It's easy to play the Native American Flute.

The Native American inspired Flutes (NAF) I am performing on are build by Odell Borg. Over 25 years I am promoting his beautiful flutes, handmade at his work-shop located in the beautiful South Arizona town of Patagonia. If you like to buy a flute, don't hesitate to talk to me at my nationwide performances ( see my CALENDAR ). I am always available for lessons before and after my events.

Q.:    Which Flute size do I recommend?:

A.:    For Beginners (above age 10 years old) I am recommending to buy the A-minor Native American Flute. 
The main reason is, that the distance between the holes is not too big and can be manged by almost all people. The sound is brighter than the F#m-NAF, but still warm and soothing. There were a view students who's hands are to small for the A-minor NAF, or for children below 10 years old, but that is rare. Only in this case I recommend the D-minor NAF.  
       The A-minor NAF has a sound that carries further. The tone "A" is the tone of the 6th chakra and relates to royal blue, the third eye, seeing things as they are. The Am NAF and higher pitches are great for the outdoors and easy to pack. They have a fresh and warm sound to play along with guitar, drums and percussion.

A.:    For Advanced students with pre-knowledge in wind-instruments, and/or if you have big hands/long-fingers, try out the traditional pitch F#-minor NAF. The tone "F#" relates to green (turquoise), the 4th chakra, the heart-chakra, enhancing having space, love, empathy helps to build  nourishing relationships.
       I would not recommend to start with a lower key then “F#”, because most lower keyed flutes have problems with reaching the 2nd octave, by over-blowing root tones. The F#-minor NAF has a really beautiful warm/alto sound and is great for meditation, relaxation getting in contact with the space of the heart, creating beautiful melodies.

EASY is RIGHT
These folkloristic flutes are perfect for finding your sound and musicality while and creating your own songs. 
Here below are some easy steps to guide you on this adventure on the Native Flutes without any musical knowledge.
(Click on picture to download PDF)

The Video below is for the Bm Native American flute:

This song is great to lean one of the overblown tones, the 7th tone of the major scale, without learning the 8th tone too. For the Am NAF =-C major scale: 1C-2D-3E-4F-5G-6A-7B-8C

How to play the Native American Flute?

1. To make covering the holes easier, fatten your fingers and use the finger pads rather than the tips to cover the holes. With either hand, cover the top two finger holes with your index and middle  fingers. Use the index, middle and ring fingers from the other hand to cover the bottom three holes. Use the ring-finger from the top hand and your little fingers and thumbs to support the flute, all fingers are touching the flute body.

2. Creating Music:
If you are new to playing flute, start with just one tone: Close only the upper 3 holes (3rd hole is covered by leather band) with the left hand and the 3 right hand holes keep open. 

A) Start with playing some long tones and some rhythms just with this one note. EASY IS RIGHT! 

B) Now ad just one tone by closing the highest hole of the right hand. And again just play around with these 2 tones for a while. 

C) Keep on adding tones until you can play the whole scale, but remember just adding one tone a time and playing different combinations before moving to the next tone. 

D) How to create your own SONG?: Again EASY is RIGHT. Songs can be created with very few notes & keeping it simple and repeating 3-4 tone patterns and ending a phrase with a long tone helps to create haunting melodies of your own. There are no right or wrong ways to create music. Remember, Beethoven's 5th starts with just 2 tones and a repetition: 
G G G E______ . And then repeat with other tones like: E E E D______ and D D D C____ C____C________________
it's always good to have a very long tone at the end of an sentence/phrase:

3. Techniques: Breathe – Beyond closing all the holes, playing a flute is about applying the correct amount of air pressure rather than air volume. On smaller flutes like this one, you will need to generate more air pressure than on larger deeper toned flutes.

4. Fingering: Sliding the finger off the hole slowly will draw the note out (bending the note). Covering only half of the hole will create a different note.

5. Rhythm: Every song has a rhythm. With the flute the rhythm is created with the tongue by simulating the letter “T”. Repeat the letter “T” with your tongue into the flute & then slowly back off & be become more subtle with it.

