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FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions....
What is the best way to contact you?
Email is the best way for me because I don't have a "regular schedule."You may also write or call. If you call I am generally more available on weekends or after 7 PM (Central Time Zone). If I don't answer, just leave a short message and I'll call you back.
- Snail Mail (regular mailing address):
Erik Weaver
Breath Of Life Flutes
5
E. Farm Road 
Springfield, MO, 65809 - Phone:
...Yes! I may be a little paranoid — there are in fact images displaying some of the above numerals, so the web spyders are unable to easily steal my address and phone number and begin harassing me! :P ...then again, perhaps I am not paranoid....
- Snail Mail (regular mailing address):
Are you a Native American?
No, not so far as I know. I'm as confident as I can be that my blood lines are 100% Western European. However, I consider myself to be an American.
"NAF" means what?
Native American Flute. This refers to a flute make by a Native American person. With regard to selling items carrying the description "Native American" there are some federal regulations one must observe. (Clint Goss' web page http://www.flutopedia.com/tradition.htm discusses this in greater detail.)Native American Style Flute. This phrase describes a flute crafted in the Native American style, but no claim is made with regard to the maker's heritage nor blood lines.
North American Flute. The style in which the NAF is crafted is unique to North America, yet the construction of most Native American style flutes is no longer completely traditional, due in part to a number of changes to its design over the last 100-years, as well as a blending of traditional regional crafting styles. Some people use this phrase in an effort to remain culturally neutral. They reason that since this style of flute is only known to have originated in North America, using the phrase "North American Flute" is both very accurate and neutral. This is actually the phrase I personally favor to describe my own flutes. However, its use is not yet common, so I more frequently use the second phrase above.
Will you make special order flutes?
Maybe — time and price permitting, heheh.... We'd need to discuss the specifics to really know.I am quite willing to personalize a flute with wood burning elements, insetting crystals to key to specific chakras, adjusting the tuning to the Healing Frequency, and similar requests. I'm not interested in making penny whistles or bagpipes however, so there are limits to how far a field I care to range.
Please feel free to contact me. I like talking about flutes!
Is the "bird" glued to the flute?
No! I would never glue the bird (AKA fettish, totem, sound block) to the flute. You need to be able to slightly shift it forward/backward to get the exact tonal quality you desire, plus you may wish to clean the flue area below the bird. However, especially if sitting in a warm area, the varnish may stick and make it seem as if the bird has been glued to the flute. To un-stick the bird, remove the leather tie, and twist the bird to one side or another. This may require a little "elbow grease." Once the bird has been removed inspect the area upon which the bird was sitting because sometimes the finish is damaged. If this has happened replace the bird and see if the flute plays nicely. If an air leak has been created it either won't play properly or it will sound very poor.
Why does my seem out of tune when I play it in colder weather? (Or warmer weather.)
Your flute has been tuned to be played in 72*F ambient air temperature (unless you requested something difference via a special order). If you play in air temperatures cooler than 72*F the flute will sound "flatter" and if you play in warmer air temperatures the flute will sound "sharper." This is true of all flutes. It is due to the effects of heat upon the air molecules. There is a table showing these effects on my Design web page.But the short story is that air molecules are no different than water or metal molecules. As they are heated they become more excited — they move around more. We all know this when it comes to water — really cold water freezes and becomes ice, whose molecules are moving very slowly. As it heats up it becomes water, with active molecules, and when we continue to add heat, it boils (very active molecules) and we are able to make our favorite hot beverage of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Air behaves the same way, it is simply more difficult to observe.
It may be easiest to remember if you think of this process as increasing the frequency of the air molecules, which has a direct effect upon the sound we hear. In warmer air things sound higher pitched, and in colder air they sound lower in pitch.
Incidentally, if you wish to hear what a "normally tuned" flute (meaning tuned to pitch for a room temperature of 72*F) would sound like were it tuned to the "Healing Frequency" wait until the outdoor temperature is 54-55*F and play it outside! You're flute will play about 30-cents flatter than when in a 72*F room, and this is the same pitch difference between a "normally tuned" flute and one tuned to the Healing Frequency. Who knows, you may like it. Many people do.
