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[T Witko]

My first almost complete bird bone whistle. I went out for a bit this afternoon and just about passed it by, thought it was just another broke bone. After getting the dirt cleaned out of it I got to re-introduce it's voice back to the ND wind. What a thrill when I got it to whistle. (I didn't know my camera was set on B/W until after I picked it up in the insitu).

I also picked up the bone flaker and the shell ornaments today. The rest is Saturday's stuff.

 

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[T Witko]

Rasp

yes you run a bone across the rasp
and it mades a beat like sound.
but it could be just decoration too.
the rasp is the oldest musical instrument .

Rasps: A very common Southwestern Indian musical instrument, the notched rasp or scraping stick. Numerous rasps have been found at prehistoric sites and continue to be used in modern ceremonies of Southwestern tribes. Hopi rasps are used for the Turtle Dance. During the Niman Kachina ceremony, the going-away of the gods, these are played by the women while the men dance. The rasp is often used for kachina dancing and is associated with grinding. The rasp is also used to produce the croak of a frog to call for rain.
http://http://www.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/cultural-traditions/10-native-american-music-traditions3.htm

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Thank you, very helpful and interesting information. Initially I thought the has marks were decoration because we find other bone tools and such with similar markings. After reading what you and others here mention rasp, I got to playing while rubbing the bone flaker I found close by back and forth over the cuts. It actually warbled - just a slight vibrato, but noticeable. I was talking with Steve on the phone when I was experimenting with it - he heard it too. I've also found that rubbing a certain way will add a ghost note or second note along with the main note.
Steve and I are working getting some that he has playable and then will figure out how to share their voices.

 

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[T Witko]

Very nice whistle, I would like to hear it's voice sometime and I really do like your B/W pics of it! CR

Steve has a number of them and we'll get some recorded.soon. We'll be happy to let you hear what they sound like.

 

[larson1951]

Steve has a number of them and we'll get some recorded.soon. We'll be happy to let you hear what they sound like.

yup we will

 

[rock]

It would be cool to see a video of you two playing them with sound on here.

 

[T Witko]

very nice! I like the thought of hearing the sound again after who knows how long silent. What is the rasp part? I would have thought just decoration. would one have drawn something across the rasp while blowing on the whistle?

Initially I thought the lines were decorations also but after Tears of the Moon mentioned rasp, I experimented with it. I was amazed when it warbled when you rubbed a certain way. Also you can get another pitch kind of like two notes at the same time if you find the sweet spot while rubbing across the marks.
I'm working on getting a few of Steve's whistles to whistle and we will post a video of how they sound in the near future.