My daughter came back from Ecuador on Monday and brought me a new kind of flute. It is one which has the top end open, with a notch in the top edge. You put it against your bottom lip / chin to bung the top end and you blow over the notch. It's a lovely sound, when you finally get it.
It has six holes in front and a very small hole for the top thumb - fingering seems to be between whistle and recorder.
It has been made using such primal elements as fire and the boiled hooves of alpaca, so when you play it there is a very interesting smell, redolent of . . . . I don't know what.
Of course, in order to play it, I had to get out my swiss army knife and shave below my lower lip - so now I don't know if my beard is magnificent enough to get into a session anyway.
Does anyone else here play one - or am I all alone?
Does anyone know if it has a specific name?
Would it be allowed in high level sessions in New York or Boston?
Oh I remember - I brought one of those back from Ecuador years ago. Fair play to you Dave, for getting a note out of it --- I couldn't get anything out of the one I had (but the guy who sold me it in Cuenca played it beautifully - so it's me who was at fault, not it.) And yes mine smelt strange - a kind of barbecue smoke smell. God knows what became of it - I rapidly lost interest since I couldn't work it!
I thought they'd only be allowed at high level sessions in the Andes Altiplano...
That's a coincidence, someone handed me one of these to try a week ago. I could only get a feeble squeak out of it. Maybe it's the beard thing. He could play it and it made quite a nice sound (He has no beard). But it was sort of between keys, and the sound was definitely that airy Andean sound, not yer honking Irish session sound(!)
I think you're right about the smell - boiled alpaca hoof varnish and coca leaf chewings I reckon.
Whatever you do, don't try any 'bikini-line' trimming with the old Swiss Army knife. If that thing for getting stones out of horses hooves suddemly springs out you could be facing some embarrassing hours in casualty ...
it sounds a lot like a shakuhachi. i know its NOT (as four fingered foe said, its a quena), but i reallly, really want a shakuhachi. the benefits for having an open end like that are that you have more control over the pitch and tone color. i've even seen shakuhachi heads for silver flutes online.
My mom brought it back for me about 15 years ago. She's even more international than myself. I've got a letter postmarked from Byrd Station, Antarctica.
I've brought up the subject of quenas a few times before. They're my all around favorite small flute. Nowadays I make my own so I can get different keys and tunings and so I don't have to risk my native made model carrying it all over hell and creation stuffed into a gig bag.
You know those hand made whistles that create a windway by slipping a collar over the blade end of the tube? Well, take that collar off and you've got yourself a quena. To blow one you have to create the windway with your embouchure that lines up properly with the blade.
The Quena, as simple as it looks, is a high end type of whistle. In the hands of an abled player it should play three octaves and all the semi tones. Really not to compare to a tin whistle. You can get instruments made by good makers in different keys and in tune. Unfortunately this instrument seems to be difficult to blow. I've tried it many times on my Quenas, which are very good instruments as some player told me, but I lack the skill... But it's fun to try it anyway.
A new kind of flute
A new kind of flute
My daughter came back from Ecuador on Monday and brought me a new kind of flute. It is one which has the top end open, with a notch in the top edge. You put it against your bottom lip / chin to bung the top end and you blow over the notch. It's a lovely sound, when you finally get it.
It has six holes in front and a very small hole for the top thumb - fingering seems to be between whistle and recorder.
It has been made using such primal elements as fire and the boiled hooves of alpaca, so when you play it there is a very interesting smell, redolent of . . . . I don't know what.
Of course, in order to play it, I had to get out my swiss army knife and shave below my lower lip - so now I don't know if my beard is magnificent enough to get into a session anyway.
Does anyone else here play one - or am I all alone?
Does anyone know if it has a specific name?
Would it be allowed in high level sessions in New York or Boston?
