Volume 2, 2012 - International Native American Flute Association

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Being Heard: Our Native American flutes have a small dynamic range, meaning limited in volume capabilities. The flute also has this acoustic ability to "blend in" with other instruments. While the ability to blend makes for many possible combinations, our flute voice can get lost in the sound of other instruments. Of course, amplification can help us in this regard, but, more importantly, there are some techniques that can help us establish our place in the mix. One thing to keep in mind is how our instrument differs from the others in the ensemble. For example, in an ensemble of drums, piano, guitar, and flute, except for the flute, all the other instruments are percussion instruments. Once they strike or pluck a note, it sounds and then immediately begins to decay. On the flute, however, our note can remain strong, sustained, and even possibly grow. Use that to your advantage. An extended flowing melodic line can provide a beautiful contrast above the other instruments' quick rhythmic work. Another technique concerns the other instruments. That is, it helps the flute to be heard when the other instruments are not playing in the same pitch range as the flute. This concept may take some cooperation with the other musicians; however, most experienced musicians will instinctively know to do this in order to help clear the space for the soloist. Playing With a Vocalist: This is one of my favorite activities. A vocalist is usually the soloist, and I am the accompaniment. The techniques for me are similar to what I mentioned above in that I listen to the vocalist, get the feel for the melodic lines, and I provide accents, fills, and sometimes harmonies to support the vocal line. I also take into account the lyrics being sung. I want to be sure that my flute additions do not distract from the words. The message and emotion of the words can also give me ideas of how to play (e.g., delicate lines or accented punctuation). A challenge is that the pitch range of the flute often overlaps with the vocal range of the singer. So, just like in the "being heard" paragraph, we must be careful to leave "space" for the vocalist's melodies. Playing With Another Flute or Similar Instrument: Much of what I mention about playing with a vocalist applies here. In addition to usually having overlapping pitch ranges, the timbre of the two flutes will most likely be similar, leading to a blurring of the two instruments. Again, the technique of leaving space for each of the instruments is key. What tips and advice can you offer with regard to improvising with other instruments like guitar, piano, other flutes, etc.? I think that much of the writing on the first questions applies here, as well. When I am improvising with other instruments, I come prepared with many keys of flutes. I think that being a good listener is what makes someone a good player. Listening to the other instruments for ideas and complementing them is paramount. Presuming that they are all listening and complementing, as well, makes for everyone's best playing to come out. Something that I think is one of the most helpful tips for improvising with other instruments is to be careful to not be too "notey." With our limited range of just an octave plus a couple notes, and subtract two pitches if we are pentatonic, we can quickly be drawn into "playing the same thing over and over." Let the guitar, drums, bass, piano, and other instruments hold the quick rhythmic background. Let the flute play some nice flowing lines over that, with some occasional quick-flying finger passages. Know your instrument well. Find a mix of contrasting and complementing melodies to play with the other instruments. Listen! Hang back and avoid the temptation to keep playing. If you find yourself sounding repetitive, take a break and come in with something different for a while. Mostly, enjoy the opportunities to play with others, regardless of everyone’s playing level. Ann Licater: In response to the first posed question, pitch is always important to consider when playing with others, so invest in a pocket tuner or smartphone tuning application. I recommend choosing a flute that is in tune relative to itself, for starters. If you are playing with a tempered instrument that cannot easily change its pitch, such as a piano, try to find a flute that is closest in pitch to match the piano's vibration. Sometimes, only a few of the notes sound good, so try to stay away from the flutes that are not resonating well. If you are working with a fretless stringed instrument, such as a cello or violin, those types of instruments can tune up or down to better match your instrument. Be sure to bring many flutes and a tuner and always listen, listen, listen. To answer the second question, again always listen. Find those nodes or points in the improvisation where you really connect and a synergy happens. You can feel that perfect connection when it happens and it is just beautiful. Aside from listening to your fellow performing artists, take risks, follow your intuition, and have fun! It is also important to