Harmonic Flutes

Harmonic or Overtone flutes are the ancestors of all flutes. They do not have any tone holes or keys. The different tones are produced just by overblowing, by altering the strength of blowing. Therefore it is very easy to learn how to play the overtone flute. When covering the lower end of the flute, you can extend the pitch range by a second overtone scale. Most overtone flutes can be overblown 5 to 7 times. Together with the second scale, this results in 10 to 14 possible tones. By opening and covering the lower end with the finger, diverse melodies can be played.

Overtone flutes are known in many parts of the world. Native Americans such as the Choctaw play flutes without any tone holes. Diverse are the forms of overtone flutes in Europe: there are willow flutes in Scandinavian countries. In Norway they are called Seljefloyte. The Seljefloyte is side-blown, similar to a transverse flute. The overtone flutes which you can find at DAN MOI are similar to the Slovakian Koncovka and the Hungarian Tilinkó. The DAN MOI overtone flutes are made of bamboo and thereby produce a warm sound. In the past overtone flutes were often played by shepherds, who passed their time playing music when herding the animals. Meanwhile overtone flutes have experienced a renaissance through their captivating sound. And now they are used in different musical contexts. Their sound becomes even more interesting when singing or humming into the flute while playing.



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