Module 1: The Grounded Soul — Lunar & Solar Scales
As soul players of the Native flute, we receive many benefits from playing the traditional scale, which resonates with the Earth.
From healing breathwork to spiritual connection, the beauty that flows through us as we play is a mirror of the world we wish to cultivate within.
The Native flute speaks to the upper world where both sun and moon reside in the palace of sky.
In this balance of light and dark, brightening and deepening, we begin our exploration of soul playing in this experiential course.
Module 2: The Cry of the Soul — The Blues Scale
The Cry of the Soul demands to be heard. It is the voice the goddess Innana heard deep in the underworld that led her on a hero’s journey to becoming the queen of heaven and earth.
What is your soul hungry for? How does music feed your soul? How can we bring forth that longing sound that validates the dark times of the soul? We experience the alchemy of turning pain into song when we play the blues.
Module 3: Your Enchanted Soul — The Lydian Mode
Imagine yourself in a misty forest covered in moss, with the sound of streams and birds. Light plays on the mist, revealing windows of nature’s beauty. As the fog rises, you become the voice of the magic and mystery that lives in the magic hour of dawn and dusk.
By adding one simple note to the traditional scale, we transform the tamber and tonality of the flute to evoke an ear of curiosity and something new to explore within yourself.
When you play this scale with your flute, you’re a magical being, a force of enchantment.
Module 4: The Resilient Soul — Playing in Mode 4
There’s a scale that begins in the middle of the flute, and it represents the balance of above and below, like the crown and the roots of the redwood trees.
These trees are known for their resilience and ability to withstand fire, and they demand a scale that matches their gift in the forest.
When we play in Mode 4, we break through the need to cover the third hole or use a strap.
With all the notes open, you’ll experience the breakthrough of resurrecting an entirely different song through your flute.
Like discovering a resilient part of yourself (that you hadn’t realized was there) during hard times, this scale resides within the flute without us knowing its full power… until we play it.
Module 5: Your Gypsy Soul — Byzantine Scale & Syncopated Rhythm
If the flutes of the world could talk to each other, the Byzantine scale would likely include the exotic dialect of this scale played to syncopated rhythms.
In the Arab world, this scale might accompany the poems of Rumi and Hafiz, the swirling rhythms of the Sufis, and the sounds of freedom in the Arab spring.
When you listen to this scale, your soul comes alive as it hears the sacred geometry that tamed snakes and spoke to the creepy crawlers.
With only one note change, a whole new tonality emerges as we travel the Silk Road of cross-cultural harmony and appreciation.
This module will take your playing to a global scale.
Module 6: Your Zen Soul — The Temple Scale of Japan
In the tradition of the shakuhachi, a Japanese flute played by monks in Zen temples from Kyoto to Kamakura — where Japanese temples have survived as living treasures — the ego-less style of this scale will quiet your mind.
Played slowly in a meditative style, each note emerges as if it were a scroll on the altar — a kanji character — or a haiku in honor of nature’s beauty.
This 5-note scale is all about elimination. Less is more. Notes are removed to create space, which is the hallmark of Zen Buddhism.
Module 7: Your Blissful Soul — The Devotional Scale of Bali
The traditional flute of Bali is called the suling, which is made from bamboo. It only has four holes, which is all that’s needed to play this 5-note scale.
Christine has translated this scale to the Native American flute based on her travels to this shamanic Hindu Buddhist culture.
What makes this scale a pathway to bliss is its unique tonality of major sounds. Notes that would normally create tension somehow sound resplendent instead.
The scale is cheerful and is used in ceremonies for dancing, making offerings, celebrating the protector spirits… and all things that feed the soul.
And now, you’ll become part of this sound stream, connecting to a culture that believes that heaven is on Earth.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.