Native Spirit Song Book

Volume Two

Compiled, Transcribed & Arranged for 6-hole Flutes

in FingerTab System & NAFM TABlature
By John Sarantos & Patrick Flynn

Published by
High Spirits Flutes

Cover Photo
Courtesy of Etherton Gallery
Tucson, Arizona

“Before the Dance”

Taos Pueblo, 1909
Photographer—Karl Moon (b.1879—d.1948)
Song Book Version – #3 – Printed May 2015
Acknowledgements

Cover Photo –
“Before the Dance”, 1909
Courtesy of Etherton Gallery, Tucson, AZ

Photographer –
Karl Moon, b. 1879— d. 1948

CD Recording –
Flute Artist – Zach Farley
Mastered at Jack Miller Studio

Layout Design – Odell Borg

Edited by – Pat Flynn

Published by – High Spirits Flutes

Song Material –
These songs are meant for your personal
enjoyment. The songs in this book are
from John Sarantos’s collection of music.
There are potentially many versions of
these songs that can vary in their arrange-
ments, so they cannot be guaranteed to
be historically accurate compositions.

Special Thanks to –
Carlos Nakai for his permission to use the
NAFM TABlature in writing this song book.

All Rights Reserved –

Copyright 2007 High Spirits Flutes

Created, Printed and Published in Arizona, USA

 Table of Contents

Introduction

How to Use This Song Book

NAFM TABlature© and Alternate Finger Placement

The Songs

Writing Songs with FingerTab©

Blank Flute Fingering Charts

 Have fun......
From the beginning I have always
emphasized the spontaneous and
improvisational style of Flute playing.
This type of play provides the
beginning Flute player with the
freedom to explore the Flute without
the pressure to meet expectations
of having to achieve specific playing
styles or techniques. The idea is to
play whatever feels right from the
heart. I feel that it is important to
continue to include this style of
play throughout one's Flute journey.
This nurtures our creativity and allows
us to communicate outwardly an aspect of our inner feelings.

The intention in creating this series of Songbooks is to bring diversity and

an opportunity to experience different styles of play. Learning to play written
songs provides a tool to vary one's playing style. We have all experienced the
frustration of getting stuck playing the same repetitive phrases over and over
again. It is challenging to break out of these patterns. Playing a written song
teaches different fingering patterns, various timing, rhythm, and phrasing.
This experience can enhance the creative improvisational skills by putting
more song creating techniques at one's disposal.

The songs in this book are written in both NAFM TABlature and FingerTab©
Flute finger tablature, showing exactly which holes to close and when to do so.
This gives all of us the opportunity to enjoy learning songs. (At the same time
it can help in learning to read NAFM TABlature notation by comparing the
FingerTab pictures to the notes on the music staff.)

When learning to play these songs, I highly recommend that you keep in mind
that this is all about having fun and bringing joy into our lives. We are
conditioned to place pressure on ourselves to "do it just right" when we are
in a situation of learning new information. My suggestion is to relax, do the
best you can and put a part of yourself into the song. This can be achieved
by using the techniques you already know within the new song. For example,
insert a trill, slur, bend a note, or repeat a phrase that you like. This will add
creativity to the song and make the entire process more fun. With longer
compositions it helps to learn the song in sections. Once you feel that one
section is solid, go on to the next section, master it and then put the two
together and so on.

v
 The songs in this book vary from beginner to intermediate level.
Some of the compositions make use of the sixth hole on the Flute
or the half-hole technique. This gives one the opportunity to learn
the use of that note and a new technique.

This second Native Spirit volume is dedicated to music that is widely

recognized as traditional Native American songs . Enjoy!

Odell Borg

vi
 How to Use This Songbook
This Songbook is about having fun learning new music for your Flute. Don't worry about
getting the songs down perfectly- just enjoy the process and magic of bringing forth
new music from your Flute. You can use any Flute tuned to the minor pentatonic scale
regardless of key.

All the music in the book has been transcribed using NAFM TABlature notation and
the FingerTab System© for the six-hole Flute. Many of the songs can be played on
the five-hole Flute. For further information on the NAFM TABlature notation
system please see "The Art of the Native American Flute" by R. Carlos Nakai and
James Demars. We have tried to keep the music as easy to read as possible.

Those already familiar with NAFM TABlature and standard music notation may skip
the following.

An alternate notation in the form of the FingerTab System© has been included to make
the songs more accessible to a wider range of players. The flute pictures are oriented
so that your view is the same as you get looking over your Flute at the Songbook page.

The number at the bottom of the flute picture tells you

how many counts to hold the note you are playing.

The duration of a count shorter than one beat is shown by a fraction indicating a
"feel" for how much shorter the count should be. Where the count is slightly longer

a + sign is used to indicate holding the note 1/2 count longer.

This sign  tells you to pause, the number or fraction underneath is for how
1
many counts to pause.

