Guide to Choosing a Native Flute
RIGHT SIZE
The most important thing when choosing a flute is to get one that is suitable for your hand size. A flute in the key of A or G is a good size for most people.
The hand sizes for flutes overlaps a little.
Our general recommendation is:
From the smallest flute up to F# is suitable for small hands.
From A up to Low C is suitable for medium hands.
From F# up to the largest flutes is suitable for large hands.
KEY
The larger the flute the deeper the tones. The smaller the flute and the tone will be higher, as they are in a higher octave.
If you're playing on your own you can play any key, it only matters if you are playing with other musicians as you would usually want to play in the same key.
The most common keys for Native American flutes are A, G, and F#. The key of A or A minor is particularly popular for beginners as it is a good, manageable size and medium sound.
WOOD TYPE
The type of wood influences the sound quality. Cedar / Red Cedar are known for a warm, mellow tone and are great for beginners as they can be played for very long periods of time without wetting out. Cedar is a soft wood and is often used in saunas as it contains natural oils that make it resistant to moisture and decay. Harder woods can only be played for shorter times as they will wet out. The harder wood flutes often produce a brighter, sharper sound.