“Evening Song” is from the film “The Blood Cries Out” which was nominated Best Long Form Music Video in the 2007 Native American Music Awards. Photography is by Edward S. Curtis. The music is composed and performed by Ronald Roybal. Ronald is a six-time Native American Music Award Nominee who makes his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. “The Blood Cries Out” is 51 minutes in length and contains 10 music videos. Visit www.ronaldroybal.com for information on how to buy a high resolution copy of …
A musical instrument or a music gear is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. In principle anything that, produces sound, and can somehow be controlled by a person playing it, can serve as a musical gear. The expression, however, is reserved generally for items that have a specific musical purpose. The academic study of musical instruments is called organology. The different kinds of music gears include guitar, piano, drums, synthesizer, flute and the list is endless.
Bass Guitar
Bass guitar is a stringed instrument played with the fingers either by plucking, slapping, popping, tapping or using a pick. Bass guitar has a large body, long neck.
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by striking steel strings with felt hammers that immediately rebound allowing the string to continue vibrating at its resonance frequency. These vibrations are transmitted through the bridges to the soundboard, which amplifies them. The piano is widely used in Western music for solo performance, chamber music, and accompaniment. It is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal. Although not portable and often expensive, the versatility and ubiquity of the piano have made it one of the most familiar musical instruments. It is sometimes classified as both a percussion and a string instrument.
Accordion
An accordion is a musical instrument of the handheld bellows driven free reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as squeeze boxes. The accordion is played by compression and expansion of a bellows, which generates air flow across reeds. A keyboard or buttons control, which reeds receive air flow and therefore the tones produced. Modern accordions consist of a body in two parts, each generally rectangular in shape, separated by a bellows. On each part of the body is a keyboard containing buttons, levers or piano style keys. When pressed, the buttons travel in a direction perpendicular to the motion of the bellows.
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is generally any kind of electronic musical instrument, or electronic device capable of producing or manipulating audio tones, such as musical notes, through audio signal processing. The term originates from the Greek word syntithetai. Synthesizers work by manipulating electrical signals, which appear as sound when they are used to drive audio amplifiers. These tones are generated by electrical circuits which may work by manipulating a signal through a series of oscillators and filters in an analog circuit.
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike other woodwind instruments, a flute is a reed less wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air against an edge, instead of using a reed. In its most basic form, a flute can be an open tube which is blown like a bottle. There are several broad classes of flutes. With most flutes, the musician blows directly across the edge of the mouthpiece. However, some flutes, such as the whistle, gemshorn, flageolet, recorder, tin whistle, tonette, fujara, and ocarina have a duct that directs the air onto the edge. These are known as fipple flutes. The fipple gives the instrument a distinct timbre which is different from non fipple flutes and makes the instrument easier to play, but takes a degree of control away from the musician.
The flute is probably the oldest type of instrument that has ever been played by humanity. Archeologists have found bone flutes dating back 50,000 years in some cases, so it is easy to say that the flute is an instrument that was influential in the development of mankind’s musical ability.
In our present century, it is one of the most popular types of instruments, and for many budding musical geniuses, it is the first instrument they learn to play. Of course, the flute is not all that expensive, and for that reason, many parents are able to afford to buy one for their child. However, that being said, wouldn’t it make more sense to buy a flute for your child after they have proven themselves to be interested enough in the flute to warrant buying a newer one?
This is often the case, so many parents will ‘test the waters’ to see if their kids will continue to be interested in the flute in a few months time by simply buying a used flute. A used flute is a bit less expensive than a new flute, but it accomplishes the same task; making music.
If you think that some of the priceless types of flutes in existence right now are 50,000 years old and made of bone, buying a used flute for $15 doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. So, when you go out to buy a used flute, where do you go? Before you go online, always check your local area to find out if there are cheap flutes that can be easily bought. At pawn shops, you will probably find used flutes in the price range of ten dollars to thirty dollars, meaning you are going to save a lot of money, and if your child stops playing the flute, you will not be out that much money at all.
