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Makers' Statement

Native people will tell you that each tree has a spirit.  After many years of making wood flutes we have developed a great respect for this spirit.  From tree to finished product each flute displays an individual character which we call "voice". All woods are hand -selected, and dried to the proper moisture content. Each flute is turned on a lathe, bored, drilled, and tuned. This process is the same for every flute we make and yet no two flutes are ever exactly alike.  Each has its unique voice, its own sensitivities, its own responsiveness.  This aspect of mystery is what has kept flute making interesting and challenging.  It's what has kept us on our toes, kept our work careful and true.
  Tom ,Erika, Matt, Lily Stewart & Gordon Jefferson

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LEARNING TO PLAY

Adjusting Your Mind    

If you have some experience playing a musical instrument it’s probably best to set this knowledge aside for a while.  The Native American flute has something to say to you.  If you listen for it as a novice you will notice it sooner and with more clarity.

If you are new to the flute you need to get out from under any notion that you are not musical.  Pretend if you need to that you might be musical.  We hope this doesn’t seem silly or superficial to you because it is an important part of getting started.

We suggest that you get off by yourself for these beginning practice sessions and it will be helpful to face a mirror. You are going to train your fingers to cover the holes tightly and it may help to watch what you are doing at first. Don’t begin until you have at least ten minutes to spare.

ADJUSTING THE BLOCK

On top of the flute at the mouth end there are two square holes.  The block (often called the bird or fetish) is placed over the hole nearest the mouth end. It shouldn't cover any part of the other hole.  Center it over this hole and tie it to the top of the flute by wrapping the leather strap over the block and around the flute twice.  The two ends of the leather strap should now hang under the flute. Tie them in a single knot. This is the type of knot that is step one in tying your shoelaces.  You will need to tighten this knot from time to time and should be able to do so by just tugging the ends of the leather.

Check it Again

Just to be sure you understand what we're talking about, the hole nearest the finger holes should be totally visible, the other hole, totally covered by the block.  When the block is positioned just right give the leather a final tightening.  Hold the flute out in front of you and check to see that the slot on the under side of the bird is exactly lined up with the first hole. Also check to see that in tightening the block you didn’t tilted it to one side or the other.  It should be sitting flat on the flat top, or deck, of the flute.

The leather strap should be tight enough to keep the block stable during playing, but it might need to be repositioned slightly after taking it out of a flute bag, or if you bump it accidentally.

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While talking about the block, here’s an important point. You must never remove it by dragging it off the flute, leather strap and all.  This can cause damage or wear to the most important and delicate part of the flute.

             Basic Fingering and Scaling

OK. The bird and your mind are both adjusted and you are alone in front of a mirror.

You are ready to train your fingers to cover the six finger holes. To explain the next step we will arbitrarily number the holes 1,2,3,4,5,6, with 6 being the hole furthest from your mouth. Now you'll cover holes 1,2,3 with the fingers of one hand, and holes 4,5,6 with the fingers of the other. When doing this don't arch your fingers the way you would for piano playing.  Instead, keep your fingers fairly straight and use the pads of your fingers to cover the holes.

 The Fundamental

 When you have all the holes covered blow gently. You should get the lowest note your flute can produce, which is called the "fundamental" note. If you blow too hard you will get that note one octave higher and it won’t sound nice.

 Incidentally, this lowest note is the note that determines the "key" of your flute.  If you purchased a flute in the key of mid G, this lowest note is mid G.

This fundamental note is the most difficult note to play. Each of the six fingers must tightly seal its hole. One tiny air leak will ruin the note. If you are sure the holes are covered and you still aren't getting a nice fundamental tone check the block again. If it is too far forward or not centered the note will jump to a higher octave.  Keep with it and you will get it.  If your fingers have never done this before they may feel that the stretch is too great, but being fingers they will learn.

Keep the Third Hole Closed

When you can play the fundamental note, begin moving up the scale by removing fingers one at a time – 6,5,4,2,1. Hole 3 stays closed.

When hole number 3 is the only hole closed you are one octave higher than the fundamental note.  Now go back in reverse order, covering holes 1,2,4,5,6.  Remember to blow gently.  This instrument is as gentle as it is simple.

