Native American Style Bird's Eye Drone Flutes
Created from Bird's Eye Maple, can be played as a double or a single. The drone harmonizes with the Native American minor pentatonic scale to give you a wonderful haunting tone.
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Bird's Eye Drone Flutes
Created from Bird's Eye Maple, which grows in the northern US and Canada. I read somewhere that the trees that get less sunshine are more likely to have this kind of figure. Bird's Eye Maple is scarce. Most of the logs are bought up by the veneer makers, so lumber is hard to find and expensive. However, I feel that it makes for beautiful instruments. The Maple is hard and gives a good tone. I make these flutes in plain and inlaid versions.
The top photo is of an F#m Double Inlaid Drone. The bottom photo is of a Dm Drone without inlay. I am making them more in the shape of the bottom flute now. The Dm is big, but the Gm, F#m and Em are not quite as bulky. They're much more svelte.
You can play this flute as a single flute or by simply moving your lips over the second hole, you can add accompaniment to your own playing. The drone side plays the fundamental, or the low note of the scale. If one over blows just right, the drone side can jump up an octave, so you can have either a high note or a low note to accompany your melodies.
I have designed the mouthpiece so that it's easy to play the melody side alone without having to worry about accidentally playing the drone side when accompaniment is not desired. This mouthpiece is very comfortable for most players, but if you want it flat, just let me know and I'll make it that way.
Listen to sound samples of the Drone Flutes that I make. Click to hear a Gm, F#m, Em and Dm drone.
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Detail of the top of a Bird's Eye Maple Double Inlaid Drone.
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Close-up of the Mouthpiece. If you don't like this mouthpiece, I can make it flat for you. The longer side is the melody and the recessed side is for the drone. Blow into the long piece by itself when you want a single sound and move your lips over to the recessed hole when you want harmony. BTW, now I make the melody side of the mouthpiece a little shorter than this.
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Bird's Eye Maple Drone in Gm, No Inlay $295.00
Easy to handle, easy to play. Gm has what I like to call a "happy" sound. My favorite for performance.
Bird's Eye Maple Drone in F#m, No Inlay $295.00
OK for most players. Can be difficult if one's hands are small. Mellow, meditative tone.
Bird's Eye Maple Drone in Em, No Inlay $349.00
Popular key for many musicians. Not for small hands. Holes can be hard to reach for some.
Bird's Eye Maple Drone in Dm, No Inlay $395.00
Very Large Flute-approx 3 3/4" wide and 2" thick. Also heavy. Not for small hands and takes a lot of air. Big, full tone.
Bird's Eye Maple Drone in Gm, Double Inlay $349.00
Easy to handle, easy to play. Gm has what I like to call a "happy" sound. My favorite for performance.
Bird's Eye Maple Drone in F#m, Double Inlay $349.00
OK for most players. Can be difficult if one's hands are small. Mellow, meditative tone.
Bird's Eye Maple Drone in Em, Double Inlay $399.00
Popular key for many musicians. Not for small hands. Holes can be hard to reach for some.
Bird's Eye Maple Drone in Dm, Double Inlay $449.00
Very Large Flute-approx 3 3/4" wide and 2" thick. Also heavy. Not for small hands and takes a lot of air. Big, full tone.