take the time for the process to happen. True listening is an engaged activity that can open a channel for something wonderful to happen. Randy Granger: Playing the Native American flute with other instruments can add much to your music. A few basic points to consider will help ensure that it is enjoyable. First, you need to make sure the key of your flute will work with whatever key the other instruments are playing. There are online guides for that, unless you already know a little about music theory. Volume is critical, as well. I have heard guitars or pianos drown out the flute completely. If you need to be amplified, do so and ask someone impartial to check the balance between all of the instruments. Generally, nylon string guitars are quieter. You can ask the piano player to use the damper pedal. Having played flute with the Hang, Halo, Moyo, and percussion, I find when I need to be louder I will play a higher ranged flute. Remember that the piccolo is the first instrument that you hear after the drums in a marching band. When playing in drum circles, volume can be a serious problem. Higher ranged flutes made out of hard wood, or “screamers” as we call them, do help; however, so does working with more musical drummers. Jamming with other flute players is very popular and can go well if you keep a few points in mind. First, it is not a competition and there is no need to show off. Second, if you are in the key and range as the other flutes, listen to hear if they are playing mostly the lower or upper notes and try playing the opposite. It is okay to just play a few sustained notes while the other person plays or play a rhythmic line to support what they are playing. If you know about compatible keys, you can play harmony with another flute. Have fun and relax. Anyone listening will feel that and enjoy it as well. To answer the second question, the best analogy is a conversation with someone you really like. You listen to the other instruments and contribute when it is your time to play. Was their playing peppy or mellow? Is there a theme or main melody line you can answer or add to? Do not be afraid to take the lead if the other musicians nod at you. Stay within the mood of the song. Very importantly, do not step on the other musician’s playing. Let them play their line, and then think how you can add to it or build on it without jumping in early before their line is finished. When playing to an accompaniment like guitar or piano, listen for the chord changes as well as intensity. Like a good
conversation, a song has a beginning, a mood, space, and an arc where it gets animated before it winds down and finishes. Remembering you are in a collaborative musical conversation will make it more enjoyable for all concerned. Randy McGinnis: I have found that what works for me is playing with violins, cellos, and guitars. The stringed instrument has always needed to tune to the flute. The flutes seem to drop a half-step when it is colder, particularly in outdoor venues. One main issue is the stringed instruments can overpower the Native American flute in volume. Classical string players with whom I have played rarely use amplification. When they are playing, they tend to keep getting closer and closer to the microphone. I believe that they see the flute player right on top of the microphone, so they think that they need to be there as well. My way to overcome this is to place a taped (x) on the floor where I want the performer to be placed and then set the microphone accordingly. As far as improvising with other instruments, here is what has worked for me. You have to really listen to the other instruments. When they are playing a solo run you need to be ready, and as they are getting to the end of that run I try to match a note they are ending on and continue on with the melodic idea. This makes a seamless transition between the two phrases. Do not make it a race between you and the musician with whom you are playing. The end result is not about who can play the most notes or play them the fastest. You are really singing to each other. During these encounters with other instruments, it will present you with the opportunity to use the most magical note in music and that is the sound of silence. The properly placed pauses can make a musical phrase turn magical! To make all of this work together, you need to have signals prearranged. I use a step back away from the microphone when I want the other player to do a solo run. I will have a water bottle by my flutes and will lay it on its side to signal the sound engineer to add in a lot of delay to give the song an echo effect. I prearrange these signals during the sound check. Lastly, I will make eye contact with my fellow musician to bring the song together for a smooth ending. John Sarantos: When playing with other instruments, it is always easiest to use concert tuned flutes, meaning flutes that have been precisely tuned to a standard pitch like A=440. If you do not have a precisely tuned flute, you will soon discover that it is very challenging to harmonize and complement other instruments that are precisely tuned. Many flute players are used to playing their flutes in a more