Playing the Native American Style Flute: Second Lesson – Making Your First Sounds

Just Blow, make a sound 

In the second lesson of how to play a Native American style flute, we will begin to create our first sounds. Place your lips against the mouth end of the flute. You don’t have to actually put the end of the flute into your mouth. Just press the flute gently against your lips like a kiss. Now, blow into the flute. Don’t try to cover the holes with your fingers - just blow softly into the flute. Does it make a sound? If the sound is high pitched and sort of unpleasant you are probably blowing too hard. This is called over blowing. Over blowing makes the flute jump to a higher octave. Try again but softer. You should get a smooth, clear sound.

Good. Now you know that the flute works and you can make a sound. Try blowing into the flute with harder and then softer pressure. Find a breath pressure that sounds smooth and clear and that has some volume.

Covering The Holes 

Now, cover the tone holes on the barrel of the flute with the pads of your fingers. Don’t use the tips of the fingers. Instead use the fleshy area under where the nails are. The ring, middle and index finger of the right hand cover the three bottom holes and the ring, middle and index finger of the left hand cover the three top holes. Don’t use a lot of pressure. The fingers should rest over the holes not press down hard on them.

Here is a picture of a flute with six tone holes. The mouth end of the flute is at the bottom. This is the way you see the flute as you’re looking down when you’re playing. The hole farthest away from you is hole number one. The hole closest to your mouth is hole six. There are six pictures showing the finger positions for the six notes we will play. A closed hole (finger down) is shown as a solid black circle. An open hole (finger up) is shown as a circular outline.

Cover the holes and blow gently into the flute. You should hear a clear sustained sound. Your ear will instinctively know if the sound is right or not. If the flute doesn’t sound right there are two possible reasons. Either you’re blowing too hard or one or more holes aren’t completely covered. Blow again a little softer. Did this make it sound better? If not, it’s because air is leaking from under a finger. Relax and put some focus on your fingers. Don’t press harder; just shift them around a little. Take the flute from your mouth and move it so that you can see how the fingers are covering the holes. Some people have reported that it helps if they looked at their hands on the flute in a mirror. Look for any holes that may not be completely covered. Readjust your fingers. Now try blowing again. Keep at it until you hear a clear mellow tone. This tone is the fundamental note of the flute. It is also called the key of the flute.

Play around a little with sounding this fundamental note. Puff – puff – puff with your breath from the solar plexus or stomach area not from the mouth. Blow some long slow fundamental notes from the solar plexus. Take all your fingers off the holes and put them back on and blow again. Get the feeling of having your fingers comfortably cover the holes. At first this is a rather self-conscious effort. Soon, it will be second nature.

How To Play The Pentatonic Scale 

Now, let's sound a second note. You will do this by lifting the ring finger of your right hand from the hole it is covering. This hole is called the number one hole. Blow into the flute with all holes closed and while still blowing lift the right ring finger off hole one. Play around with lifting and lowering this finger making the sound go up and down. You now have two notes. Let's add a third note by lifting the middle finger of the right hand after you have lifted the ring finger. One, two, three notes while blowing into the flute with a gentle steady breath. Fundamental note – with all holes closed, second note - by lifting the ring finger and third note - by lifting the middle finger with the ring finger still up. Pause - keeping the two fingers up and take a breath. Then go back down the notes. Blow the note third note, then lower the middle, then the ring finger and with all fingers down you're back to the fundamental.

One thing that you need to remember at this stage in your learning is that you don't lift up a finger until the finger below it is up. So, you don't lift up the middle finger before the ring finger is up. You don't lift up the index finger before the ring and index fingers are already up.

Let's go on to the left hand and add another note. With a six-hole Ancient Territories Native American style flute we are not going to lift up the ring finger of the left hand on hole four but leave it down covering the hole. You will raise the middle finger next. So, you push the air up from the solar plexus, up and out the mouth to sound the fundamental note. Then, raise the right hand ring finger, then middle, then index finger. Next, you raise the middle finger of the left hand off hole five. You have sounded five notes in all including the fundamental. This completes a pentatonic (five note) scale.

