Wooden Humanitone

Wooden Humanitone / Nose Whistle made from a solid single piece of wood.

Extremely versatile instruments used by Yagua Indians in Brazil.

Used to make a wide variety of exotic bird calls. they were also used communicate news through the rainforest.

They are carved from a single piece of wood.

The whistle is played by blowing air from the nose into the top hole while manipulating the tongue, lips and soft pallet to change the note while keeping an open mouth.

It’s easier than it sounds and is great fun.

You can get cheap plastic versions of these whistles called humanatones but they are a rubbish imitation of the real thing which we have here.

Size 6cm

Please note due to the hand made nature of the product, actual design may vary slightly from those pictured but all are the same style.

Heres a fun video of what can be achieved with a bit of practice.

We have lots of other woodwind instruments

This is not a toy – unsuitable for children

History

Nose whistles are traditionally used by various South American indigenous peoples of the Amazon rainforest, such as the Nambikwara. Representing fertility or of war some groups in Nambikwara, nose flute “that tãu sư” in Nambikwaran was not used as a ritual tool, and often a childs toy. In the opposite Piaroa used the tool “Chuvo” in Wotʰïha tivene along with other flutes in ritual situations where he represented manhood, and played during the war. Despite their ethnic origins, the models were developed and patented in the 19th and 20th centuries. James J. Stivers, co-founder of Humanatone, is credited with coining the “Humanatone”. The view from new York, hes whistling nose was made of tin plates. Today, whistles of the nose are often sold as childrens novelties and is made of plastic, while the enthusiasts are using to change the tools for more convenient use by adults, and better sound. Using wax to extend the Cup nose for adults large jaws is one of such methods

Acoustics

The nose blows the air into the tools open Cup of the nose, where it is directed through the duct in the direction of the sharp edge of the fipple, which is located above the players opening the mouth. The location of the edge helps to create a vortex which excites in the acoustic field in the players mouth. The pitch and tone changes then the musician through the movement of their mouth and tongue, and also by varying the air flow and, possibly, through a small hole in the plate for the tremolo. Since the oral cavity is the functional resonance chamber defining a tonality of the instrument, as opposed to the volume of the chamber is changed by the holes or buttons, like in the case of flutes and recorders, whistle nose produces tones along a glissando.

We sell a wide variety of other hand percussion, drums and musical instruments from around the world.

Our items are fairly traded and difficult-to-find items. We source every item personally in the country.