Dave
# Posted on August 10th 2005 by showaddydadito
Re: A new kind of flute
Oh I remember - I brought one of those back from Ecuador years ago. Fair play to you Dave, for getting a note out of it --- I couldn't get anything out of the one I had (but the guy who sold me it in Cuenca played it beautifully - so it's me who was at fault, not it.) And yes mine smelt strange - a kind of barbecue smoke smell. God knows what became of it - I rapidly lost interest since I couldn't work it!
I thought they'd only be allowed at high level sessions in the Andes Altiplano...
Ha-ha (hollow laugh).
# Posted on August 10th 2005 by Rudall the time
Re: A new kind of flute
That's a coincidence, someone handed me one of these to try a week ago. I could only get a feeble squeak out of it. Maybe it's the beard thing. He could play it and it made quite a nice sound (He has no beard). But it was sort of between keys, and the sound was definitely that airy Andean sound, not yer honking Irish session sound(!)
I think you're right about the smell - boiled alpaca hoof varnish and coca leaf chewings I reckon.
# Posted on August 10th 2005 by Ottery
Re: A new kind of flute
... And I'm sure KFC will give you the name
# Posted on August 10th 2005 by Ottery
Re: A new kind of flute
snigger...
# Posted on August 10th 2005 by Rudall the time
Re: A new kind of flute
The instrument is called a Quena. I got one myself from a very good friend in Peru, in exchange for a whistle
FFF
# Posted on August 10th 2005 by Four-Fingered Fre
Re: A new kind of flute
Thank you.
I probably need to get some disposable razors really. On the other hand it really makes you feel manly shaving with a knife.
# Posted on August 10th 2005 by showaddydadito
Re: A new kind of flute
Whatever you do, don't try any 'bikini-line' trimming with the old Swiss Army knife. If that thing for getting stones out of horses hooves suddemly springs out you could be facing some embarrassing hours in casualty ...
# Posted on August 10th 2005 by Ottery
Re: A new kind of flute
.. ... ah yes
- please nurse, can you take away the pain but leave the swelling.
# Posted on August 10th 2005 by showaddydadito
Re: A new kind of flute
it sounds a lot like a shakuhachi. i know its NOT (as four fingered foe said, its a quena), but i reallly, really want a shakuhachi. the benefits for having an open end like that are that you have more control over the pitch and tone color. i've even seen shakuhachi heads for silver flutes online.
# Posted on August 10th 2005 by daiv
Re: A new kind of flute
As it happens I've got an Ecuadoran quena.
My mom brought it back for me about 15 years ago. She's even more international than myself. I've got a letter postmarked from Byrd Station, Antarctica.
I've brought up the subject of quenas a few times before. They're my all around favorite small flute. Nowadays I make my own so I can get different keys and tunings and so I don't have to risk my native made model carrying it all over hell and creation stuffed into a gig bag.
You know those hand made whistles that create a windway by slipping a collar over the blade end of the tube? Well, take that collar off and you've got yourself a quena. To blow one you have to create the windway with your embouchure that lines up properly with the blade.
Most people find this tricky at first.
KFG
# Posted on August 10th 2005 by KFG
Re: A new kind of flute
Just had a quick go on mine, it sounds quite reedy, I like it.
# Posted on August 10th 2005 by curlew
Re: A new kind of flute
The Quena, as simple as it looks, is a high end type of whistle. In the hands of an abled player it should play three octaves and all the semi tones. Really not to compare to a tin whistle. You can get instruments made by good makers in different keys and in tune. Unfortunately this instrument seems to be difficult to blow. I've tried it many times on my Quenas, which are very good instruments as some player told me, but I lack the skill... But it's fun to try it anyway.
Bonnanza
# Posted on August 10th 2005 by bonnanza
Re: A new kind of flute
Thanks for all the info you wonderful people.
I had no problem getting a sound out of it - although the bottom couple of notes are harder.
It appears to be in A-flat (ish). That'll fool em.
# Posted on August 11th 2005 by showaddydadito