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The Oldest Magick
Eight: Creating the Amerind Diagonal
Lew Paxton Price
When the early North American Indian began to place his finger holes, he found that small holes were more forgiving to his ear. With small holes, he could blow softly for a low pitch and a little bit harder for a slightly higher pitch ("sharping") and even harder for a higher pitch without doing what we call "overblowing." In this manner he could achieve the precision of pitch necessary to satisfy his ear, and arrive at a proper scale with a flute that was somewhat less than optimally tuned. The larger holes did not allow this range of control, so he stayed with small holes in his flutes (the European and Middle Eastern peoples had a different approach).
Smaller holes also meant that usually only half intervals separated notes (the Indians along the Columbia River were an exception). Therefore, the early Indian (or Amerind) had a chromatic scale on his flutes as opposed to a diatonic scale.
Most primitive Amerind flutes had only three or four finger holes. This meant that some of the chromatic scale was missing. The early three hole flutes were usually capable of playing the fundamental for the tube, the third above it, the half note below the third (minor) and the fourth. The fifth was achieved by overblowing in the second octave (not the first) and the half note above the sixth (what we sometimes call the dominant seventh).
The addition of more holes added the second and, eventually, the half note between the fundamental and the second. Finally, the addition of the sixth hole resulted in the half note above the fourth. This progression may account, in part, for the nature of Amerind music that was composed of major and minor thirds with the fundamental for the southwest tribes, and seconds and fourths with the fundamental for other regions.
Using my system of mathematical tuning to achieve the optimum, it is possible to create an Amerind diagonal that will play a half note more than the lower half of the first octave of the chromatic scale, and more than a full second octave of the chromatic scale. When using the external channel block flute of the Amerind, about three quarters of the third octave is also available. If some of the Amerind flutes would have achieved the optimum possible either through intent or chance, then we might say that the Amerind had some very sophisticated flutes. The available evidence is scanty because very few Amerind flutes have survived. However, the indications are that those who made most Amerind flutes were native craftsmen (in the sense that most of them were crafting things all their lives), but not musicians and not skilled in making flutes with the correct proportions. Consequently, the performance of the average Amerind flute was much more limited than our optimal model.
When using the chromatic scale, the ear prefers the half-intervals found in the Pythagorean scale, and larger intervals found in the just scale. These two scales and the tempered scale would compare as follows if one were to take each consecutive note up one half-interval at a time:
notes building on one another
in half-steps based on C = 256
C E F#
SCALE C###FG
Pythagorean256284.12315.32349.96
269.69299.31332.19368.68
Just 256291.27331.40377.06
273.07310.69353.49402.2
Tempered 256287.23322.56362.08
271.22304.31341.76383.49
Taken up a whole interval at a time, these three scales would look like this.
notes building on one another
in whole steps based on C = 256
CEGB
SCALE FAC
Pythagorean256324384486
288341.33432512
Just 256324388.80492.08
288345.60437.40524.89
Tempered 256322.56383.49483.33
287.23341.76430.59512
Notice that the tempered scale does not change from one progression to another while the others do. This change can be handled easily with small holed flutes and not easily at all with large holed flutes. Eventually, most of the tribes of North America developed a flute set near the tempered scale with chromatic intervals (half steps). The best had five to six finger holes, was capable of half a first octave, a full second octave and part of a third octave. The early types were diagonal flutes like the nay of the Middle East.
To make the West Coast Amerind diagonal flute, finding a straight piece of soft or medium hard wood. Elderberry was the most frequent choice, but other woods will do. The wood should be cut long at a place where a large enough section exists without branches coming off the side. Split the wood lengthwise and hollow it out as one would hollow out a dugout canoe. The best dimensions for the section of wood are about 21 inches long, with an average outside diameter of 7/8" and an inside diameter of 5/8" (making the wall about 1/8" thick).
After hollowing out the green wood, rejoin the two pieces to form a tube. If the tube looks right, wrap it with rubber bands to hold the two pieces in place against one another while they cure. Wrap newspapers around the tube and then seal around the newspapers with plastic wrap or a garbage bag. Be sure the seal is good so that air cannot pass through it. Store the sealed package in a cool place (about 60 to 70? F). After about six months unwrap the tube and continue.
Remove the rubber bands. Separate the pieces and sand them lightly inside to smooth them. Be careful not to sand the edges that will be joined. Apply glue to the edges to be joined and put the two halves together again. Wrap rubber bands around the tube to hold the edges together tightly while the glue dries or cures.
After the glue is dry, remove the rubber bands. Cut the tube back from any possible split ends until the total length is 19 inches. Drill a 1/4" hole centered two inches from one end, and drill five more 1/4" holes centered at one inch intervals until you have a total of six holes. Round off the end opposite the holes so that you can place your mouth against it comfortably.
Do not sand off the edge on the inside of the flute (this edge must be sharp). You now should have this:
Now fine sand the flute and apply a sealer of spar varnish (or something similar). Allow the varnish to dry. Wrap the flute with rawhide (or a substitute) at the ends and at several places in the middle and decorate the flute as you wish. Now the flute is ready.
Playing a diagonal flute is similar to whistling because the shape of your mouth is most important and you must learn it subconsciously from frequent but brief practices. First, while keeping your fingers | 
