TEMPERATURE AND BAMBOO, WOOD, AND BONE FLUTES

 Musical instruments, in general, are designed to be played at temperatures ranging from 20°C to 24°C, and this includes native instruments as well. In this article, we will discuss bamboo, a preferred material for the construction of native flutes due to its unique vibration.

Bamboo is a highly temperature-sensitive material. Bamboo flutes are designed to be played at the temperatures mentioned above. Bamboo tends to lower its factory tuning by half a step when exposed to cold climates, and conversely, it raises its factory tuning by half a step when exposed to extremely hot climates.

 

Therefore, those who play street music in cities with extreme climates should take this variable into account when selecting the original tuning of their bamboo flutes. In cold climates, if you aim to achieve a tuning of 440Hz, it is recommended to play with a flute whose factory tuning for temperatures of 20°C to 24°C is 445Hz, as the tuning tends to drop by half a step in the cold. In the case of extremely hot climates, the recommendation is the opposite. It is advisable to play with flutes manufactured at 435Hz to achieve a tuning of 440Hz.

 

Generally, the climate does not affect wood flutes in the same way, as their tuning remains unaffected. However, extreme temperature changes can cause cracks in some woods. Woods such as ebony, guayacan, jacaranda, among others, are quite resistant to these changes.

 

Temperature does not play a role in altering the tuning of bone-made quenas. However, in cold climates, temperature fluctuations between the exterior and the interior of the flute when it is being played can lead to cracks in the bone. Therefore, it is recommended to play the quena in a controlled temperature environment.

The Song of the Magic Flute: The Legend of Nuvia and the Native Flute

 

Long ago, in the lands of Native Americans, there was a legend of Nuvia, a young woman belonging to the Lakota tribe. Nuvia was known in her community for her love and skill in playing the native flute, an instrument that connects the spirit to nature and the spiritual world.

The legend tells that Nuvia, from an early age, displayed an innate gift for music. Her flute, crafted from cedarwood and adorned with sacred symbols of her tribe, resonated in a special way. People of the tribe said that her music had the power to heal broken hearts and calm storms in the soul.

One day, as Nuvia played her flute deep in the forest, a mysterious white wolf approached her. This wolf, with eyes that seemed to reflect the sparkle of the stars, appeared to communicate with Nuvia through its gaze. Intrigued, Nuvia continued to play her flute, and the white wolf began to dance to the rhythm of her music.

 

The dance of the white wolf was so hypnotic that Nuvia couldn't stop but keep playing, and together they created a magical harmony that resonated throughout the region. The legend says that as Nuvia played, the plants bloomed, the rivers flowed with greater force, and the animals joined in the dance of the wolf.

After hours of music and dance, the white wolf finally stopped and looked at Nuvia with gratitude in its eyes. Then, it slowly retreated into the forest and vanished.

The Lakota tribe regarded this encounter as a sign that Nuvia had been blessed by the spirits and gifted with the power of music to heal and unite people and nature.

From that day on, Nuvia continued to play her native flute, sharing her music with her tribe and beyond. She became a spiritual healer and a guardian of the harmony between humanity and nature.

The legend of Nuvia and the native flute reminds us of the deep connection between music, the spirit, and the world around us. The native flute, often used in sacred ceremonies and rituals, is considered an instrument that can bring peace, healing, and unity to those who play and listen to it.

This legend invites us to appreciate the beauty and magic of native flute music, reminding us that through music, we can connect with the divine and find peace in our hearts, just as Nuvia did in that magical dance with the white wolf in the heart of the forest.

How musical instruments were tuned in the Inca culture

 

 

The Inca culture, which flourished in ancient Peru from about the 15th century until the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, had its own musical and tuning practices. Although we do not have detailed records of how they precisely tuned their instruments, we can infer some things about their music and tuning based on the information available about their instruments and musical traditions. 

 

The Incas used a variety of musical instruments, some of which included: 

1. **Quenas**: As I mentioned previously in another article, quenas are wind instruments from the flute family that were played by blowing air through them. The tuning of the Inca quenas could vary, but they were generally adapted to the pentatonic scale, which consists of five notes and is common in many musical cultures around the world.

 

2. **Drums and percussion**: The Incas also used drums and other percussion instruments. The tuning of these instruments may vary depending on their construction and specific purpose. Hand drums, for example, were tuned by hitting different areas of the drum surface to obtain different pitches. 

 

3. **String instruments**: The Incas did not know string musical instruments until Spanish colonization. When they discovered the guitar, they modified it until they obtained the "charango", a type of small string guitar, similar to the lute. The tuning of these instruments was probably based on specific scales and varied depending on the music to be performed. 

 

 

 

4. **Ceremonies and rituals**: Music in Inca culture played a fundamental role in religious ceremonies and rituals. In these cases, the tuning could have been related to spiritual and symbolic aspects of the music, rather than a specific tuning in terms of Hertzian frequencies. In summary, although we do not have exact tuning in hertz like that used in contemporary Western music, we know that Inca music was based on specific scales and modes, and that instruments were tuned according to their musical and cultural traditions. Inca music played an important role in the life of this ancient civilization, both religiously and socially, and followed musical patterns and structures specific to their time and culture.

 

 

THE QUENA

QUENA

The quena (hispanicized spelling of Quechua qina,^[1] sometimes also written kena in English) is the traditional flute of the Andes. Traditionally made of cane or wood, it has 6 finger holes and one thumb hole, and is open on both ends or the bottom is half-closed (choked). To produce sound, the player closes the top end of the pipe with the flesh between the chin and lower lip, and blows a stream of air downward, along the axis of the pipe, over an elliptical notch cut into the end. It is normally in the key of G, with G4 being the lowest note (all holes covered). It produces a very "textured" and "dark" timbre because of the length-to-bore ratio of about 16 to 20 (subsequently causing difficulty in the upper register), which is very unlike the tone of the Western concert flute with bore ratio about 38.

The quenacho (also "kenacho" in English) is a greater, lower-toned version of the quena and made the same way. It is in the key of D, with D4 being the lowest note, a perfect fourth lower than the quena. It produces a very "rich" timbre because of the length-to-bore ratio of about 25, paradoxically brighter by comparison to the quena.

Quena is mostly used in traditional Andean music. In the 1960s and 1970s the quena was used by several Nueva Canción musicians, this use was in most cases for particular songs and not as a standard instrument but some groups such as Illapu and virtuoso player Facio Santillan have used it regularly. In the 1980s and 1990s some post-Nueva Canción rock groups have also incorporated the quena in some of their songs; notably Soda Stereo in Cuando Pase el Temblor and Los Enanitos Verdes in Lamento Boliviano. The quena is also relatively common in World music. Quenas are usually played in pairs, in harmony. In Peru, one sees white quenas made from the leg-bone of the condor.