Repeat this scale until it is easy to play. It may take you an hour or two to get to this point, and you may not feel like doing more than ten minutes at a time.   Don't get frustrated.

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THE BASIC PENTATONIC (five note) SCALE

You have now learned to play the pentatonic scale. This is the basic five- note scale of the Native American flute. It is by no means the only scale that this flute will play, but the flute features this five-note scale and it is the easiest scale to learn.  Once you've learned the pentatonic scale you will discover something wonderful.  You can't go wrong with these five notes.  They can be played in any combination and they will sound great together.

Soon enough you will be able to improvise with these five notes. Try playing them in different orders, and songs will create themselves. It’s exciting to wonder where these songs came from.

The Rest of the Notes

You are not limited to the five notes in the basic scale. We have included a fingering chart, which shows how to play the other notes in the chromatic scale.  Some of these notes are achieved by partially covering one of the holes, called half-holing.  This takes a little practice.  You will find there is often more than one fingering for a note, and several notes can be overblown (blowing harder than usual to force the note an octave higher).  We recommend that at first you stick to the five notes the flute was designed to feature before you begin to use the other notes and methods.

Technique

 Here are some other techniques that will make your playing more interesting. You can play tremolo by quivering your breath from your diaphragm.  It is the same muscle action used in singing a tremolo.  You can toot instead of blowing.  This is called tonguing.  You can tap notes repeatedly with your fingers to create staccato. Try rolling an R or trilling while blowing. 

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 Watering up

As you improve you will play for longer periods of time, and you will find that condensation forms in the mouth section of the flute.  This eventually finds its way up into the block slot and your music will sputter. This happens because the flute is cooler than your breath, and your breath contains water vapor, which condenses on the cool surface. It is a good idea to keep the flute warm, if possible, to minimize condensation. Put it under a light, or if you are going to play outdoors carry it under your coat to warm it up before playing.

When condensation forms hold the flute to your mouth in such a way that you can blow hard under the block.  Then hold the flute by the far end and sling the water out.  This is risky, though, since if you’re not careful you might fling your flute, as well as the water, across the room – or you might spray your audience with water and they might not understand that it is only water.  It is also OK to remove the block to dry off the wet places.    Watering becomes less of a problem as you acquire more flutes, and are able to put the damp flute aside and play a different one.

TAKING CARE OF YOUR FLUTE

When you are not playing the flute try to remember to keep it in a soft case or bag.  Flutes, especially ones made of cedar, are easily dented.  If you want your flute to have a weathered look, ignore this advice.  But be good to your block.  The slotted underside of the block and two square holes are the most important parts of the flute.

Avoid temperature and humidity extremes as much as possible.  Don’t leave your flute on the dashboard or rear window of your car where the sun could overheat it.   Don’t play it in the shower with the water on.  Don’t set it on the couch, or on your car seat either where someone might sit on it.  Don’t ask your dog to fetch it for you.

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Stellar flutes are sealed inside and out with 4 coats of polyurethane for moisture protection. This is the best water sealant available and it helps to avoid cracking, which can result from the watering just mentioned.  A Stellar flute can actually be washed, even submersed in water as long as it is not allowed to stay wet afterward.

Troubleshooting

 If the instrument suddenly sounds different, or if it acquires a buzz or hiss, or it loses loudness, look at the block location first.  If the block has not been moved, take it off and look at the groove on the under side.  If something is there which shouldn’t be, clean it off with a toothpick or your fingernail.  Examine the rest of the flute by allowing a light source to illuminate the inside.  Look straight into the square holes and finger holes and view down the bore while shinning a light through these holes.  If you discover a speck of foreign material in one of the holes or in the bore sometimes it can simply be blown away.  But it you have to remove a more stubborn fleck, be especially careful in the area of the second square hole.  This area and the underside of the bird are very important and should not be altered or scratched. 

A Beautiful Gift

There is one more thing we'd like to say before turning you over to a lifetime of flute playing enjoyment. Please keep in mind where this instrument originated.  America’s first people gave the Native American flute to the world.  In so doing they have given us all the gift of a beautiful instrument and all the health, healing and joy this instrument can provide. They have also given us a means to heal some of the wrongs of the past by deepening our understanding of their cultures.  We, as flute makers, are grateful.

