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3 T153 DDflSTVDD 1
FUN WITH FLUT€S
BY DAVID DUSHKIN
BOOK D€SIGN AND ILLUSTRATIONS
BY ALFR€D D. ST€RG€S
TH€ UNIV€RSITY OF CHICAGO PR€SS
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
NOTICE
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PUBLISHEDDECEMBER1934. COMPOSEDBYTHEUNIVERSITYOFCHICAGO
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FOR6WORD
# ThisbookisoneofthemostoriginalcontributionsthatIhaveeverseentowarddevelopingalove
formusicamongyoungpeople. Itdemonstratesadeepunderstandingofchildpsychology. Thelittle
flute which the author has designed is described therein so charmingly thatevery child will want to
learn how to play it, and this will be a wonderful starting-pointfor the child's musical development
inmanydirections. Iamconvinced thattheauthorofthisbook, Mr. DavidDushkin,hasdeveloped
animportantnewapproachwhichwillhaveanexcellentinfluenceonthemusicalfutureofourcountry.
Walter Damrosch
INTRODUCTION
Thisbookisthefirstofaseriesplannedtopresentatypeofinstrumentwhichcanbetaughtinashorttimetoyoungorinex-
perienced people, and which, in some cases, can be builtby them in theirhomes orschools.
• Itistheauthor'sbeliefthatinstruments easy toplayandyetcapableoftruly musical tonewouldgofartoward solvingthe
problemofmanythousandsofyoungAmericanswhowouldotherwisefeelthatmusicisnotforthem, becausetheylackthe time
orthatqualityoftalentnecessarytoplayadequatelysuchinstrumentsastheviolin,cello,clarinet,etc. Inadditiontothis, the
influenceofsuchinstrumentsuponyoungchildrenintheirfirstmonthsofmusicstudyhasbeenfoundvaluable. Obviously,an
instrumentuponwhichtheycanplaymelodiesalmostfromthefirsttry,whichtheycanbuild themselves,and which they can
enjoyinthecompanyoftheirplaymates,willquicklyendearitself. Usedinthisway,itisapttoserveasan ideal preparation or
accompaniment to the study of any of the major instruments.
9
While the flute alone is discussed indetailhere, thereisattheendofthebookabriefdescriptionoftwootherinstruments
which are also now beingmanufactured,1 and for which the texts are beingprepared. Teachers who wish to use these instru-
mentsinconnectionwiththeflutewillfindthatmuchofthemusichasbeenarrangedsothatitcanbeplayed on all three, either
soloorincombination,aswellasonthepiano. Ifthepiecesinthisbookarefoundtobetoo difficultor tooeasy, theauthorwill
begladtosuggestadditionalappropriatematerialuponrequestthroughthepublishers. Hewillalsointhiswaybeableto an-
swerquestionsconcerningthe makingof the fluteor the mannerofplayingit.
IwishtoacknowledgewiththanksthehelpgiventomeintheearlystagesofthisbookbyMissLouiseMohroftheWinnetka
PublicSchools,alsototheteachersoftheGlencoePublicSchools,theChicagoLatinSchool, and theFrancis ParkerSchool, in
whichImademyfirstexperimentsintheusesofthisflute. IamverygratefultoMissElizabethWilder,who helped merevise
the text.
1BytheWurlitzerGrandPianoCo.
TH€ STORY
OF TH€ FLUT€
® Long,longagobeforetherewereanyhousesin theworld,somemenoneeve-
ningsataroundafireinagreatcave. Manyofthemhadcurleduponthe ground
CHAPT€R ON€ and fallen asleep. Some were talking together. They were cavemen, and they
weretiredbecausetheyhadbeenhuntingalldayintheforestwiththeirstoneaxes
andflint-headedspears. Theyworeclothesmadeofskins,andnoneofthemhad
everhadhishaircut. Noneofthemknewhowtoreadandwrite,buttheycould
tellstoriestoeachotherastheysataroundthefire. Theyalsoknewhowtodraw
beautifully;onthewallsoftheircavestheypaintedpicturesoftheanimalstheysawintheirwanderingsthroughtheforests.
9
Oneofthehunterswasplayingwithalongslenderleg-bone. Itwasbareofmeat, and ithadlain nearthefireuntil itwas
dryinsideandout. Themanpokedatthehollowcenterofthebonewithasmallstickuntilitwasquiteclean. Itwassosmooth
andwhitethathethoughthemightscratchapictureofafatdeeron it. Then somethingexcitinghappened. Henoticedthat
whenheblewonit,itmadeasurprisingwhistlingsound,likethewindinthebranches,orlikeavoice.
