Wayunki: Various Scales

Description How to Play: The instrument includes a stick/mallet that is used to play it. However, the reeds can be vibrated in different ways and materials, and it is up to your imagination how you play it. At the opposite end of the instrument from the reeds is a hole that fits onto the mouth. It serves to frequency modulate the tone and create a wah-wah effect similar to a hum. The best result is achieved if the mouth is placed close to the opening. The desired effect of “articulating” the sound is achieved by changing the size and shape of the oral cavity. That is, by all kinds of movements and twisting of the mouth, including the use of the tongue and the entire jaw. Each fundamental frequency of the tone has its own size or shape of the cavity, when it is reached, it will resonate and this frequency will be noticeably amplified. Thus, for each Wayunki tone, a specific cavity setting can be picked up to amplify a specific fundamental frequency of the tone. Each tone also has its aliquot frequencies, which are a multiple or divisor of the fundamental frequency. So, if one reed is sounded, these frequencies sound all at once, and by changing the shape of the oral cavity, these frequencies alternately become stronger and weaker. This produces the desired effect. The information is purely theoretical for supplementation. It may come in handy, but you can easily forget about it when playing intuitively Tuning: Wayunki is tuned to 6 notes that always come from the same scale. This ensures that the entire instrument sounds in one harmony, meaning that it is impossible to play a “false” or dissonant note. Even with this, the instrument is destined by its simplicity to everyone who is attracted by its sound. Playing is purely intuitive and anyone can do it. All tunings in which Wayunki is produced are the result of an intuitive selection process. Not every progression of tones, even if it is based on one scale, sounds pleasant on Wayunki, and some scales cannot even be implemented in such a way that the result is satisfactory. Wayunki has 6 notes, the combinations given are chords to create atmosphere and tuning, rather than any specific melodies to be played. Each tuning has a specific mood and brings different qualities and types of energies. The qualities of different tonal progressions are dealt with in more detail in the Indian science of ragas. In our western environment, for better orientation, we assign each tuning intuitively to the individual natural elements of the four directions of the shamanic wheel: Fire, Water, Earth, Air. F# Minor Scale (Water)A Minor Scale (Water)G Major Scale (Air)G/C Minor Scale (Fire)A/D Minor Scale (Earth)G/C Major Scale (Air)