If you have a simple understanding of the concept of modal playing
(and other world music scales) you can very simply play several different
scales with out much effort by substituting half on fingerings (by taking your
finger off of half of a hole on the flute, the flute will then play a note that is a half step
higher (or lower depending on which one you pick)

Just try the natural pentatonic scale of the flute you have and then experiment with
either substituting a half open fingering for a close hole fingering or augmenting the scale by doing
the same thing.

You can find some really interesting alterations of the scale you have on your flute.

Additionally, experiment with overblowing to get pitch bends.

This happens a lot with instruments like the Japanese Shakuhachi or the Indian Bansuri flute.

by the way, if you enjoy your Native American flute, you can purchase really inexpensive bamboo flutes
(Bansuri) flutes in several different keys..............they only cost around $10-$20 each at places like
Rhythm Fusion or Lark In the Morning. They are very simple to play at first, though you need to
learn the over the hole technique (which only takes 10-15 minutes to get the hang of) that is used
in silver flute playing. these instruments have 7 note scales instead of 5 note scales so
that they are much more versatile for playing many different scales from different countries.

Additionally, I think that sometimes, an instrument is meant to do what it is meant to do. If you find yourself feeling limited
by a traditional Native American 5 note scale, then you can either find new ways to dig deeper into those beautiful five notes
or you can start learning to do things like double tongueing, trilling, overblowing, singing either falsetto, normal or gutteral bass notes
at the same time that you blow the flute, learning new rhythmic schemes that may be outside Native American traditions, differnent ways of holding the flute so that the air stream enters the chamber at different angles, using more breath in your sound, more noise elements, processing it through electronic devices including radical things like distortions, compressors,

Or you can go out and buy a recorder, or a bansuri flute or a glass flute or a silver flute or an ocarina or a clarinet or an oboe or a zurna
or, or, or, or, or.

*****************
this makes me think of a an old sufi tale about when a young person came to a master to ask them to play the flute in the sufi desert tradtion. It is said that the master would tell the young person to go out into the desert and play the flute on only ONE PITCH for two weeks. The kid was allowed to play only one pitch which meant that out of boredom they would have to see how much they could get out of the flute, timbrally, rhythmically, spiritually. It is then said that it the person had the discipline to do that for two straight weeks, then, and only then would the master concent to teach the person how to play.

Less is More!!!!!!!! You can always go much deeper with any instrument, especially when you hit it's limitations, technically or melodically.

Good luck!

I like this thread...

My only experience is from about 28 years ago in grade school playing recorders. It wasn't terribly indepth training and I never followed thru on it. I recently received a gift flute and I'm not even sure what type of flute it is...I'll try to take a pic an post it. I'm sure someone around here can identify it.

Anyway, I'm only up to the experimentation point and really have no understanding of scales other than they go up and down from high note to low note but I am enjoying just sitting and playing for my cat. I was hoping perhaps someone might have some basic beginner guide links perhaps that I could look at to get a better handle on which note corresponds to which hole and finger..that kind of thing.

I'll be popping in here to see what pointers get offered up in the meantime.

I do own and play a conga, but again I'm self taught and have no formal knowledge of technique...I enjoy the improv aspect of it and just allowing a beat to come to me and that's how I'm approaching my flute playing (if I dare call it playing yet...hehe)...

anyway, rambling a bit and just wanted to participate.

I'm glad this tribe is here...I look forward to learning more.

cheers all