6. It is always a good idea to try to play a song which is familiar: Here are a view “SOUNDS LIKE” melodies which you might know: ( download and print PDF )

For more details - Downloads:

001 - How to play the Native American Flutes (6 holes)
002 - 1001-Introduction-Vibhas 2024    VIDEO-Gm-Pocket-Flute
003 - How to play the Spirit Flutes     
004 - Empty NAF Tablature (TAB)      6-holes-4x9    6-holes-4x12    Click on picture to download PDF:

Here are a view free songs with sheet music including Native American Flute Tabulature and a VIDEO link to High Spirits or other Friends of the Native American Flute. The PDF-TABULATUR can be played on all kind of pitched flutes, while the video has to be played along with the right pitch. Hope that helps to get started:

1. Blowing In The Wind - Traditional Folk Song (see note X1) - VIDEO-Dm-Flute  - PDF (Pentatonic plus 4th tone of major scale)
2. Corn Planting Song - Traditional Hopi Song - VIDEO-AM-Flute   - PDF
3. P - House of the Rising Sun - Traditional - VIDEO-Dm-Flute   PDF (Pentatonic - very old version)
4. P - Hush Little baby - Traditional - VIDEO-Bm-Flute -  PDF (Pentatonic - plus 4th tone sharp)
5. Over The Rainbow - PDF-Am - PDF-F#  - - VIDEO-Bm-Flute  (Complex Diatonic plus 4th tone sharp)
6. Paddling Song - Traditional Lummi Song  - PDF - VIDEO-Cm-Flute     
7. Papago Crop Sowing Song - Traditional - PDF - VIDEO-Am-Flute
8. Silent Night - Traditional Christmas Song - PDF-Am - VIDEO-F#m-Flute          
9. Sunset Song - Traditional Zuni Song - PDF - VIDEO-Gm-Flute   (Complex!!)

10. Wendeyaho - All Flutes -Traditional Cherokee Song - PDF
10. Wendeyaho - Am -Traditional Cherokee Song  -  PDF-Flip  -  Am-Mp3 
10. Wendeyaho - Bm -Traditional Cherokee Song  -  PDF-Flip  -   Bm-Mp3  -  VIDEO-Bm-Flute  -    (VIDEO-Gm-Flute)   
10. Wendeyaho - F#m - Traditional Cherokee Song - PDF-Flip  -  F#m-MP3  -   VIDEO
10. Wendeyaho - Cm-BASS -Traditional Cherokee Song  -  PDF-Flip  -   Cm-Wave  -  VIDEO-Cm-Flute with Sheet Music

11. Sakura - Traditional Japanese Song - PDF-Am -   (Complex: High and low “B” and “F”)
12. Bebi Notsa - 

1. https://drumhop.com/index.php    The focus of this site is American Indian music. Here you will find the largest online library of old music recordings. Drumhop also offers the most complete pow wow listings for Minnesota, Wisconsin, the Dakotas and Canada.
2. https://www.flutetree.org/   FluteTree Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that aspires to share the power of the Native American Flute to enrich lives. 
3. https://www.flutetree.org/songbook/minor/index.html?sort FluteTree - NAF songs in alphabetical order: Minor Key Native American Flute Songbook
4. https://www.flutopedia.com/contents.htm   an evolving encyclopedia and on-line book dedicated to the Native American flute. It provides information and resources for the Native American flute in particular, but also on aspects of flute music and world flutes in general.

FLUTE TREE Native American Flute Songs:

• Cherokee Morning Song  ( Wendeyaho ) 
  Cherokee Morning Song (simplified)
• Dakota Love Song #1 
• Dakota Love Song #2 
• Duck Dance 
• Firefly, based upon transcripts
  of Frederick Burton from 1909.
• Inkpataya (higher pitch version)
  Inkaptaya (with Hold-4 fingering)
• Morning Star, based upon transcripts
  of Frederick Burton from 1909.
• Omaha Prayer 
• Song for Grandfather 
• Zuni Sunrise Call or a simplified version
  based upon an arrangement by Carlos Troyer from 1904, and another much beloved version that was sung to a different rhythm by Chester Mahooty.
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