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The Oldest Magic
Ten: The Endblown Flute of the Andes
Lew Paxton Price
Some of the most perfectly preserved mummies in the world come from Peru. And more are found there than anywhere else in the world. It was customary in a climate so perfect for drying meat, to similarly preserve one's family in their own little room, sometimes in lifelike poses. In this ideal climate for mummification was found the oldest flute known to have existed.* The sands of Peru preserved it for over ten thousand years. It was a great grandfather of today's family of notched endblown flutes, commonly called "kenas."
At some time, the kena became westernized with a diatonic scale as we know it, presumably with the arrival of the Spaniards in South America. But the older instrument was pentatonic, probably having evolved from the four-pipe sets which have been discovered in northwestern Brazil and the Solomon Islands, or from a common source. The flute was made of reed similar to bamboo and is distinctive in its use of a node left in place at the end opposite the player's mouth. This node was drilled or burned as were the finger holes at the top of the flute, and the hole in the node was sized similarly to the finger holes as well. This allowed the kena to be one of the shortest flutes in the world for whatever pitch it was tuned. Thus it was a handy, fairly fragile, delicate little flute. Its embouchure (a type of notch) provided much versatility combined with a sweet sound.
Making a kena today from bamboo or reed is a very simple procedure and the end product can be very rewarding. The key of on the old scale of the area's four pipes, pitched at the just above middle C, is likely to be the most authentic example of the old pentatonic type of kena. Here are the steps to construct the flute:
1. Find a good grade of growing bamboo or reed that is durable and reasonably well formed. Try to find a species with the nodes at least 8" apart where the outside diameter of the bamboo is about 15/16" midway between the nodes. This should give you about a 1/8" wall when you cut the bamboo.
2. Harvest the bamboo you have found by cutting it at the base with a pruning saw. Select a part well above the root end for your use. Cut it about one inch above the higher node and again about 24" from the first cut toward the root. This gives a two foot section for your use. Cut off the "limbs" from the nodes about 2" from the trunk itself.
3. Pierce the nodes from the root end, but leave the node intact that is away from the root end. This can be done with a tool like a cross between a corkscrew and a rasp that may be found in some hardware stores. All nodes except the one at the small end must be pierced to prevent the bamboo from exploding when heated.
4. Bake bamboo in oven or rotate it slowly over a burner or a bed of glowing charcoal until its sap begins to run out onto the surface. Continue heating in this fashion until the bamboo changes color (fades) and the resin formed from the sap thickens. Take care to use a rod to support the bamboo to avoid touching the exuding resin.
5. Remove the bamboo from the heat and let it cool without touching the resin on its surface. The resin will now form a waxy, glossy, hard finish on the outside of the bamboo.
6. Wrap the cool bamboo in newspaper and then place it and the newspaper in a paper bag. Place the bag in a place that will remain between 60 and 70 F for six months. Check for mildew or mold from time to time. If it appears, treat the bamboo with turpentine.
7. After the six month curing period, unwrap the bamboo and remove the stubs of the limbs carefully with dykes or a similar cutting tool. Use a rat-tail file or rasp to remove the pierced nodes completely and to smooth the inside of the bamboo. Remember not to damage the node at the small end.
8. Cut back the small end until it is even with the material of the node. Cut back the other end so that the total length of the bamboo is 20 17/32". Fine sand the cut ends.
9. Determine which side of the bamboo is to be the up side—this will have the finger holes in it. The down side will have the thumb hole.
10. On the upside of the bamboo at the open end, using a 1/4" rat-tail file or similar tool, make a rounded notch 5/16" wide and 1/4" deep (toward the opposite end). Now, running the file inside the bamboo, file away the material of the bamboo from the inside till the notch has a sharp edge to blow upon.
11. Drill a 5/16" hole in the center of the remaining node.
12. Drill 3/16" holes in the top of the flute at points 21/2", 427/32", 613/16" and 93/16" from the end of the flute where the node is still in place (the small end). Drill another 3/16" hole in the bottom of the flute 1013/16" from that same end. Slowly enlarge each hole until you achieve the desired pitch, so that the notes sound slightly lower than the by middle C for the fundamental (thumb hole and all finger holes closed), F (closest hole to node end open), G (two holes closest to node end open), A (three holes closest to node end open), C (all four finger holes open) and D' (all holes open). The holes should be about 5/16" in diameter when this is done, depending upon how regular the bore of the flute is.
13. Finish the inside of the flute and the holes with a finishing oil or spar varnish and set the flute aside to dry.
Play the pentatonic kena is with the ring finger and index finger of the right hand on the holes closest to the node (small end), and the ring finger, index finger and thumb of the left hand on the remaining holes. The chin blocks the open end and the mouth blows into the notch so that the opposite edge of the notch splits the breath. The mouth is shaped as if to say "pooh" and one blows while tilting the flute up and down to achieve the best sound.
It is best to leave your fingers off the holes entirely until your mouth can consistently shape itself to make a strong sound. When you achieve this strong and consistent sound, begin with the thumb and work down with the fingers. Be sure to cover the thumb and finger holes completely (no gaps) at first. Otherwise, the flute will only whisper. Play the second octave with the same fingering, but you must experiment and blow harder with a somewhat finer stream of air.
You spend only two minutes at a time blowing, at first. More than this will make you dizzy from hyperventilation and will tire your lip excessively. Rest for about ten minutes and then practice for another two minutes. After a time, you will improve enough to increase your practice time and decrease your rest time. Eventually, you will be able to play well for hours at a time.
This ancient instrument is very versatile. It can produce any note on the modern scale once you learn advanced techniques such as partially covering certain holes and using odd fingering patterns. Different sounds are possible by using the throat and tongue. Treat it well and use it often, and playing your kena will become one of your greatest pleasures. 1989 by Lew Paxton Price by Lew Paxton Price | 