This is a big difference when you are talking about how much you can save over the course of your child’s musical life when you buy used musical instruments instead of new musical instruments. There is no reason why you should think that used instruments are not as good as new instruments, because they are just as good. In fact, they are better because they are much cheaper than the other types of instruments.
Buying a used flute will allow your child to use their musical talents on a very easy type of instrument to learn. As well, buying a used flute means you will not be paying to much for something that your child may not keep using in the future.
Used flutes are a dime a dozen and there is no better way to test if your child is interested in learning how to play instruments than with a flute. If they are willing to make the commitment to practicing the flute on a regular basis, then they are capable of making the commitment to other types of instruments, like guitars and pianos. Find the used flute that is right for you and nurture your child’s gift.
Musical instruments vary greatly, usually much more greatly than we realize, and when searching for the perfect musical instrument for our playing pleasure, sometimes it’s worth it to dig around a little bit to find the version that best works for you. One of the most versatile musical instruments is the flute. It doesn’t take much to find a flute that is unique, beautiful, and artistic.
The Mayan Indians created a flute known as the vessel flute. This musical instrument resembles more of an intricate whistle than a modern day flute, but it creates a very unique sound. Replicas of the vessel flute are still played today.
The musical instrument we know as a recorder is actually a type of flute, and has numerous variations. The recorder is typically played straight down instead of perpendicular to the mouth, but with a lot of practice, it can sound just as beautiful as the present day modern flute.
The transverse flute is bit different from most flutes. This musical instrument does not have a straight edge like its cousins, but instead the round edge creates a symbiotic mouth hole and finger holes, which produces an interesting and sweet sound. Most flutists find this particular version of their musical instrument very difficult to play at first. However once they adjust, they do find that the musical instrument known as the transverse flute is just as endearing as its younger cousin, the modern day flute.
The oblique, vertical, and notched flutes all are very similar to each other, and each represents this group of musical instruments with class, dignity, and style. The oblique flute is named after its head, which has been obliquely cut. It has a tremendously long body and plays a little lower than most of its cousins. Most present day oblique flutes are played with a host of various musical instruments in Bulgaria. The notched flute and the vertical flute are nearly identical to each other, with the only real difference between the two being the head. These two musical instruments are only different from the oblique flute via the head differences and somewhat shorter bodies than the oblique flute.
Regardless of which musical instrument you end up playing, the flute offers such a large family that most people can discover something they didn’t know about the flute family of musical instruments. It’s fun to explore all of the families of musical instruments when deciding on which one to play.
When you ask someone why he or she likes a band, performer or style of music, the usual response is either, “they’re awesome,” “they rock” or “it’s fun stuff.” People tend to say that music is simply for entertainment. And as for musicians, the reason they play music either involves “the call” to do so or the ego-driven need to stand in front of a crowd. But why do we even have music? Is it, as Shakespeare stated, “to soothe the savage beast”? It’s not like it’s life or death. Or is it? For Gera Clark and John Sarantos, who perform on Native American flutes as the NightDancers, music is that deep. Mr. Santos started with the simple desire to express himself musically, but discovered that the Native American flute, by its nature, takes one beyond pigeonholed functions, including new-age “meditation” music. Ms. Clark’s journey to music started with desperately needing something of a life line at a critical time. She states: “After a prolonged critical illness, I began to put my life back together… While on this spiritual path, I discovered the Native American flute.” In this era of art-as-diversion, or lifestyle accessory, it is a wonderfully pleasant surprise to be reminded that, as Clark and Santos reveal in the interview below, music is a powerful and healing force.
[Mark Kirby] What kind of music was played in your home when you were growing up?
[Gera Clark] My mother played classical music on the piano as an escape from her existence as an urban housewife raising four children. When I started school, my mother went back to work and I noticed her appetite for opera increased dramatically. My father fancied himself as being Bing Crosby and I would catch him now and then trying to learn the cha cha. Meanwhile, my sister would sneak in rock and roll. We aspired to write music together in the style of Carol King. We also listened to some of my relatives’ records, one being Seamus Ennis, my grand uncle who played the Uilleann pipes (an Irish type of bagpipes).
