Native American Flute Music
The Native American culture embraced the world of music, particularly Native American flute music. This music was used in a variety of different rituals. Courtship and spiritual practices often depended on the flute for its melody, as did meditation and healing rituals. It was typically played alone, though in modern times it's often used as a background sound along with singing.
According to legend, a woodpecker poked holes in a hollow branch and the people around heard wind blowing through the holes. They turned that branch into a musical instrument. Historians believe the flute was patterned after an instrument used in ancient times by the Mesoamerican people. The typical flute contains just two holes in a hollow branch, similar to the one used in the legend.
Resources on this music include:
- Anatomy of the Plains Flute: discusses the flutes used by Plains Indians, with photographs.
- Flutes: offers a look at home flutes were originally constructed compared to today's flutes.
- International Native American Flute Association: organization that serves to protect and preserve the ancient art of flute playing.
- Flutes: offers photographs of Native American flutes on display at the Museum of Fine Art in Boston.
- National Museum of the American Indian: contains information and photographs relating to Native American flutes.
Native American flute music has a distinctive sound, based on the scale used. The first flutes had only a few octaves, but modern instruments are capable of the entire concert scale. When two flutes work together, they make a deeper melody that was often used during spiritual and healing rituals. The melodies played during meditation and courtship rituals were often lighter and more harmonious.
The word deeper has an unusual meaning in regards to Native American flute music. As the flutes themselves were made of hollowed out tree branches, a truly dark sound was never heard. A truly deep sound was never heard because they wanted the flutes as natural as possible. The hope was that the music would mimic the sounds of the wind blowing through the branches. This light sound had a relaxing and holistic feel that other instruments couldn't replicate.
