# Mixing Saxophone and Native American flute



## DeadPool2099 (Dec 24, 2015)

I have been working a song I wrote while I was in a Jazz performance ensemble in Community College. The song is based on and the same Chord Progression as "Nows the time" by Charlie Parker. F7, Bb7, Am7 D7, Gm7, C7 Am7, D7, Gm7 C7. 

Back when I wrote the piece a few years back is was just for piano. I have been thinking of having the melodies played by wind instruments. I am going to rewrite the song for Electric guitar, fretless bass, Native American flute and a Bamboo sax. I recently got the bamboo sax a few days ago. I am amazed at its sound!.

The bamboo sax is tuned to F major, and my Lakota flute is tuned to F pentatonic minor. I plan on using these to play the melody lines!
Does anyone have experience playing the bamboo sax!?


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Dec 29, 2015)

DeadPool2099 said:


> I have been working a song I wrote while I was in a Jazz performance ensemble in Community College. The song is based on and the same Chord Progression as "Nows the time" by Charlie Parker. F7, Bb7, Am7 D7, Gm7, C7 Am7, D7, Gm7 C7.
> 
> Back when I wrote the piece a few years back is was just for piano. I have been thinking of having the melodies played by wind instruments. I am going to rewrite the song for Electric guitar, fretless bass, Native American flute and a Bamboo sax. I recently got the bamboo sax a few days ago. I am amazed at its sound!.
> 
> ...



Not the bamboo, I just have a Cedar Native flute, but I'm still getting my breath control down. I was fortunate to get a private lesson from my hero and friend Bill Miller back in May, but having not exercised much over the holiday break, I'm feeling a bit behind.


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## DeadPool2099 (Jan 2, 2016)

I've been playing the Native American flute since 2010. I learned from Bryan Akipa (Dakota) how to make one. Since then I've been playing my flutes, just as much as my 7-string. I also have a cedar drone flute from High Spirits tuned to A. I want to get a real clay drone flute,that the aztec and maya use. I am mainly interested in Indigenous flutes these days.

The Native American flute can be hard to play, at first.
It took me a awhile to get used to blowing it. I practice it constantly now
I learned traditional techniques from Bryan Akipa. Learning how to play some D/Lakota flute songs. I learned from Vincent Redhouse how to play the Native American flute Chromatically. How to read notes and play Jazz and Classical music. With Redhouse's method You get more notes out the instrument besides the pentatonic scale. You can get a major scale, and a pentatonic major scale. 

By overblowing, you can reach higher octaves. And You can play chromatically by cracking the notes. 

The only limitations the Native American flute has is you can only go higher up the scale. And you have to play higher to play Chromatically at times.
The native american flute sounds harsh when you play really high notes though!. Also the tuning can limit the flute, most modern Native American flutes are tuned to Pentatonic Minor. I have a flute that is a Diatonic flute. It's tuned to A major which took me a little while to get used to. The Bamboo sax for me is a new toy to play with and its getting easier to play.

I listened to Ihsahn's album "After" which has Saxophone all over it. I started thinking of mixing Native American flute with Metal. There a few Native Rock/Metal bands out there. Ndaaz, Blackfire, that have done that. I might try it at some point when I get access to recording music again.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Jan 7, 2016)

You might dig Medicine Dream, they're on iTunes.
Our stuff is more like a metal band from the Rez, that still clings to ceremonial stuff, but incorporates them into riffs.
Here's a demo/mix example: MP3 Player SoundClick


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## DeadPool2099 (Jan 8, 2016)

Nice man thats exactly what I was talking about stuff like this a fusion of tribal music and metal!. When I lived in New mexico I saw a bunch of Navajo and Pueblo metal bands that were doing similar things. I don't really know of any Lakota metal bands. It seems on my mom's rez in Pine Ridge,South Dakota. Native hip-hop is more popular.

Native hip-hop is ok to me but kinda old hat, its been around since the 90's. I will check out that other band you were talking about I dig your music.

Here is some of mine.
Mainly I have different genres of stuff I was working on a track mixing metal with native flute, but haven't got a chance to upload it. This an instrumental demo just metal music. its halfway finished. The drums need to redone and the track needs to be properly mixed.

https://soundcloud.com/starstrembleaccosthenightsky/wintertide


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Jan 9, 2016)

Very Cool!
I have a friend who has a son that lives on Pine Ridge.
My heart goes out, that's some harsh living there bro.


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## DeadPool2099 (Mar 1, 2016)

Yeah it is hard living out there I've been there with mom to visit and mainly for ceremonies. I was mainly there through out the 90's to now visiting. My mom is from there, and her side of the family is from there. My dad is Kiowa, from Oklahoma city. I'm enrolled in the Standing Rock Sioux tribe or Hunkpapa Lakota.


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