Flu-torial 1, Part 1 - Merlin C Improvisation

[rchmorales]

SALUDOS AMIGO MUY BIEN ESTE TUTORIAL SALUDOS DESDE ECUADOR LA TIERRA DEL CONDOR .

[ceomeye]

just got a G... I got a high spirits...

[WisdomQuoteofTheDay]

I have found a Korean woman playing all kind of flute on your site. She is also doing belly dancing. Do you know her name or site name could not find her again. She was giving a demonstration of all kind of flutes she was playing! Love your way of teaching. Thank you!

[piriajeoshi]

@WisdomQuoteofTheDay: That would be Suzanne Teng. She's Chinese-American. Her group is called Mystic Journey. I'm so glad you found her videos & my flu-torial useful! Peace ~ Bruce

[dayji]

Hi Flute Master

I have a 5 hole NAF , now i am confused. PLeae Play me the "Up where we belong Song.

Dayal

Singapore.

[ScotlandCanada]

Thanks for the video, I was able to play this on my recorder with a bit of improvisation. definetly interested in getting a Native American flute, love the sound!

[ravendon]

Great video. I'm always amazed. I wonder if I could learn to play like that someday. I doubt it though, as I'm not very musical.

[piriajeoshi]

Of course you can learn to do this... and more... if you sincerely want to. However, the key is not in how 'musical' or 'unmusical' you perceive yourself to be; it's all about expression. Each person has a unique way of expressing him/herself. Copying what others do can be a way to learn technique to a certain degree. This is how I started off as well. In the end, though, the real soul-satisfying pleasure lies in doing your own thing and in your own way. Try it - you'll amaze yourself!

[ravendon]

There's soo much to learn though. How does one even start? Does he start with a cheap recorder and a book of tunes? 5 hole or 6 holes? Which key does he need? F#m, am? I always get confused. Getting started is the hardest part and I never get over this hump. I tried recorder a while back and just got frustrated. But, there is something about it that keeps calling me back. I'm now 38 years old and I feel as if I've wasted all this time and I am now too old to learn.

[piriajeoshi]

I see a lot of my former self in this comment. The simplest answer is to dive in. NONE of these issues you mentioned matters. Find a flute that is easy for you to play. That means that the size of the flute and the spacing of the finger holes must be easy for you to manage. You don't NEED any particular key, either. The key of the flute is immaterial unless you are going to be playing along with other instruments. (cont)

[piriajeoshi]

However, if you want to get any kind of instruction manual, I strongly recommend John Vames' "Understanding the Gift." The demonstations in this book are all done on an A minor flute, so if you have this book, an A minor flute is ideal though not essential. All the techiques are the same regardless of the flute key and as such apply to all Native American flutes. The number of holes is also not an issue. The basic way of playing is almost exactly the same for both 5- and 6- hole flutes. (cont)

[piriajeoshi]

You and I both know what it is that's calling you back: your spirit understands that this sound is something that YOU want to produce as a form of self-expression. All that's left for you to do is ALLOW yourself to begin. Get yourself a flute that feels comfortable in your hands and play, play, play! It really is that simple.I started playing at age 46, which is not at all unusual for players of this instrument. Trust me, expression is not bound at all by age.

[ravendon]

Really?!!! And you weren't hampered in any way by starting so late?

[piriajeoshi]

Not at all. The whole

"I'm too old" thing is nothing more than self-delusion. If you devote even just a little time to your playing, you can do it. Native American flute is dead easy to play, too - easier than a recorder.

[ravendon]

One last question. Sorry to keep bugging you. If you learn native american flute in aminor. Can you then pick up a recorder with 6 holes in Soprano and play similar or identical tunes? Or would they sound different?

[piriajeoshi]

They're different scales. The recorder is a diatonic scale (do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do). The NAF is a minor pentatonic. There are only 5 notes in the scale (penta = 5), plus the octave. That's the sweet part - anything you play will sound good within that scale because every note blends well with any other note. You're going to love playing this flute. And please continue to ask lots of questions. That's what I live for, man!

[ravendon]

Thanks, just ordered it through Amazon, along with an Amin flute.

[piriajeoshi]

Sweet! Which maker's flute did you go for?

[ravendon]

Someone named Erik the Flutemaker. He has a lot of information at his site.

[imperioindigena]

@ravendon sure the man is awesome doing the kiowa native american flutes, besides doing the gal flute for woman and the guy flute for man, he also has great experience on this field

[ravendon]

Oh I see. So unless you play with OTHERS, it doesn't really matter what key you yourself play in?

[piriajeoshi]

That's pretty much it. So just get a flute that you like. It's that simple.

[xcombine]

haha i love this tune i made a feeble attempt on my F#m laughing crow flute but only got so far, check it out in my vids if you like

[davidkozelsky]

.....you are amazing player, man

[Andmesa]

Thank you for sharing your flute knowledge with us. It's a very insightful tutorial. Hope you keep posting more.

[tomifobia]

Thanks, Bruce...appreciate your music and sharing. Very helpful, too.

[LOVE2Flute]

Most excellent Bruce! You are a wonderful teacher and musician

[chessdude67]

BRUCE! Thank you for doing these tutorial.

Just what I need, Great lesson, Bruce. Very helpful.

I now have two flutes, but I still have the fluid problem, so I have to deal with that.

Thanks.

Ohio