Native American Instruments
The Native American people used many different Native American instruments
for their different rituals, ceremonies, and celebrations. Some of the most
well known Native American instruments are the Native American drums, rattles,
and flutes. These were used in almost all of their tribal rites and the American
Indians crafted all of these instruments out of the many available materials
such as wood, bones, and animal hides for the drum skins. The tribes used
to adorn these Native American instruments with many different decorations
and they believed that each instrument would appease different spirits and
gods.
Some of the things that could be found on these instruments were things
like carvings on the sides of the drums, or feathers hanging from the flutes.
Certain beats and melodies that the Native American’s would play were
considered sacred and would only be played at certain times of the year. The
use of instruments was something that was seen among all of the Indian tribes
that once inhabited North America.
You can go to many Native American reservations and buy traditional Native
American instruments that are handcrafted like they have been for thousands
of years. On many of these Indian reservations you can see performances by
Native Americans playing these traditional Native American instruments. Music
was also played by some tribes for the mere purpose of entertainment, they
did still have certain sacred aspects of it, but they had many other songs
that would entertain for hours while telling stories and traditions of the
tribes at the same time. There are many stories of Indian folklore that were
passed on through the generations by these entertaining Native American songs.
There are also many Native American musicians that play modern day music such
as rock and roll and country on modern day instruments like the guitar, keyboard,
bass guitar and acoustic drum kits. There are many tribal traditionalists
that still perform and record albums of the generations old Native American
songs and still perform many of the ancient tribal rites and ceremonies, this
can also be seen on some of the modern day Indian reservations.
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