The sound of the native flute is absolutely haunting. To me, the sound touches the very depths of my spirit. Still, although
I’ve always enjoyed the experience, I’ve never considered making or
playing my own native flute. That is, until I found The Native American Flute in my review file. The Native American Flute is part history and part practical
instrument creation. The majority of the book explores the nature of the Native American flute. Today it is widely accepted that the playing of this instrument is a male dominated activity. Being as most traditional Native American societies were matrilineal based with women serving as equal members of the community, this notion seems quite chauvinistic. Unfortunately, no clear answer is seen in wither the mythology mentioning music or in the archaeological evidence of these instruments. The final portion of the book, including some very good reference material in the appendixes, focuses on the actual making and playing of the Native American flute. Full details about how to create and tune such an instrument are provided as well as what scales will be represented once complete. The author even includes a few tunes to try on your new flute. I personally enjoyed both parts of this book. The first half appealed not only to the former archaeologist in me but also to the spiritualist wanting a deeper connection to the music. The later has spurred my imagination. Maybe I could actually give this instrument a try.