A scale is like a little five note tune. There are lots of different possible scales. The scale that you are playing is called the Mode One Minor Pentatonic scale.

You will sound the next note by lifting up the index finger of your left hand off hole six.  This sixth note is your fundamental note again but one octave higher than where you started. Of course, you don't need to know what fundamentals, scales; octaves or notes are to make music. I'm using a little bit of musical terminology here and if you are not familiar with the terms don't worry because you are making music anyway.

Now, play with letting your fingers dance up and down the holes of the flute. Do this at different rates of speed. Change the volume by blowing harder or softer. Play, discover and enjoy the world of music.

Playing the Native American Style Flute: Third Lesson – Incorporating the Sound "Ta"

Now that you’ve learned proper finger placement using the pads of your fingers and can play up and down the minor pentatonic scale, the next step in your Native American style flute journey is to incorporate the attack. We’re moving a little deeper into technique here, and it’s perfectly normal if this doesn’t come easily at first. Developing this skill takes practice, but it will add an important layer of expression to your playing.

A Tounging Technique

This next step introduces a simple tonguing technique. The sound “ta” is formed by gently touching the tongue to the roof of the mouth. Practice this a few times without the flute—ta, ta, ta. When this sound is introduced into the flute, it is referred to in musical terms as an attack, which is the initial onset or beginning of a note. Using the “ta” sound as you play helps articulate the notes, giving each one clearer definition and separation.

The key is to blend the attack smoothly with a continuous, steady breath to create flowing, harmonious music. Over time, your intuition will guide you. Rather than thinking in words, you’ll begin to move naturally into the music, allowing your heart to shape expressive and melodic sounds.

Wet Out

Why Your Flute’s Sound Suddenly Changes: Understanding “Wet Out”

If you’re new to the Native American style flute, you may experience something puzzling during your first playing sessions. The flute starts out sounding clear and warm, but after a while the tone becomes weak, airy, or unstable. Notes may refuse to speak clearly, and no matter how carefully you blow, the sound just doesn’t respond the way it did a few minutes ago.

This common and often frustrating experience is known as wet out.

What Is Wet Out?

Wet out occurs when moisture builds up inside the flute and interferes with normal airflow. As you play, warm, humid air from your lungs enters the flute. When that warm air meets the cooler inner surfaces of the instrument, condensation forms, much like fog on a cold window.

This moisture collects inside the slow air chamber and can travel with the air stream toward the flue, the narrow channel that directs air toward the sound edge. When moisture begins to accumulate in the flue, it disrupts the airflow and alters how the flute produces sound. The result is a tone that may sound fuzzy, breathy, or uneven.

Why Beginners Notice It More

For someone playing the flute for the first time, wet out can be confusing. You may assume your breath technique has suddenly changed or that you’re doing something wrong. In reality, the flute itself is reacting to moisture buildup, not your playing ability.

Wet out typically occurs after about 10 to 15 minutes of continuous playing, though this can vary depending on temperature, humidity, and playing style. Cooler environments tend to make wet out happen more quickly, as condensation forms faster on colder surfaces.

What To Do When Wet Out Happens

When the sound begins to change due to moisture, the solution is simple but necessary. Stop playing and carefully remove the bird from the top of the flute. Gently wipe away any visible moisture from the flue and sound area, and blow lightly through the flute to clear any remaining condensation. Once dry, replace the bird securely and resume playing.

Trying to play through wet out rarely works and often leads to frustration. A brief pause to clear moisture will restore the flute’s natural voice.

A Common Experience, Not a Flaw

Some flute players are barely bothered by wet out, while others find it a frequent challenge. Much depends on climate, breath moisture, and the design of the flute. Many experienced players encounter it regularly and simply treat it as part of playing a wooden wind instrument.

For those who are particularly affected by wet out, it can feel discouraging, especially in the beginning. I experienced this issue often myself, which led me to spend considerable time experimenting and searching for ways to reduce its impact.

Understanding wet out is an important step in learning the Native American style flute. Once you know what’s happening and how to respond, it becomes far less mysterious and far less frustrating. 

For information on how we prevent wet out, visit our wet out protection article.