﻿IX 
  

  

  MUSIC 
  

  

  Instruments 
  

  

  The 
  drum 
  was 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  of 
  Omaha 
  musical 
  instruments 
  

   and 
  generally 
  accompanied 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  songs, 
  both 
  religious 
  and 
  

   secular. 
  The 
  large 
  drum, 
  called 
  ne'xegaku 
  (ne'xe, 
  "a 
  water 
  vessel;" 
  

   gaku, 
  "to 
  beat"), 
  was 
  made 
  from 
  a 
  section 
  of 
  a 
  tree 
  hollowed 
  out 
  

   and 
  partially 
  filled 
  with 
  water 
  containing 
  charcoal. 
  A 
  buffalo 
  skin, 
  

   dressed 
  or 
  undressed, 
  was 
  stretched 
  taut 
  over 
  the. 
  open 
  end. 
  A 
  drum 
  

   was 
  always 
  tuned 
  before 
  being 
  used 
  and 
  if 
  necessary 
  during 
  a 
  cere- 
  

   mony 
  it 
  was 
  tuned 
  again. 
  Tuning 
  was 
  done 
  by 
  tipping 
  the 
  drum 
  so 
  

   as 
  to 
  wet 
  the 
  skin 
  cover 
  from 
  the 
  water 
  within 
  and 
  then 
  drying 
  it 
  

   before 
  the 
  fire 
  until 
  it 
  yielded 
  the 
  desired 
  resonant 
  tone 
  in 
  response 
  

   to 
  the 
  tap 
  of 
  the 
  drumstick. 
  The 
  tones 
  were 
  full 
  and 
  clear 
  and 
  could 
  

   be 
  heard 
  at 
  a 
  great 
  distance 
  on 
  a 
  calm 
  day. 
  Drums 
  were 
  beaten 
  

   either 
  with 
  a 
  single 
  strong 
  stroke 
  or 
  with 
  a 
  rebounding 
  movement 
  — 
  

   a 
  strong 
  stroke 
  followed 
  by 
  a 
  light 
  one. 
  

  

  The 
  small 
  drum 
  {ne'xe 
  gakuithapka 
  — 
  bthagka, 
  "fiat") 
  was 
  made 
  by 
  

   stretching 
  a 
  skin 
  over 
  a 
  small 
  hoop. 
  This 
  kind 
  of 
  drum 
  was 
  used 
  by 
  

   the 
  "doctors" 
  when 
  attending 
  the 
  sick 
  and 
  in 
  magical 
  performances. 
  

   It 
  was 
  beaten 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  stick, 
  the 
  movement 
  being 
  a 
  rapid 
  tap- 
  

   ping 
  — 
  an 
  agitated 
  pulsation. 
  

  

  The 
  whistle 
  (nipude) 
  was 
  about 
  6 
  inches 
  long; 
  it 
  was 
  made 
  from 
  the 
  

   wing 
  bone 
  of 
  the 
  eagle. 
  It 
  had 
  but 
  one 
  opening 
  and 
  but 
  one 
  tone, 
  a 
  

   shrill 
  sound, 
  which 
  was 
  repeated 
  with 
  moderate 
  rapidity, 
  to 
  simulate 
  

   the 
  call 
  of 
  the 
  eagle. 
  This 
  instrument 
  was 
  used 
  only 
  in 
  certain 
  parts 
  

   of 
  the 
  Wa'wa" 
  ceremony. 
  

  

  The 
  flute 
  or 
  flageolet 
  (fig. 
  85), 
  nifude 
  tu 
  n 
  ga 
  (tu 
  n 
  ga, 
  "big"), 
  was 
  

   generally 
  made 
  of 
  cedar; 
  it 
  was 
  about 
  20 
  inches 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  an 
  

   inch 
  in 
  diameter. 
  The 
  holes 
  — 
  six 
  in 
  number 
  — 
  began 
  about 
  4 
  inches 
  

   from 
  the 
  lower 
  end 
  and 
  were 
  about 
  an 
  inch 
  apart. 
  The 
  stop 
  was 
  

   placed 
  5 
  or 
  5 
  J 
  inches 
  from 
  the 
  mouthpiece 
  at 
  the 
  end. 
  This 
  instru- 
  

   ment 
  had 
  a 
  flutelike 
  tone 
  but, 
  being 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  "rule 
  of 
  thumb," 
  

   lacked 
  accuracy 
  of 
  pitch. 
  To 
  be 
  acceptable, 
  a 
  flute 
  must 
  give 
  forth 
  

   a 
  full, 
  vibrating 
  tone 
  when 
  blown 
  with 
  all 
  the 
  six 
  holes 
  closed. 
  It 
  

   was 
  interesting 
  to 
  watch 
  men, 
  old 
  and 
  young, 
  take 
  up 
  a 
  flute 
  to 
  test 
  

  

  371 
  

  

  