Enjoy your flute

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Making a Flute

Instructions for Kit Buyers

Here are a few tips on creating your flute.  The flute as it comes is playable.  The bird-to-be can be tied down and placed so that the groove end is just flush with the mouth side end of the front flue hole.  You can follow the instructions on playing.  It feels very awkward as a square flute, but it plays.

As to the final shape, that is entirely up to you as long as you don't change the parts marked in pencil.  It is Ok to sand these areas enough to remove the pencil marks with fine (220) grit paper with a flat rigid backing like a sanding block. You have my permission to shape it like we do, or you can do your own or someone else' thing.

Here is a very important thing to consider.  The inside of the mouth end chamber should be well sealed.  This part of the flute collects condensation when played and the moisture will cause the inside wood to expand.  Because the outside doesn't expand, the resulting tension can crack the flute.  Because the flue hole is the weakest point, the crack will usually show up as a failed glue line.  This usually partially restores when the flute dries out but the seal between the bird and the flute deck will be loose, allowing air to escape.  This has a bad effect on the musical properties of the flute.  It is fixable with a little filler and light sanding, but you can prevent it by sealing the inside.  Our finished flutes are finished inside out entirely with multiple coats of polyurethane, which we think is the best sealer.

One way to do this is to dip the whole flute in your sealant.  You can also plug the blow hole and full up the chamber with whatever you choose and then pour it back out and stand the flute up to drip and dry.  This technique if best if you plan to use a different finish like Danish or Tung Oil on the outside of the flute.  These hand rubbed oil finishes look great, but oil cannot be used effectively as a sealer.  We recommend several coats of polyurethane on the inside of the rear chamber.    You can make a dip tube with a section of poly or abs pipe with one end capped.   After dipping let the flute drip out, hanging it somewhere to avoid a mess.  When it quits dripping it should be wiped off to insure that drips are gone.        

 (Continued )        

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(Kit making continued)

It should also be noted that while it is OK to completely round the flute, you should not remove any wood from the area of the finger holes.  When it gets round don’t go any further or you will change the tuning.

Shaping the flute can be done with a sharp block plane or carving and sanding tools.  A band or scroll saw can be used to rough out the block (bird).  Dremels, spindle sanders, and belt sanders can also be used.  The finished bird needs to be lashed to the flute with leather or some other strand and if your bird has a low spot or hole above the grooved bottom this makes things fit better.

We should also mention that the inside bore on the mouth end of the flute is the same 7/8" diameter, and extends to 2-1/2" from the end.  Be careful not to break through if you taper that end.

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What is a flute Circle?
A flute circle is a group of people who meet regularly to share flute fun. Circles are for players at any level from beginner to virtuoso.

Maybe you need help with flute technique, or maybe you just want to share the fun of group playing. There are many reason to belong to a flute circle.
If you'd like to join a circle check the web site of the International Native American Flute Association (INAFA) to see if there's a group near you. If not, maybe you should start one...

www.inafa.org

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Products 

Standards
In the keys of C, A, G, F#, F, and E 
Call for or visit our website to find out what's available. 

Basics
Mid-range keys: C, A, G, F# and F
Western Red Cedar only

Pre-tuned Flute Kits
In the keys of C, A, G, F# and F

Pre-bored Flute Blanks
Template for mid-range A, G, F, F#
Western Red Cedar, Alder and Cherry

 Drone Kits
In the keys of C, A, G, F# and F

Drones
Call for or visit our website to find out what's available. 

Middle Eastern Flutes
Call for or visit our website to find out what's available. 
 

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Tom & Lily Stewart
(Shelton, WA)
        support@stellarflutes.com

               
Matt Stewart
(Edmonds, WA)
matthewstewart@comcast.net

Mailing Address:
E-2030 Phillips Lake Loop
Shelton, Washington, 98584

 

Call to Place Order

Tom & Erika Stewart
(Shelton, WA)
TOLL FREE:
1-888-427-8850


Matt Stewart
(Edmonds, WA)
1-425-744-0199

Place an order online

www.stellarflutes.com