[John Sarantos] During my early years, my mother would play classical and operatic music when I was in school, but very little music was played while I was home except at Christmas.
[Mark Kirby] What kinds of music have you studied prior to the Native American flute?
[Gera Clark] As a child, my mother would bribe me with soda to take piano lessons because she wanted me to be a child prodigy. When I was able to travel on my own, I took up the traverse flute, which I carried with me for three years.
[John Sarantos] I tried learning the drums from the junior high school music teacher, but he told me I had no rhythm and would not work with me. After attending a Jethro Tull concert and being inspired by Ian Anderson’s flute playing, I tried the transverse flute, but was told by my flute instructor that I was tone deaf and she wouldn’t work with me. I tried singing, but I was told that I was tone deaf by three major Los Angeles voice coaches and they would not work with me. I tried guitar and banjo, but it was hard to play just cords as I could not sing along with myself. Then I discovered the Native American flute.
[Mark Kirby] How did you come to start playing Native American music in general, the flute in particular?
[Gera Clark] After the death of my husband and a quick rebound marriage and divorce, followed by a prolonged critical illness, I began to put my life back together. I also began searching for beauty. While on this spiritual path, I discovered the Native American flute.
One day, I found myself about a hundred miles west of New York standing outside a Tibetan Buddhist Temple, when suddenly I heard the most beautiful sound. Following the powerful, yet haunting sound, I discovered it emanating from a Native American flute, played by Ed Callshim (Ponca Sioux). After this experience, I finally found a flute of my own at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York. Later, when traveling to Niagara Falls with my teacher, Amy Lee (Iroquois), a deep desire to connect with my earlier travels in the southwest was awakened. On one particular journey, I found myself exploring the canyons along the Rio Grande. Eventually I was led to the mountains and the Taos Pueblo, where I heard that haunting sound drifting through the air. I followed it to its source, a little adobe. Looking inside, I met a kind and talented gentleman who encouraged me to play the native flute. That gentleman, unbeknownst to me at the time, is one of the finest Native American flute players in the world, John Rainer, Jr. (Taos/Creek). Leaving New Mexico with renewed faith, I was led, via The American Indian Community House in New York, to Franc Menusan (Muskogee Creek). He became my extremely patient mentor for several years.
On my birthday, I flew out to an R. Carlos Nakai (Navajo/Ute) concert with the San Francisco Symphony, where I learned about the Renaissance of the Native American Flute workshop in Montana. I came back to New York and booked myself a flight to Montana, which was where I met John Sarantos, and our musical partnership was born.
[John Sarantos] My mother, who was 84-years-old at the time, introduced me to the music of the Peter Kater and R. Carlos Nakai duo. Mr. Kater, who is of German heritage, played piano, and Mr. Nakai the native flute. I discovered that I too like the sound of the native flute. I went to a Kater and Nakai concert in Chicago, where Nakai mentioned a week-long workshop at the Feathered Pipe Ranch in Helena, Montana. I had a choice of paying about $1,200 for the flute workshop taught by Mr. Nakai and his partner and flute-maker, Ken Light, or going to Japan for two weeks, all expenses paid by the school where I was teaching. I chose Montana.
[Mark Kirby] What lead you to play this kind of meditative music?
[John Sarantos] We don’t think of it as only meditative music. We worked hard to stay away from falling into that stereotype of musical style on our CD. Although a lot of people use our record for meditation, they also use it for healing and relaxation. Several people who have cancer told me that they find inner peace while listening to ‘Montana Crossings’.
[Gera Clark] In fact, after John had his cancer surgery last year, we decided that 10% of the gross sales from ‘Montana Crossings’ would be used to buy flutes for cancer patients. So far, we have donated flutes to cancer flute circles and individuals in New York City, Chicago, Lansing, Michigan and Jefferson City, Oregon.
