Quena. Wood with Bone master Quilla. 440 Hz

Quena. Wood with Bone master Quilla. 440 Hz

100% fair traded

Length: approx. 35 cm

This quena is tuned in G, with the lowest note an A

Single copy

Our instruments are tuned and tested. Please import the instruments slowly so that you can get used to the vibrations. Since the instruments can be damaged by the resulting moisture when playing and possibly during storage (depending on the humidity in the room), we recommend treating them with recorder oil every now and then. You can get this in any good music store.

The Quena (Kena) is a flute that has its origins in the Andean regions of South America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina). The beginnings of this instrument are lost in the pre-Inca period (approx. 4000 years). The first instruments were made of bones and bamboo and had a different number of holes. In the beginning the flute had 4-7 holes. The material used to build the flutes was mostly bamboo. Animal and human bones, clay and condor feathers are also known as materials.

The flute was designed for pentatonic melodies. They were used both for everyday use, when ordering the field, harvest festival, weddings and other celebrations as well as in wars. Pedro de Cieza de Leon wrote: "... when they went to war, they carried horns, drums, flutes and other instruments."

Bone Quena. Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia (Peru)

Later, after the introduction of several holes, fork handles and half-covers of the holes, it was expanded to a chromatic scale that spans two octaves. (Bottom left: quenches). Today the instrument is used in all traditional ensembles throughout Latin America. The instrument can also be played virtuoso and in addition to the semitones it is also possible to create quarter tones to increase the expression possibilities.

The modern instruments are made of wood, but they cannot be compared to the flutes made of bamboo. That is why bamboo is still used. The cheaper version made of PVC is used for work in schools. The costs for this are very low, so the children are introduced to traditional music in a playful way.