Off the Beaten Path

This is my second album, and here the emphasis was on writing music for the “unusual”…time signatures, special drones, diatonic flute, suling, bansuri, xiao, huaca, harmony flutes, basketmaker flute and “silk road” flute. And one bit of flute-world humor.

Fall River Road: This is one more tribute song dedicated to a place in Rocky Mountain National Park: its original tourist road, reaching from Horseshoe Park to the Alpine Visitor Center. It’s now a one-way dirt road that twists and winds as it rises. Written in 5/4 meter. Flute in the key of F#, Big Leaf Curly Maple.

Huaca Huaca: The Huaca is a type of triple Ocarina, rather large in this case. This piece was an improvisation on the Huaca (which means “sacred”), and is meant to be contemplative. This particular Huaca, made of terracotta clay, is tuned to a minor pentatonic scale. Huaca is in the key of G (the equivalent of a bass G Native American style flute).

My, Oh Mayan: This piece uses a Harmony Flute, also known as a Mayan Double Flute (therefore the name). This two-chambered flute has three finger holes and a thumb hole on each side, and each side is tuned to its own pitch, thus fingers do not normally move in unison across the two sides. Flute in the keys of D/A (D being the lower pitch), Spalted Maple.

The Caravan: This flute has a “phrygian dominant” scale, which you know as a “Middle Eastern” type of musical scale. I wanted to write a piece specifically for this flute, which is a “rim-blown” flute, making it more challenging to play. Silk Road Flute in the key of E, Tiger Maple; and a terracotta clay drone, key of E.

Reflections on a Lake: Staying in the “rim-blown” flute mode, this piece showcases the unique sound of the basketmaker flute (formerly called an Anasazi Flute). This flute was made to resemble the flute found in a cave in New Mexico, the earliest known playable prehistoric flute. Flute in the key of B-flat, Hard Maple.

One Flute, Three Voices: This piece showcases a triple drone flute; one with a twist on the typical design. One chamber, used as a drone, has a single hole that makes it an “alternating” drone. The melodic chamber’s third hole down is small to create a little different scale, and the third chamber is only the lowest three holes of a typical Native American style flute. Flute in the key of A, Aromatic Eastern Red Cedar.

Bamboo-zled: This song features a Suling, an Indonesian flute in the Sundanese scale. Part of the song involves a Bansuri, a flute associated primarily with India. Both are made of Bamboo, thus the title. Suling is in the key of G#/B, the Bansuri is in the key of G.

A Fourth Dimension: This piece features yet another Harmony Flute. This flute has its two chambers pitched a musical fourth apart, thus the title. Same challenges of playing this as there are with the flute used in “My, Oh Mayan.” Flute in the key of E/A (E is the lower pitch), Alaskan Yellow Cedar.

Canyons of the Mind: This piece features a diatonic flute (one that’s tuned to the major scale). The flute part is improvised, with sensitivity to the digital delay used to create the deep canyon effect. Flute in the key of E, Old Growth Spruce, and a diatonic drone in the key of E, Mahogany.

In the Cottonwoods: This piece showcases a special drone flute, where the drone side is in one key and the melodic side is in another key. The voices you hear are Native American chants sung by Native Americans and recorded with their permission. If you find use of these chants to be offensive or off color, my apologies to you. The object is to demonstrate the beauty of the chants and how the flute complements them. Flute in the key of A (bass drone) and D (melodic), Mahogany, and a high D flute, Alaskan Yellow Cedar.

Jasmine’s Lament: I wanted to create a piece that features a Chinese Xiao, which this does. Accompaniment is with a special Chinese instrument known as a Guzheng. There’s some added cello, as well. Flute in the key of G/D (G being the root), Black Walnut.

Oops - Sorry!: Finishing with this bit of humor dedicated to all of us who’ve been on the “flute journey”. We all had to start somewhere, and those who have been on this journey recognize the time we would have interrupted a lesson or performance with this phrase. Three flutes in this one: Mid A, Aspen; Mid E, Western Red Cedar, Bass A, Coastal California Redwood. 

All songs composed, arranged, performed, recorded and produced by Tom Farber.

Mastered by Joseph L. Young

Copyright 2011-2024, Thomas Farber and Glacier Gorge Music (ASCAP)

All Rights Reserved.  Unauthorized duplication is a violation of all applicable laws.

Flutes used in these songs are made by:
Nash Tavewa, Flutes by Nash
J.P. Gomez, Heartsong Flutes
Geoffrey Ellis, Ellis Flutes
Miguel Medina, Singing Tree Flutes
Colyn Petersen, Woodland Voices Flutes
Nikamanu Flutes (Suling)
Mukund Lekurwale, One World Flutes