[Mark Kirby] Are Native American flutes more like shakuhachi flutes or transverse flutes in terms of technique?
[John Sarantos] Neither. The shakuhachi can take three months just to get one note. The transverse requires many hours of playing to learn just the basic scale. The native flute is one of the easiest instruments to play. I have taught elementary children to play the native flute, and they have started playing songs in about five minutes or less.
[Mark Kirby] Describe the flutes that you use in terms of size, number of holes, type of wood, etc.
[Gera Clark] We use flutes ranging from four to six holes and from four inches to five feet.
[John Sarantos] Traditionally, most flutes were made from soft woods; for example, cedar and pine. However, when the Europeans came, they brought with them tools that made it easier to create flutes out of harder woods; some flutes were even made from old gun barrels.
[Gera Clark] Today, flute-makers are creating flutes from all types of woods, from cedars to walnut to iron wood, to even flutes made out of one of the hardest woods: ebony.
[John Sarantos] We also have a wide assortment of clay flutes based on the Aztec and Mayan cultures made by master flute-maker Xavier Quijas Xyotol.
[Mark Kirby] How did you arrive at the name of NightDancers for your musical duo?
[Gera Clark] One day John and I were talking and discovered that we both used to walk around our individual houses in the middle of the night without any lights on. We came up with the name Night Walkers.
[John Sarantos] However, most people we talked to thought that the name sounded too much like vampires or ladies of the evening.
[Gera Clark] After discussing a variety of names, we came up with NightDancers.
[Mark Kirby] When did you decide to record ‘Montana Crossings’?
[Gera Clark] John and I had been playing together for about two years. John would travel from Milwaukee during his vacations, and we would play for our friend Bob Hegler, who encouraged us to keep playing together. We enjoyed playing so much that we used to spend hours playing over speaker phones when John was still living in Milwaukee. When we started performing in local New York venues, people would ask if we had a CD they could purchase. After about a year of doing live performances, we felt that we had created a wide variety of songs that we wanted to share with others.
[Mark Kirby] Why did you choose to record at Avatar Studios in New York City?
[John Sarantos] I had been writing record reviews for the International Native American Flute Journal for about ten years and could tell when an artist used a home computer all the way up to a professional sound studio. If we were going to put our time, effort and money into a recording, we wanted it to sound the best it could. I asked several people if they could recommend a sound studio in New York City. Avatar Studios was one of the top three studios on several people’s lists.
[Gera Clark] We were also very fortunate that Tino Passante of Avatar recommended Jim Anderson for our sound engineer. Jim understood the sound that we were striving to obtain, and he succeeded in capturing that sound.
[Mark Kirby] How are the titles connected to the songs you are playing? Are these titles indicative of what the music is supposed to evoke?
[Gera Clark] The titles are indicative of the inspiration behind the music.
[John Sarantos] Hopefully, each person will have their own emotional response to the music depending on their own journey.
[Mark Kirby] What types of events or venues do you play?
[Gera Clark] One of our goals is to help spread the beauty of the flute to others, whether it be playing our music for others to listen [to] or sharing our knowledge on how to play the flute.
[John Sarantos] herefore, we play in a variety of venues for all types of events. You can view our schedule at: http://www.nightdancersmusic.com and http://www.myspace.com/nightdancersmusic
I want to have flute music to hotel of california by the eagles. Can anyone tell me what website or post the music or website or something like that?? but dont forget its for flute!! Thank you!
Buying a flute, advice from The Balanced Scale
Step Up / Intermediate Flute
Your biggest consideration in the purchase of a new/used flute is your budget. One might expect to spend between $1500.00 and $5000.00 for a step up / intermediate flute. While there are some cost savings associated with buying a used flute, there is also a certain amount of risk involved. A used flute will most likely need to be adjusted and balanced for your personal touch.
Some brand names to look for
Generally brand name instruments are your best choice: Altus 1007, Yamaha 500, Pearl Quantz, Sankyo, Muramatsu EX, GX and AD, Powell Signature, and Miyazawa 401 to name a few.