What is the "432-Hertz Healing Frequency"?
The answer to this seemingly simple question rapidly diverges along many paths! But the technical answer is pretty straight forward, so let's begin there... Take any note and lower it 30-cents — this is the "Healing Frequency" of that note. Disappointingly simple, yes? ;) heheh.... fear not, it quickly gets curiousier and curiousier!(There are 12 notes in an octave, and each note is separated by 100-cents. So there are 1,200-cents in each octave. A piano plays a little over seven (7) octaves in range.)
One often hears about the healing properties of 432-Hertz. The reference specifically to 432-Hertz most likely comes from an older concert tuning, or reference pitch, which set the A above middle-C ("A4" on the piano) to 432-Hertz (written as A=432). Over time the accepted concert reference pitch has varied rather widely. Presently the concert pitch is usually set to a reference of A=440 (the A above middle-C is set to equal 440-Hertz).
Comparing an A=440 to A=432, one will find a 30-cent difference. To most persons ears the A=440 sounds brighter or sharper, while the flatter A=432 sounds a little warmer or softer. In many cases I personally prefer the softer tuning of A=432.
I have written about this in greater detail in one of my blogs discussing 432-Hertz "Healing" Flutes.
What is the difference between an "F#" an "F#m" and an "F# Minor" NAF?
The odds are there is no difference at all. Nearly all NAFs are tuned to play in the pentatonic minor scale. While it is possible to tune a flute to another scale, it is unusual. So one may normally expect any NAF to play in the "minor" key.Whatever the "fundamental" note of the flute is (the lowest note, made with all holes covered, and played with a soft breath), this is the "key" of that NAF.
Clint Goss suggests playing the "Deer, A Doe" song on the flute to distinguish between the pentatonic minor scaled flute and the less common major scaled NAF flute: point your browser to http://www.flutopedia.com/int4_keys.htm and go to the section named "Finding the Key of a NAF" (which was about 1/4 of the way down the page the last time I visited).
How can I tell how deep or high the flute will play?
This is often called the "register" of the flute. Smaller flutes will be higher pitched than larger flutes. However, there is not yet a true consensus among the NAF community as to where to draw the lines between one register and the next. This can be confusing to long time players, let along those new to this lovely instrument!Below is a suggested guide line. If you wish to read more about this, Clint Goss discusses this at some length: http://www.flutopedia.com/int4_keys.htm
Range Name Fundamental Note Between... Approx. Bore Length Between... Ultra-High Range
(Very Uncommon)C6 and Higher
(Some people are concerned
about hearing damage.)Less Than 5 Inches High Range C5 — B5 5 and 11 Inches Middle Range
(Most Common)C4 — B4 11 and 22 Inches Low Range C3 — B3 22 and 44 Inches Bass/Contrabass Range
(Very Uncommon)B2 and Lower
(Creating playable finger
positions is difficult.)Greater Than 44 Inches Bear in mind these terms are NOT universal. For example, many people consider an E4 flute to be a "Low-E" and an A3 flute to be a "Bass" flute.
Another way to compare flutes is to examine the diameter of the bore. Larger diameter bores will player deeper tones. As you become familiar with NAFs you may find it is faster to see which of your fingers fits inside the bore opening at the foot. However, there is a relationship between the bore's length and diameter, so even this approach has its limitations.
Ultimately the very best way to determine the register of a given flute is to play it — the ear tell no lies! Playing the flute is also the only way to determine if you like its tone, intonation, articulation, any "special" quality it offers.
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www.BreathOfLifeFlutes.com
Please contact me if you have any questions about flutes, learning to play,
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Please note, while I admire much of the Native American culture, I am not a Native American Indian.
So far as I know, my bloodlines are 100% European, including Welsh, English, Scottish, Irish, Holland, and German... along with a number of unknowns, I'm sure. One may properly refer to me as an European-American Mutt ;^) Although, in truth, I consider myself an American, not an European-American. My mother's bloodlines here in North America pre-date the American Revolution and my great-great-grandfather on my father's side was a circuit preacher in Kansas around 1900. |
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