9 Heshowedittohisfriends,andtheywereverypleased,too. Theyhuntedfornicelong,hollow,straightbonesandtriedto
makeflutesforthemselves. Perhapsweshouldnotcareforthesoundofthesefirstlittleflutesofbone. Buttheyweretheonly
onesthecavemenhadeverheard,andtheythoughtthemveryfineindeed. Oftenwhentheywerefullofsadnessorofjoy they
playedonthem. Theylikedthesoundoftheirflutessomuchthattheyimaginedeventhebeastsoftheforestwouldcomeout
tohearthem. Theyputskinsovertheirheadsso thattheanimalswouldnotrecognizethematfirstandbefrightened. Then
theypiped on theflutes, and theanimalscameoutoftheirhidingplaces. Thatiswhatthecave man who made thedrawing
onthenextpageshowsus. Canyoutellwhich isthemanandwhich is thegoat, andwhichis thebuffalo? Eventothisday,
inpartsofAfrica,peoplehuntinjustthisway.
9
Astimepassed,peoplelearnedtomakeflutesmorecleverly,justastheylearnedtomakewovenclothes,earthenpots,and
houses ofmud-bricksandwood. Theylearnedthatbypiercing several holes in the sideofthe flutetheycould makedifferent
soundsandevenplayatune. Theyhadveryfewtools,buttheyexperimentedtoseewhatmaterialwouldmakethebestflute.
Sometimes they molded a hollow tube of damp clay, and then hardened it over a fire. Reeds and bamboo stalks were very
useful,becausethey camealready hollowed out.
9 Ifyoushouldmakeafluteyourself, nomatterhow sweetitsounded, you wouldprobably wantto make anotherandstill
betterone. Ithasbeen thatwaywitheverybodywhohastried tomakeflutes. So, littlebylittle, peoplelearned agreatdeal
aboutthem. Ifonemandiscoveredaverygoodwayoffixingtheendofhisflute,hetoldittohissons,andtheytoldittotheir
sons,sothatflutesweremadebetterandbetter.
J
# InEgyptmenbecameveryskilfulinflute-making. Theyknewhowtomakehandsomeinstrumentsofrarewoodsandcostly
materials,likegoldandivory. Evenso,itwasveryhardworktomakeafluteinthosedays. Rememberthattheyhadfewtools
andno machinery to help them. The tools they used were nothalfas good as thoseyou can buy in anyhardwarestorenow.
Itsometimestookthemdaystomakeanddecorateasimpleflutewhichyoucanyourselffinishinafewhours. Thatiswhyit
happenedthatsomemenbegan tospendall theirtimeinmakingflutes. Therewereotherpeoplewholovedtoplayflutes, al-
though they didnotknowhow to make them. So they boughtthem oftheflute-makers. Itwasmuchmoreconvenientto do
that, and theycouldbe sureofgettingafineflute. Butinanotherway itwas toobad, becausemakingyourfluteisfun, too,
and youcan make itjustthewayyou like.
# The Egyptians had a great deal of beautiful music. They TH€ HUNT€R PLAYS HIS FLUT€
had not learned how to write it down, however, so we can only ^
guess how it sounded. Even today in Egypt you can see flute-
players sitting on the street-corners, ready to play for anyone
whowants tolisten.
# LookatthetwopicturestheEgyptiansmadeofboyslearning ^^#ggf^^B ^^^^^mMM
toplay theflute. Oneofthem isevidently doingverywell. But 1 -5CT
theothermusthaveneglectedtopracticehismusic-lesson,forhe um
^0%
seems to be playing so badly that his teacher has put his hand
overhisearinprotest. Youcanseewhatfine,straight,longflutes
they had. You can see also that these two flutes are different.
Oneisblownattheendandheldoutstraightinfront,whilethe I'^B
otherisblownattheside. 1 i
# TheGreeks,too,wereveryfondofthemusicofflutes. There
was hardly an occupation or a profession that did notcall upon
[Kr**™
theflute-playerandhisartfrom timetotimetohelpinitscere-
monies. The flute-players used to stay in the market-place, so P^\2
thatwhenyouwereorderingthechickenandthecheeseandthe
lis,
nutsforyourdinner-partyyoucouldordertheflute-playerstoo. mm
Theyalwayshadthemusicofflutesatweddings, andatdances,
and atthetheater, and in processions, and in the temples. hlli