casual manner, not really concerned about the actual note names that are being sounded. When you play with other instruments, it is helpful and often necessary to know both the note names for your flute and all the notes in the keys and/or chords in which the other instrumentalists are playing. If you have not had training in music theory, one method you might consider is having one of the musicians figure out the notes that you will need to play. For example, when I first started a recording project with an experienced guitarist, he told me what notes to use to complement the four chords that he was playing. He recorded his part. Then, when I recorded my part, he indicated to me when the chords were changing, so that I could use the notes he had suggested. Over time, I became more confident and experienced and could recognize when the chords were changing and what notes to use. In response to the second question, over the last 3 years I have had the pleasure of improvising with many different styles of music like blues, jazz, hip-hop, and folk. I soon discovered that, for me, the best approach when someone else was leading was to start out just making texture sounds, as opposed to playing standard notes. This gives me a chance to listen to the other musicians, as I slowly start playing notes that sound good with the others. When improvising with other instrumentalists, I find it helpful to know the framework in which to work. For example, what keys might the improvisational group use and what notes make up those scales? However, key sometimes changes without warning or the leader of the group might start playing any key; ultimately, it is up to you to figure it out. If you are not an experienced musician, this can be very challenging. The first time that I was on a program with violinist Rosi Hertlein, she called me on stage during her set and asked me to improvise with her. I asked her what key flute I should use. She replied, “Key?” and then she promptly started playing. I soon discovered that it was easy to know when I was harmonizing with her and even easier to know when I sounded like a cat screeching for its life. When the latter happened, I would immediately start trilling bird sounds or making staccato ta-ta-ta sounds while I mentally regrouped. Using sound textures is a great way to blend in, especially if you have a limited musical background. Most of the time, I have found that the musicians are compassionate and, if you tell them what key flute you have, they will accommodate you by playing in complementary keys for everyone involved. Most Native American flutes are in “minor” keys like G minor and F-sharp minor. It is important for the other musicians to know that most Native American flutes have minor tendencies with regard to keys, if they are helping you figure out how they can best complement you. If you are a beginner in jam-session playing, I recommend that, when possible, you offer to lead the jam with the flute and let the others start out following you. This will help you to get the feel of jamming and take the pressure off of not knowing what notes to use. In this scenario, the others will adapt to you. One of the most significant obstacles that I see in jam-session beginners is that they think they must be constantly playing the flute. Do not forget that silence is a very powerful musical tool. Also, it is important in a jam to let others take the lead within a piece. I also look for moments where I can have a two- or three-way conversation with my flute and the other instruments, a form referred to as call-andresponse. Advice that I would give to help in performing with other musicians is to be careful with holding extremely long tones. You might start out by holding a long tone and harmonizing perfectly with the sounds of the other instruments, but in your bliss of delight you might not be aware that they have changed notes or chords and you now sound like those screeching cats again.
Page 1 and 2: Voice of the Wind Volume 2, 2012 A
Page 3 and 4: Preserving the Heritage … Insight
Page 5 and 6: Tentative Convention Schedule
Page 7 and 8: More Convention Details Non-Vendor
Page 9 and 10: The Story of the One-Handed Norther
Page 11 and 12: Music Is … Music is listening to
Page 13 and 14: Lessons on Lessons by Clint Goss If
Page 15: Possibly the most valuable idea tha
Page 18 and 19: Mary: I particularly liked the open
Page 20: TABlature reading, because they hav
Page 24: New Flute I have to reset the towel
Page 27: Combining the Native American Flute
Page 31 and 32: Listen to other styles of music - c
Page 33: Hawk LittleJohn Memorial Scholarshi
Page 37: INAFA Member or INAFA Flute Circle
Page 40 and 41: Delaware Whispering Woods Flute Cir
Page 42 and 43: Asheville Flute Circle Contact Pers
Page 44 and 45: Arizona Odell Borg P.O. Box 522 Pat
Page 46 and 47: Native American Flute Maker/Dealer
Page 48 and 49: Recent Releases Canyon Records - 31
Page 50 and 51: Randy “Windtalker” Motz - Elk R
Page 52: Cornell Kinderknecht - Unity Church
Page 58: All New! Moyo Drums New Tunings! Ne

Volume 2, 2012 - International Native American Flute Association

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