Native American music on a whistle??

[monkey]

Does/Can anyone play native american music on their whistle?? any ideas or tips to this or would it just not be possible??

thanks

[Flogging Jason]

I owned a native-american flute once upon a time but never researched the music. I know from experience that the scales and keys in the music would be a little off for the hardcore whistler. I encourage you to try though....if you can play by ear try that first. If you can actually find sheet music you might have to transpose it. If you find any sheet music that is playable send it to me! Peace out!

[Easily_Deluded_Fool]

Does/Can anyone play native american music on their whistle?? any ideas or tips to this or would it just not be possible??

thanks

I actually have made several *NAFs, and given them as special presents
to people. They are usually pentatonic instruments i.e. 5 notes.
You can easily play 2 pentatonic scales on any whistle,
and emulate an NAF.

1) bottom hand - lift the 1st and 2nd finger together = second pent'
scale - but I find this easier to remember

2) lift bottom finger top hand + top finger bottom hand at the same
tine = the 'main' pent' scale for that whistle.

The main thing when playing pentatonically is to keep the tune moving.
Almost any sequence of notes sounds like a tune.

I remember when learning to play an NAF,
play what you see e.g. if a bird you are watching flies
higher - play higher. If the bird drops - play lower.
If the bird hovers - play the notes close to where you are
on the flute ( or whistle in this case)

* There are two basic NAF types,
One is bamboo like reed, the other made from wood.
I have made both - the reed being able to play two clear
octaves - the wooden one with the familiar totem/fetish
plays into, but usually doesn't play a complete second octave.
HTH

[slowair]

I'm no expert and I may have my facts wrong, but...
Mary Youngblood is one of my favorote NA artists. Her music is 'catchy'.
From what I understand...or think I heard...is that she is of Native American decent, but was raised by Americans of Irish decent. I have also been told that she has some of her flutes made in diatonic scale, like whistles, and some in pentatonic, like most NA flutes.
Some of her music is very easy to follow along with by ear on whistle.
I started playing NA flute just before whistle. Mary's music is probably the single most influence for my change over to whistle. Not Irish music at all.
Kind of ironic really. We were both adopted. She played Irish music on whistle first, I played NA flute first. She followed her roots and plays NA music on flute, and I play Irish on whistle.
Hope this helps.
Mike

[monkey]

thanks

I never thought of playing pentatonics on whistle ! I shall have to try that

\\I remember when learning to play an NAF,
play what you see e.g. if a bird you are watching flies
higher - play higher. If the bird drops - play lower.
If the bird hovers - play the notes close to where you are
on the flute ( or whistle in this case)//

that's good advice too 'Play what you see' that is Exactly what i wanted to know but couldn't figure out!!

I will look for Mary Youngbloods music on the web thanks too

[DavidT]

I have been building and playing NA flutes for years. There is absolutely no reason why you couldn't play that style of music on a whistle.
NA flutes are generally quite a bit breathier than the average whistle, and most NA flutes are between F# minor and G# minor, so a chiffy A or Bb would get you the closest tone and key-wise.
As others have said, most NA flutes will go into the second octave, but not very far.
Then again, you could spring for an NA flute and enjoy both worlds to their fullest.

[TheSpoonMan]

thanks

I never thought of playing pentatonics on whistle ! I shall have to try that

Well, a lot of Celtic music is pentatonic/hexatonic, so it should work pretty well I improvise with those scales a lot; it's fun (A Dorian and E Dorian are my favorite pentatonic scales- ABDEGA- the knotted cord is in this scale- and EF#ABDE)

[monkey]

Well, a lot of Celtic music is pentatonic/hexatonic, so it should work pretty well I improvise with those scales a lot; it's fun (A Dorian and E Dorian are my favorite pentatonic scales- ABDEGA- the knotted cord is in this scale- and EF#ABDE)

Are those scales generally played in the lower octave or do certain notes go upto the next octave??

[DavidT]

The bell note on most NA flutes is around low F# to G#. As stated earlier, most will go a few notes into the second octave.

[monkey]

I owned a native-american flute once upon a time but never researched the music. I know from experience that the scales and keys in the music would be a little off for the hardcore whistler. I encourage you to try though....if you can play by ear try that first. If you can actually find sheet music you might have to transpose it. If you find any sheet music that is playable send it to me! Peace out!

maybe some of this sheet music might be some use?
http://www.beardedwolf.com/flutesongs.html
i don't have much clue reading sheet music yet so i don't really know

[TheSpoonMan]

Well, a lot of Celtic music is pentatonic/hexatonic, so it should work pretty well I improvise with those scales a lot; it's fun (A Dorian and E Dorian are my favorite pentatonic scales- ABDEGA- the knotted cord is in this scale- and EF#ABDE)

Are those scales generally played in the lower octave or do certain notes go upto the next octave??

Mm, I'm pretty sure they repeat into the second one. Eg, take the songs the Knotted Cord, Chanter's Tune, some versions of The Drunken Landlady, etc. No exceptions in either octave. Of course a song could work either way.

[DavidT]

...maybe some of this sheet music might be some use?
http://www.beardedwolf.com/flutesongs.html
i don't have much clue reading sheet music yet so i don't really know

I'm not familiar with that player's music. A well-known player by the name of R. Carlos Nakai has several music books out (www.rcarlosnakai.com) containing some nice songs.

The music is not complicated. Much simpler than ITrad. If you play by ear, you shouldn't have any problem with playing NA songs you hear.
That being said, the real joy is in listening to sounds in nature and then playing an interpretation of them.

[Jetpiper]

I began playing the NA flute way before I started in with the whistle. I am Potawatomi and Creek Indian, and grew up listening to my grandfather play the flute. There are essentially two kinds. The 6 hole and the 5 hole. The plains tribes, for the most part use the 5 hole. The Kiowa are an exception to this. The eastern/southern tribes tend to use the 6 hole. When I started playing the whistle, what came out sounded very much like what I play on the NA flute. Some of my favorite flute players are: Kevin Locke (Lakota), Joseph Firecrow (Northern Cheyenne), Carlos Nakai (Dine'), Luther Standing Bear (Lakota, and he plays with another guy on the keyboard. They call themselves Redtail Chasing Hawks). I also have some of Mary Youngblood's music. Very nice. These artitst's music run the full range from very old traditional tunes, to modern contemporary pieces done with a full orchestra. Carlos Nakai has done alot of both.

Here is a link to Canyon records. They do Native American music, and on the page linked, you will will see links to lists of both traditional and contemporary flute titles they have. Hope you find lots of music you like!

http://www.canyonrecords.com/catcass.htm

[JessieK]

Play only the following notes: E, G, A, B and D. You can improvise and it'll sound like NA music.

[Flogging Jason]

http://www.beardedwolf.com/flutesongs.html

thanks for the site monkey! more fun for me!