Description
South American Peruvian flute Quena.
Key: G major.
Length: 40 cm.
Material: ashwood from the firing.
Design features: 7 playing holes, lacquer channel for ease of playing,
produce two versions: with standard-hole and with
a reduced women’s-hole.
The sound is open, the air loud with interesting tone!
Jose de la Сruz – peruvian professional musician, teacher
tested and played on our Quena in G ashwood, Peru, 2015
Quena – longitudinal open-end flute, common in the South American Andes. Its ancestor was the flute, which has between four and seven holes, with pentatonic systems are made of cane, clay, metal, stone and bone. It is believed that the oldest Quena found in Bolivia, more than 5000 years. Currently Quena are made of solid wood, bamboo and cane. Modern Quena is a chromatic instrument in the range of three octaves, which can successfully perform not only the folk music of the Andes, but also any other music.
Sounding at Quena loud, sad, a little hoarse, the Indians say that it is most similar to the human voice.
How to play the flute Quena:
Take a flute in the hands. Close the fingers of the left hand top four slot holes (those that are closer to the whistle): thumb – hole on the back of the flute, hereinafter – the index, middle, ring. Then the fingers of his right hand – the index, middle, ring closing the remaining three lower holes. The fingers fall on the opening play tight, but at the same time, do not stress. When opening holes thumbs of both hands and the little finger of his right hand held the flute. Fold in half-smile lips, tip the flute to lips and blow uniformly, gradually changing the angle of the flute relative to the body and the power of the blast to produce sound.
Upon receipt of a sustainable sound at all enclosed holes move on to search for the sound of the open hole from the bottom, and so, gradually mastered the sounds of all the holes in a sequential order, go to simple melodies that tell you flute.
Beautiful melodies and joy to you during the development of a magic flute Quena!
