute has it's air/wind channel in the totem or a nest below the totem. The 'woodlands voiced' flute is supposed to be a warmer, more round & natural wood tone. The 'plains voiced' flute is to have a sharper thinner, harsher tone. I make both of these 'styled' flutes & both have a warmer more rounded tone. I believe the 'style' flute bears nothing on the 'voice' of the flute. This is determined 100% upon the flute maker & their methods of constructing the flute. Many things determine the tone of the flute. A few are the wall thickness, the shape of the cutting edge as well as the wood type used.
The origin of the flute is full of many legends and stories from tribe to tribe. From the many woodpecker and/or cedar tree creations to the gifting of the instrument by a kokopelli entity. Also, from the loon giving forth the mournful sounding instrument to the gifting from the Old Woman Who Never Dies, or, the Naked Deer Woman who gave and taught the man how to play to woo the maidens. While there are many legends, the most common is that the flute was simply a gift from The Great Spirit or Creator, God.
As I mention in all my shows, regardless of the facts and legends of the flute, what truly is important is the effect it has on you as an individual and the people that surround you. On a personal level, dare I say a more spiritual level, not how wonderful you can play, or how you can pick up the written forms of music or how you can imitate another. It's not how you can combine the flute with any other instrument available, which is indeed nice, but something much more simplistic. The attraction to this flute, I believe, is the ease of playing it without having any prior musical knowledge or ability. Then once played, the effect it seems to have on almost all who hear the voice of the wood. A link can be connected between two or more people with this flute and it's wonderful tonal quality. The connection between maker and player can be summed up in the following words by Hawk Littlejohn, "once the heart of the wood has been bored out, the new owner must then fill it with his own heart." This is the Heart of the Flute. In Cherokee, we say it is 'Osda Nvwoti', or 'good medicine'. Meaning it goes far deeper than the audible quality. It cuts as deep as our soul itself. It soothes and repairs. As mentioned, a gift from God. Nothing man made can, could, or will have this type of nvwoti or medicine. This instrument is indeed only a piece of wood with holes in it and when breathed into produces a nice tone, but, those who are involved with this flute can testify that it truly goes far beyond this. It takes you where words have no meaning. Your private place.
On a personal level - a place to calm my spirit. A quiet place with nothing but the sounds of creation, God's creation. A humble place. A refuge where I can commune with God. As an elder told me, "The Creator is a sucker for this music. When you play, He is there." This is the equa - ulanigv. The great or large power of this instrument. I have been a musician all my life and have played many instruments and found nothing that can compare to the reactions and emotions this flute produces. A humble instrument. A simple instrument. Yet, much more. I have been asked why I make the flute. My answer is simple, I have to. All I have done in my life has led me to this point. Making flutes and playing flutes. If I were to take any part of my past away, I would not be doing this. This is the way my spirit assures me that this 'is' what I am supposed to be doing with my life. Keeping my Native heritage alive & honoring my forefathers by creating Native American Wood Flutes....
- Enjoy the gift -
Last updated: 2/12/21
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