 
At the beginning of each song you'll see these signs  


You don't need to pay attention to the number of sharps- , these just indicate the Key
Signature, which is E Major. All songs written in the NAFM Tablature system are in
this key. The number that looks like a fraction is the Time Signature. That tells how
many counts are in a Measure, which is the space between the vertical lines on the
Staff. The Staff is the series of five horizontal lines the notes are placed on.
vii
When you see this sign- , called a "Tie" over two or more notes, it means that
you hold all the notes underneath it as one longer note for the number of counts shown.
A sign that looks like the "Tie" but is called a "Slur" can appear over two or more notes
that are at different pitches, meaning to play the notes in succession without tonguing.

 
example of a tie: 4 + 2

total counts 6

The Time Signatures found for the songs in this Songbook are:
 four counts/beats per measure

 counted as four beats per measure

 two counts/beats per measure

 three counts/beats per measure


 as three counts/beats per measure but faster

In some cases several notes are played within duration of one count/beat. These
are noted by the number and symbols \ 1 /, or \ - 1 - / underneath the corresponding
flute pictures for the notes.

Flutes made by different makers may vary in pitch and tuning. The Tablatures we
have used are not based on the actual pitch a Flute is tuned to, but the fingerings
for the various notes. Some Flutes may require an alternate fingering for some notes.
Experiment with your instrument to see if it requires changing the finger placement.
Some alternate fingerings are shown in the Alternate Finger Placement TABlature
page.

Again, don't worry about playing the songs exactly as written. The FingerTab
System© allows the flexibility for you to interpret the songs in your own style.

There are blank FingerTab System© Flute graphics with a notation/symbol explanation
at the back of this book for you to use to write your own songs. Enjoy!

viii
 Alternate Finger Placement TABlature
(6 hole Native American Flute)

NAFM TAB

            
     
TAB:

Alternate: variation Odell Borg

Alternate
G#1 Alternate for D Alternate for G#2 for A2

1984, Native American Flute Music/Atoka' Music Productions, ASCAP, POB 86477, Tucson, Arizona, 85754

ix
 The Songs
Page
Ata'-A-Kut 1

Beautiful is Our Lodge 2

Brothers Let Us Dance 3

Corn Planting Song 4

Down the Stream 5

Dream Song 6

H'Atira 8

Honor Song for a Warrior 9

Hunting Song 10

Hush, Little One 13

Kima Duinah 14

Kwakiutl Social Dance 16

Lonely is the Hogan 18

Muje Mukesin 19

Paddling Song 20

Rain Dance Song 21

Sleep, Sleep, Little One 22

Song of Greeting 23

Song of the Deer Dancing 24

Zuni Lullaby 26
Native American Flute
California Tribes Trad.

1/4 1/2+ 1/2 1 1/4 1/2+ 1/2 1 1/4

5

1/2 1 1/4 1/2

8

1 1/4 1/2 1

1
Native American Flute Ojibwe Traditional

1
5

1
9

1
12

1 3

2
Native American Flute Warm Springs Traditional

3 1/2 1 1/2 2

1/2 1 1 2

3
Native American Flute Hopi Traditional

1+ 1/2 1+ 1/4 1/4 1 1 1+ 1/2

4

1+ 1/4 1/4 1 2 2 4 1
8

1+ 1/4 1/4 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 1/2

11

2 1/2 1 1/2 1 1/2 4

4
Native American Flute Miwok Traditional

1/2 2
3

1/2 2
5

1/2 1 1/2 2
7

1/2 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 1 2

5
Native American Flute Iroquois Traditional

1/2

1+ 1/2 1/4 1/2+ 1+ 1+ 1/2 1/4 1/4 1/2

4

1/2

1/2 1/2 1/2+ 1+ 1+ 1/2 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/4 1/2+ 1+

7

10 1/2 1+ 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2+ 1+ 1+ 1/2 1/4 1/4 1/2

1/2

1/4 1/2+ 1+ 1/2 1 1/2 1/2+ 1+

6
2
13

1/2

1+ 1/2 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/4 1/2+ 1+

15

1/2 1+ 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2+ 1+

The smaller flute graphic represents a "grace note", which is played

quickly in passing to the next note and is optional.

