Winds

Quena

Posted at July 20, 2013 | By : | Categories : Winds | 0 Comment

wi-quena-lrg

The quena is the traditional flute of the Andes. Traditionally made of bamboo, it has 6 finger holes, 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 his chin and lower lip, and blows a stream of air downward, along the axis of the pipe, over an elliptical notch cut into the end. This produces a very breathy or airy tone. Due to its use in the folk movement that grew during the 1960s and 70s, the quena is now a relatively common wind instrument in world music.