From the Finnish Forests to the Hills of KwaZulu-Natal: The Story of Two Flutes

It is a fascinating phenomenon in ethnomusicology: two cultures, separated by over 10,000 kilometers, developed almost identical musical instruments. In the North, we have the Finnish Pitkähuilu (long flute, willow flute, overtone flute). In South Africa, the Zulu people have the Umtshingo.

One Acoustic Principle, Two Different Worlds

Both the Finnish overtone flute and the Zulu Umtshingo operate on the same physics: they have no finger holes. The melody is created entirely by varying the blowing pressure and opening or closing the end of the tube with a finger.

This technique unlocks the Natural Harmonic Series (overtones) — the ”pure” scale of nature.

Comparing the Pitkähuilu and the Umtshingo

While the musical soul is the same, the materials reflect their respective environments:

Feature	Finnish Pitkähuilu	Zulu Umtshingo
Material	Traditionally willow or pine wood	Traditionally local reed (umhlanga) or bark of the gabbage tree (umsenge)
Scale	Natural harmonic Series	Natural harmonic Series
Finger holes	Only the bottom end of the flute	Only the bottom end of the flute
Modern materials	PVC plastic, wood	PVC plastic, wood

Bringing the Traditions Together

At overtoneflute.fi, we celebrate this global connection. Whether you call it an willow flute, seljefløyte, pitkähuilu, koncovka or an umtshingo, the language of the harmonic series is universal. It is a reminder that despite the distance, we all play the same song of nature.

Universal Melody: Because Nordic overtone flute melodies (which you can find on this website) follow the harmonic series (overtones), they can also be played on the Umtshingo and other similar instruments. Both instruments utilize the same natural scale overtones (partials 4–12), making them perfectly compatible.

Listening tips (umtshingo): Dizu Plaatjies

Sources:

Kirby, Percival R. (1934). The Musical Instruments of the Native Races of South Africa. Oxford University Press. London.

Mandela, Tandile (2005): The Revival and Revitalization of Musical Bow Practice in South Africa. Dissertation, University of Cape Town.

Leisiö, Timo (1983). Suomen ja Karjalan vanhakantaiset puhallinsoittimet. Suomen etnomusikologinen seura.