Description: The Kena is a open notched flute found in the Andean regions and countries of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, North-western Argentina to Northern Chile. The kena is one of the principle flutes of the Inca and Aymara peoples. The kena has been there since pre-colombian times.

Construction: , many shapes of the notch are found this can range from a U-shaped notch, a V-shaped notch. The materials traditionally have been cane or bone and in some cases of Condor bone which is considered sacred and is very rare. Some kenas due to a recent cultural / musical revival some kena's have been made from a high quality copper-gold allow these are expensive kenas be prepared to shell out $500.00 USD to $700.00USD my teacher Rene Hugo Sanchez tells me. Kenas are found in multiple number of different lengths and sizes but kena and kenacho are the most common sizes. Some kena's are quite ornate with anything from engravings, to cane-burning with a wire from a coat hanger heated over a fire. To adding semi-prescious gems or wrapping coloured thread around the instrument and so on. Much of these are marketed to the tourist market and are not often tuned that well. The professional quality kenas will cost you more but every cent is worth it if one is looking for such. Also the ease of play is much more noticed in a professional instrument.

Tunings: Other tunings in flats and sharps are available the chart I provide is for the standard diatonic tunings of the Kena. Some kenas in Patacumbo and other near by regions are tuned in .445 Hertz. Considerably higher pitch then the standard .440 hertz to which the kena is tuned to these days. In accompinament the stringed instruments them selves would be tuned to this pitch "San Pedro Band, 1972 is such an example".

Citations:Rene Hugo Sanchez.