Features of a Step Up/Intermediate Flute:
Body tube
The body tube may be made of brass with silver plating, nickel silver or varying grades of silver. You also have the option of choosing the “wall” thickness of the body tube. The different materials and construction provide different tonal characteristics.
Toneholes
Toneholes may be “drawn” and “rolled” from the body tube, or they can be soldered on. There is much debate as to the difference in sound between the two.
Keys
“Y” keys and pointed, or French keys, are available as options on some step up flutes. “Y” keys connect to the key mechanism or arm at the rear of the key cup, focusing finger pressure on the back of the pad.
The pointed or French arms connect to the key mechanism at the center of the key cup, focusing the finger pressure directly on the center of the pad. Other key features may include split E mechanism, inline/offset G, and “Gizmo” key for low B.
The key on the left is pointed (french),abd the key on the right is a Y key; notice where they connect to the cup.
Key regulation
Regulation of the key mechanism on entry/student/intermediate model flutes is accomplished through the use of adjustment screws. Some screws are visible from the front view and others are set behind the keys.
Some stepup/intermediate flutes have Plateau (closed) style keys, however, the French (open) keys are used by the majority of professional players because they force proper technique and the open holes make it easier to produce tonal nuances.
Case
Finally, a sturdy case that fits the contour of the flute is essential to ensure that your new companion remains safe and snug. Always store your swab and wiping cloth in an external “case cover”. This will ensure extra lint and moisture will not accumulate in and on your flute. Case covers are often padded for that “extra” level of security just in “case”.
I hope this was helpfull, if you have any questions, comments, queries or would like to suggest something please contribute below.
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A marriage of music and mechanics
The flute is a member of the woodwind family and is played by blowing air across the mouth of the instrument instead of using a reed, which makes it rather distinct from most other woodwind instruments.
It appears that the flute has been around for thousands of years and predates many of the instruments most are familiar with today. In fact, there have been flutes found that have been dated to be as old as 30,000 years. There have been many flutes found that have been made out of the bones of animals or out of different kinds of wood.
To change the sounds that the flute makes, the musician covers the different holes in the body, either with the pad of their fingers or by pressing the keys. The different combinations of open and closed holes in the flute create different pitches and sounds.
The air that the musician puts into the flute can also determine the different pitches. By changing the amount of air the musician blows into the flute, they can create different pitches without needing to worry about opening or closing the holes in the flute.
Changing how loud a flute can be requires a change in the size of the flute. More specifically, the flute would need to have larger holes, a larger resonator and/or more air. It is possibly for these reasons that the flute has been adapted and changed so much throughout history.
Today, there are a few different kinds of flutes. Some flutes are with keys, some are with keys, some are open-ended and others are closed-ended and are referred to as fipple flutes. There are flutes that make deeper, richer sounds and are typically larger flutes. Then, there are flutes that make lighter, higher sounds and are often smaller flutes. Others are a medium sound, meaning that they are not too deep either.
Flutes are not the most difficult instrument to play, but it takes a certain level of discipline and practice in order to gain proper control of how much air is blown into the flute. It also takes a lot of practice to be able to play, which is true with all instruments.
Many will choose to play the flute because they are attracted to the instrument’s angel-like sound. The flute has a delicate sound that many enjoy listening to and it is often used by people who are looking for something relaxing to listen to.
The flute is quite possibly one of the oldest musical instruments out there and it could be that the flute is so familiar that most find it comforting. It has been developed and used all over the world and has taken many forms due to the different materials available, as well as the different sounds different people were looking for.
Other than some recent additions of keys on some types of flutes, most flutes are simple and basic. Overall, this beautiful instrument has never really needed any major changes to its design, probably because there is no way to make the sound any more perfect than it already is.
