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Welcome to
Four Winds Walking
Native American Flutes
By Jeff King
Important Notice
Please Read
After much thought and careful consideration, I have decided to suspend making flutes. This was not an easy decision, but I know it is the right decision. I am taking time to concentrate on personal matters and tend to my health.
I want to thank all of you that I have had the honor and pleasure of making a flute for.
I do plan on returning to the flute making community when the time is right.
Please support The International Native American Flute Association. The link is at the bottom of this page.
Blessings,
Jeff Windwalker King
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The flutes I make are concert tuned and suitable for recording artists and performers alike.
My flutes are center split and made from two halves glued together and a 7/8" bore. The basic shaping in done on a lathe, but the final shaping, sanding and finishing are all done by hand as I receive the orders. Rarely do I keep a lot of flutes in stock. I like to have at least some basic contact with the person with whom I am making the flute, even if it's only an order form or e-mail, so hopefully some of that individual's personality/spirit/soul will be reflected in the work I do for them. This may sound a little too Mystic for some, but it's how I work and it works well for me, and the flutes. I like to tell this up front, because some people are in a hurry and would be disappointed in having to wait. I loose a customer every once in a while because of this, but that is ok, that person was probably suppose to have someone else's flute.
Read Testimonials
The woods available are:
Eastern Red Cedar
Redheart
Contact me for the availability of Redheart, it's been a little difficult for me to get lately
Yellowheart
Ponderosa Pine
The keys available are:
F, F#, G, G# and A
The flutes are tuned using an electronic chromatic tuner and tuned to mode 1 in the pentatonic scale.
All flutes are sealed inside and out to help prevent splitting and cracking, and hand polished using 100% pure bees wax and are made to last a lifetime.
We accept 
now. My
user e-mail is birdwalksfar@yahoo.com, just click on the PayPal logo and log-on to
your account.
Don't forget to check out my "What's New" page.
I started making flutes because I was fascinated with the beauty of the music that came from the instrument. My first flute was a kit I purchased from Tom Stewart (thanks Tom). Once I completed the flute, that was it, I had to make more. After fumbling through and completing another kit, I had to figure out how they worked and how to shape a piece of wood so seemingly simple in design, and have it make that amazing sound. My first flute I made from scratch turned out beautifully, sounded great and I thought I found all there was to know about flute making. Sure, I was wrong.
One thing the flute has taught me is humility. It was a big lesson too. My first mistake in flute making was to believe that I had it all figured out. Anyone who makes flutes for any length of time will tell you it can be a humbling task, especially in the beginning. I have made a lot of Firewood Flutes over the years (read the story of Firewood Flutes on my site as told to me by fellow flute maker and friend, Randall Standing Horse Shreve). It is a long, methodical process that had a lot of highs and lows. But somewhere I found the middle. For me, the wonder and beauty of the Native American Flute is the simplicity in it's design. Yet, there are so many variables, tiny little things to consider. And if the design is a little off somewhere, it can wreck the voice of the flute in a heartbeat. But if you discover how to make the flute that has the Sound that is unmistakable, the Voice that sings so incredibly sweet, the perfect blend of Voice, Breath, Spirit and Wood, then a good thing has been discovered or revealed to you. That is what I strive for. Sometimes I find it, sometimes not. But as my flute making skills increase, it is easier to find. I'm still learning. I hope I never stop.
My mother's side of the family is part Cherokee and my ancestors walked the Trail Of Tears. I am not a member of a tribe. The flutes I make however, are made in a good way, with great respect, humility and care to preserve the tradition in which the flute was born and honor those who have made and continue to make the flute. For as long as I can remember, I have felt a strong connection to the Native American heart. I live as close, spiritually, as I can to this connection. A blood kinship is good, but for me, my heart and spiritual connection is what defines who I am. We are all spiritual beings living in a physical world for a short time. If you feel the flute you seek should be created by a Native American artist, I very much understand, and can recommend several great Native American flute makers. The flute world is blessed with many.
It is my prayer that I can contribute in whatever way I can to the cause of preserving the music and the love of the flute. Occasionally, I perform locally to promote the music and recently held a teaching for the local Homeschoolers network of which we belong. That was a blast! Little by little I am working on writing songs which I hope to record sometime in the near future.
Listen to your heart and share the music. It's good medicine!
Jeff King
CompanyPhone
Address
Four Winds Walking
Preston, Missouri 65732
Questions,
Information: CompanyWebmaster
Webmaster: CompanyWebmaster
Proud member of
INAFA
International Native American Flute Association
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