7
Native American Flute Pawnee Traditional

1 1 1+ 1/2 2 1 1 1 2 1+
5

1+ 1/2 2 1+ 1/2 2 1+ 1/2 2 1+ 1/2 2 1+ 1/2 2

10

1+ 1/2 2 1+ 1/2 2 1+ 1/2 2

13

1 1 2 1+ 1/2 2

8
Native American Flute Ojibwe Traditional

1/2 1/2 1 1 2 2 1/2 1/2 1

7

2 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2

9
Native American Flute

3 1+ 1+ 1 1/2 1 1/2 1

1/2

5 1/2 1 1 1/2 1

1/2

8 1 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 1+

1/2

1/2 1 1/2 1 1 1/2 1

10
2
11

1/2

14 1 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 1 1/2

1/2

17 1/2 1 1+ 1/2 1 1 1/2 1

1/2

20 1 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 1/2 1

1/2

1/2 1

over
11
 3
21

1/2

1 1/2 1 1 1 1/2 1 1/2

12
Native American Flute
Yaqui Lullaby

1/2 1 1 1/2 1 1 1/2

5

1 1 3+ 1/2
11

1+ 1/2 1 1
15

2 1/2 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 1 1 1 2

13
Native American Flute
Play freely with no set time signature

1 4 1 3 1 1 3
2

1 2 1 2 2 2
3

1 1

1+ 1/2 4 1 1 4
4

1 1

1+ 1/2 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 3 2

14
2
6

1 1

1 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 1+ 1/2 4 2
8

1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

15
Native American Flute

1/2 1 1/2 1 1/4 1/4 1/2 1 1/2 1 1/2

7

1 1/2 2+ 1/2 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/2 3 1/2

14

1/2 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/2 3 1/2 1 1/2 1 1/2 2+

22

1/2 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/2 3 1/2

16
2
27

1/2 1/4 1/4 1/2 1/2 1+ 1+

17
Native American Flute

1/2 1 1+ 1/2 2
3

1 1/2 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 2 1/2 1 1+

6

1/2 2 1 1/2 1 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 2

18
Native American Flute Ojibwe Traditional

1/2 1/2+ 1/4 1 1 1/2 1/2+ 1/4

4

1 1 1/2 1/2+ 1/4 1 1

7

1/2 1/2+ 1/4 1 1

19
Native American Flute Lummi Traditional

1 1 2 1 2 1
5

2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 3 2 1
11

5 1 2 1 1 1 5 1
17

1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1 1 3

20
Native American Flute Zuni Traditional

1/2 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 1 1+ 1/2 2

5

1/2 1/2 1/2 1+ 1/2 2

21
Native American Flute Iroquois Traditional

4 2 1/2 1/2 2 2 2 1 1/2 1

6 1 1/2 1 1 1/2

1/2 1

22
Native American Flute Penobscot Traditional

1 1 1/4 1/2+ 1 1 1/4 1/2+ 2 2 1 1

7

1/4 1/2+ 1 1 1/2 1/2 2 2 1/2 2

13

2 1 1 1/4 1/2+ 1 1 1/2 1/2 2 2

23
Native American Flute Ojibwe Traditional

1/2 1 1/2 1/2 2 1/2 1

4

1/2 1/2 3 1/2 1/2 4 1/2 1/2 5

9

1/2 1 1/2 1/2 2 1/2

12

1 1/2 1/2 3 1/2 1/2 4

24
2
15

1/2 1/2 6

25
Native American Flute Zuni Traditional

1 1

1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2
7

1/2 1 1 1/2 1/2 1 1 1+ 1 1/2 1+ 2

26
 Writing Songs using the FingerTab System©

The FingerTab System© is a basic, simplified way of reading and writing music for the
Native American Flute. Here are some of the ideas and symbols used.

You can use the blank flute pictures included with this songbook or draw your own.

Fill in the open holes to show the fingering

you want for each note.
Place a number under the flute picture
to show how long the note will be played.

Use this symbol- 

between flute pictures to show a pause, or rest with a
number underneath telling for how long.

Use the "tie" or "Slur" sign- over the flute pictures to extend the
duration of a note or make different notes sound without tonguing them.
^
Use the
^ sign above a flute picture to show an accent, or more forceful
playing of the note. Use the sign above a flute picture to say to play softly.
You can also draw a line after either symbol continuing over any other notes you
want played that way in a passage.

You can put the Time Signature or what speed you want your song played in the
left margin at the start of the song. You could simply put "Fast", "Medium",
"Slowly", "Medium Fast", "Medium Slow" or whatever wording makes sense to you.
Use the margins for additional intructions. The songs in this book will help guide you.

Have fun, experiment, and most of all- enjoy the Magic of these wonderful
instruments.
FingerTab System©2004
FingerTab System©2004
 “Having fun...
The intention in creating this series of songbooks is to bring diversity and an
opportunity to experience different styles of play. Learning to play written
songs provides a tool to vary one’s playing style. We have all experienced
the frustration of getting stuck playing the same repetitive phrases over and
over again. It is challenging to break out of these patterns. Playing a writ-
ten song teaches different fingering patterns, varies timing, rhythm and
phrasing. This experience can enhance the creative improvisational skills by
putting more song creating techniques at ones disposal.”
Odell Borg

Songs Included -
• Ata’-A-Kut • Warrior Honor Song • Paddling Song
• Beautiful is Our Lodge • Hunting Song • Rain Dance Song
• Brothers Let Us Dance • Hush, Little One • Sleep, Little One
• Corn Planting Song • Kima Duinah • Song of Greeting
• Down the Stream • Kwakiutl Social Dance • Song of the Deer
• Dream Song • Lonely is the Hogan Dancing
• H’Atira • Muje Mukesin • Zuni Lullaby

Written in easy to use finger tablature

and in Nakai Flute Tablature

Native American Flute Iroquois Traditional

1/2

1+ 1/2 1/4 1/2+ 1+ 1+ 1/2 1/4 1/4 1/2