Lady Hawke's Native American Music Listings by Dee Stewart

People listen to and play the Native American flute for any number of reasons: reflection, meditation, relaxation, even prayer. These were not its intended purpose. The "love flute," according to the Lakota legend of the flute, was originally an instrument of courting. The legend says that a young man, while hunting in the forest, came upon a tree which had been eaten away by termites and pecked with holes by woodpeckers. As the wind stirred, a beautiful sound came from its branches. The young man removed a branch and returned to his village. This branch would become the first flute.

As an instrument of courting, the flute was played only by men. It was believed that when a young man played his flute, the wind would carry the song into the heart of his chosen love.

The Native American flute has a limited musical scale, or range. The character of each instrument reflects the character of the maker as much as the player. Flutes are made one at a time and by hand (usually from cedar) and the specifications used are unique to the maker. The length from elbow to fingertip or the width of a thumb help to determine the size and tone of the finished product. There are no standardized dimensions and therefore no standardized sound. Each flute is a sculpture, a physical work of art which produces music.