The turn of the 20th century saw an unfortunate period of attempts to assimilate most Native American peoples into mainstream America. The Indians were faced with incredibly harsh assimilation rules and there was further relocation as treaties and reservations were illegally modified. Simple survival as a people and as individuals became forefront in the activities of Native Americans, especially during the 1930s and 1940s. As a result, many cultural aspects were forbidden or prohibited and their practice went “underground.”
Beginning in the late 1940s, as assimilation rules began to disappear, the flute tradition was among the cultural aspects that began to resurface. Native flute players increased and gained some prominence. Belo Cozad (Kiowa), Dan Red Buffalo (Lakota), Dick Foolbull (Lakota), George Watchetaker (Comanche), Abel Big Bow (Kiowa), Woodrow Haney (Seminole), and Doc Tate Nevaquaya (Comanche), among others, reacquainted both natives and non-natives alike with the native flute. Non-natives, such as Dr. Richard Payne, Thurlow Lieurance and Vernon McNeal also played a significant role the revitalization of the flute tradition.
The 1970s marked the beginning of the period when flute makers shifted from primarily making flutes for their own use to primarily making flutes in quantity for use by others. Many began deriving, at least partially, their livelihood from their work.
The renaissance of the native flute was still in its infancy and only a relatively few makers emerged during the 1970s. Some learned their craft from relatives in previous generations. Hawk Littlejohn (who actually began making flutes in the 1950s), and Tim Spotted Wolf learned from their Grandfathers, while Sonny Nevaquaya learned from his father, Doc Tate. Others met Dr. Payne and discovered his wealth of knowledge, including Dr. Oliver Jones and Michael Graham Allen. Many turned to historic flutes for their inspiration including Raven Charles King and Arnold Richardson. And there were a number that taught themselves, including Carl Running Deer, Zacciah Blackburn and Lew Paxton Price. The early 1980s added a few more makers including Lakota George Estes and Ken Light.
The 1980s saw the emergence of two influences that had a dramatic impact on flute making. The first was R. Carlos Nakai, who has become perhaps the most prominent player in modern times. He not only influenced countless people to take up the instrument as players, but also quite a number of people to make them. His impact became most apparent in the early 1990s. The second was the release of a dozen books by Lew Paxton Price, covering every facet of constructing native flutes. They have become the foremost reference on the subject and many contemporary makers consider his books an important influence in their work.
This period also saw the introduction of numerous innovations in the crafting of native flutes. Power tools began to supplement hand tools to in some cases improve precision work and reduce crafting time. Makers began using more than cedars, cane and bamboo. Flutes were made in a wide variety of softwoods and hardwoods as well as domestic and foreign exotic woods. Plastic and metal tubes also found their way into flute making.
A significant modification to emerge at this time was the carving of the flue into the block directly, thus creating a style that needed no nest/roost. This has become a standard feature on what is now referred to as the “Plains” flute, or what should perhaps be called the “Contemporary Plains” flute.
Other innovations included the use of Western music tunings, such as pentatonic minor, diatonic and chromatic major. This led to the introduction of over two octaves of keys that flutes were tuned to. Multiple tone chamber flutes (usually referred to as drones or dual-chambered) began appearing as well as double bass designs (those of Michael Allen) that required additional mouthpiece fixtures.
As the 20th century drew to a close, flute makers offering their flutes to the public numbered over one hundred. There is indeed a receptive market. Professional and amateur players now number in the upper hundreds, flute circles have sprung up nation-wide and internationally, web-clubs and list servers abound on the internet, and hospitals and other service centers are recognizing the benefits of flute music.
Flute making, as well as flute playing, has crossed all cultural bounds and has ensured the flute tradition will survive well into the 21 century.
Zadjik Productions. âModern Times History.â Native American Flutes. 27 Aug. 2009 [http://www.zadjik.com/flutes/].
Performance by Flutist Marco Granados and Bass Player Roberto Koch in Caracas, Venezuela. July 2006 at the “Teatro Teresa Carreño, Sala Rivas”. Last day of the national meeting of flute players in Venezuela, organized by Fesnojiv, the Foundation for Youth Orchestras of Venezuela.