How to Make a Wooden Quena - South American Native American Flute

The quena is the traditional flute of the Andes. Traditionally made of cane or wood, (and sometimes a leg bone) it has 6 finger holes and one thumb hole, and is open on both ends. To produce sound, the player closes the top end of the pipe with the flesh between the chin and lower lip, and blows a stream of air across a notch cut into the end (or mouthpiece), similar to the way one would produce sound by blowing into a drink bottle. It is normally in the key of G, with G4 being the lowest note (all holes covered).

In this video, you will learn one of the ways to make a traditional quena using modern tools. Caution is advised whenever heavy or dangerous shop tools are involved and in no way are we condoning that an inexperienced wood worker try this without proper safety measures or supervision.

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