Hello, my name is John Stillwell and I make and play Native American flutes. I have been doing this for about ten years now and the joy of making and playing flutes is never ending. I am completely self taught on the Native American flute but my learning process was slow. I thought that I might help others if I passed on some of what I have learned. This article is the beginning of this process.

First, relax and let go of any feelings of apprehension or inhibition. Your inner guide has put the flute in your hands. With it you can open a door to a place that is closer to you than your own body. It is a place of inner peace, harmony and inspiration. It is there, as it always has been, waiting for you.

Even if you have never played a musical instrument before you can learn to play the Love flute. I am a person who thought that he had no musical ability whatsoever. I felt that the joy of making music had passed me by. But, one day I picked up a very simple version of this flute blew into it and lo and behold pleasing sounds began to emerge. I wasn't a virtuoso for sure - but music, actual music started coming out through the flute. From that first day a peaceful, pleasant relationship began to develop between me, the flute and the music. I have never set out to create a tune - and yet, I play tunes. They come from an invisible place into this world of space, time and sound and then disappear again. In the experience of playing I touch something beyond words. I know that you will too. Remember, it's not about practicing - it's about playing.

The first thing that you need to learn is how to completely close all six holes at the same time so that no air leaks from any hole. The index, middle and ring finger of the right hand cover the top three holes. The index, middle and ring finger of the left hand cover the bottom three holes. Cover the holes and blow gently into your flute. If you do this correctly and blow softly into the flute, you will hear the lowest note of your flute (called the fundamental). If there are air leaks around the holes the flute doesn't sound properly. Cover the holes with the pads of your fingers, not the tips. If you don't get a clean steady sound you may be blowing too hard. But, more likely the problem is that you are not covering the holes completely. Covering the holes does not necessarily involve a great deal of pressure. Keep blowing and adjusting your finger position until you get a clean, pure sound. Now, just play around a bit, blowing into your flute, until you can do this easily and comfortably. If you have small hand and your flute is in a low key this may be a little challenging at first. This is especially true for your right-hand ring finger on the lowest hole.

Once you can make a good clean sound you're ready to take the next step. Now, you are going to open up a hole to make a new note. The first finger you are going to lift up off a hole is your left ring finger. This finger should be on the lowest hole of the flute. You don't have to lift it up high off the flute. Lift it just enough so that a new and higher pitched note sounds. OK, now put it back down. Do this a few times at various speeds until you feel comfortable.

Next, you are going to lift your left hand middle finger off of its hole. This will create yet another note. But, before you lift up the middle finger you must lift up the ring finger first. The middle finger is not lifted up unless the ring finger is up also. So, play the fundamental note of the flute with all fingers down. Then, lift up the ring finger to play the next higher note. Now, lift up the middle finger while keeping the ring finger up. Doing this will give you a new and yet higher note. You can now sound three notes of the pentatonic scale on the flute.

Play with going up and down these three notes on your flute. One - gently blow the fundamental note. Two - raise the ring finger and blow the second note. And three - raise the middle finger and blow the third note. Now, without putting the fingers back down do the some thing in reverse. One - blow the third note. Two - put down the middle finger and blow the next lower note. Three - put the ring finger down and play the fundamental note. With each note you give a gentle puff of breath so that they sound individually. One, two, three. Three, two one.

We will now add a fourth note on the scale by raising the index finger of the left hand. Starting with the fundamental raise the ring, then middle, then index finger while giving a little puff of air to each finger and note change. One, two, three, four - four, three, two, one.

Let's change things a little by sounding the notes up and down using a single, continuous breath of air. While we're doing this remember to force the air into the flute from your diaphragm (solar plexus or belly area) not from the chest or throat. Blow into the flute and lift the fingers - one, two, three. Then, without pausing continue the breath and put he fingers back down three, two, one. Do this for a while so that you become comfortable with doing it. Now, you're going to go up and then down in one continuous breath. Fundamental, one, two, three - and without pausing - three, two, one, fundamental.

You can now play four notes of the pentatonic scale on your flute. In order to have a complete scale we need two more notes. These new notes are sounded by lifting the middle and index finger of the right hand off of the holes they are covering. Don't worry about the hole that is covered by your right hand ring finger - it stays covered at all times. Before we lift the fingers of the right hand all the fingers of the left hand must be off their holes. So, lift up the ring, middle and index fingers of the left hand sounding the respective notes. Now, continue on to lift he middle and index fingers of the right hand. When you do this you have sounded a complete scale on the flute. With these notes you can play music.

Continue to play with what you have learned. You can lift two fingers at a time or three or four and put them down in combination too. Just, experiment and enjoy your flute. The music you are making is a gift to you from above.

Remember, breath from down low in the solar plexus and up into the flute. And, don't lift up a finger unless the fingers below it are already off their holes. I will publish more advanced techniques in future articles.