The Art of the Native American Flute

Rating:
Summary: For Beginners or Advanced players
Review: As a beginning NAF player, I found this book fascinating. I read it before I bought my first flute, and I found the information on various types of flutes, construction, care and history to be very helpful.

I've used this book as one of my main texts for teaching myself to play this wonderful instrument. I also found the presentation of the TAB system to be useful as I have branched out into writing music of my own.

Rating:
Summary: For Beginners or Advanced players
Review: As a beginning NAF player, I found this book fascinating. I read it before I bought my first flute, and I found the information on various types of flutes, construction, care and history to be very helpful.

I've used this book as one of my main texts for teaching myself to play this wonderful instrument. I also found the presentation of the TAB system to be useful as I have branched out into writing music of my own.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent resource for every Native American flautist
Review: This book is an amazing collection of knowledge, use, and cultural history of the Native American flute. Its discussion of flute construction, fingering, scales, ornaments, and care and maintenance is excellent. The book expects the reader to have a basic grasp of musical notation and concepts.

An added bonus: eighteen of R. Carlos Nakai's tunes transcribed for flute. These are: December Snow, 12/13/82 song, Wioste Olowan Inkpa taya, Wioste Olowan Tokiya, 11/3/82 song, Death song, 11/11/82 song, Zuni song, 12/20/82 song, 12/13/82 no. 2 song, 11/20/82 song, Whippoorwill, Whirlwinds Dancing, Coventry Carol, Rainy Nights in Taos, Omaha song, The Colours Fall, and Crow Wing.

There is also an excellent chapter at the end of the book regarding R. Carlos Nakai's recordings and his influences. Ken Light, the maker of Amon Olorin flutes (R. Carlos Nakai plays an Amon Olorin Sonoran) also contributes. This is an indispensable guide to the Native American flute and is worth the cost.

Rating:
Summary: Art of Native American Flutes
Review: While this is a great book written by one of the best flute players in the world it is not really a beginners book. It does go into great detail about writing Native American flute music in tabulature form. It also has quite a lot of sheet music and other interesting items and a rather extensive chapter about all of R Carlos Nakai's music releases, which gave me a few ideas for my next few flute music purchases

Rating:
Summary: A very highly recommended performance guide
Review: With The Art Of The Native American Flute, Carlos Nakai draws upon his many years as an educator, performer, and student of the Native American flute to present the reader with a comprehensive and "user friendly" instruction manual for learning to play this core Native American musical instrument. Part one includes discussions on tunings, fingerings, performance technique, tablature, style, history, standard notation, traditional ornaments, and a section on the care and maintenance of the flute. Part Two includes sixteen transcriptions of songs from Naki's recordings. Part Three is an informative analysis of Naki's role in Native American culture as a recording artist and performer by the ethnomusicologist David P. McAllester. The Art Of The Native American Flute is a very highly recommended performance guide and insightful source on the Native American flute, as well as a concise review of the career and artistry of one of the most important ethnic artists in America today.

Rating:
Summary: A very highly recommended performance guide
Review: With The Art Of The Native American Flute, Carlos Nakai draws upon his many years as an educator, performer, and student of the Native American flute to present the reader with a comprehensive and "user friendly" instruction manual for learning to play this core Native American musical instrument. Part one includes discussions on tunings, fingerings, performance technique, tablature, style, history, standard notation, traditional ornaments, and a section on the care and maintenance of the flute. Part Two includes sixteen transcriptions of songs from Naki's recordings. Part Three is an informative analysis of Naki's role in Native American culture as a recording artist and performer by the ethnomusicologist David P. McAllester. The Art Of The Native American Flute is a very highly recommended performance guide and insightful source on the Native American flute, as well as a concise review of the career and artistry of one of the most important ethnic artists in America today.