In warfare they often gave way to cannibalism.
Though extremely fond of singing--they sang when they were merry; when they thought they were going to die; when they were victorious in hunting, love, or war; when they were defeated; when they were paddling a canoe or sewing a moccasin--they had but a poor range of musical instruments.

Most of the tribes used flutes made out of the wing bones of cranes or out of reeds, and some had small trumpets of wood, bark, or buffalo horn.

The Pacific coast Indians made gongs or "xylophones" out of blocks or slabs of resonant wood.
Here is a specimen of Amerindian singing.

It is the song which accompanied the famous Calumet dance in celebration of the peacemaking qualities of tobacco-smoking.

It was taken down by the Jesuit missionaries in the seventeenth century from the Ilinwa (Illinois) Algonkin Indians of the middle west, and its notation reminds one of Japanese music.
[Musical notation and words: THE CALUMET OR TOBACCO-PIPE DANCE Ni-na-ha-ni, ni-na-ha-ni, ni-na-ha-ni na-ni on-go; Ni-na-ha-ni, ni-na-ha-ni, ni-na-ha-ni ho-ho; ni-na-ha-ni, ni-na-ha-ni, ni-na-ha-ni, Ka-wa ban-no-ge at-chi-cha Ko-ge a-ke a-w[-a]; Ba-no-ge a-chi-cha sha-go-be he, he, he! Min-tin-go mi-ta-de pi-ni, pi-ni he! A-chi-cha le ma-chi mi nam ba mik-tan-de, mik-tan-de pi-ni, pini he!] Ninahani, &c, ongo; ninahani, &c, hoho; ninahani, &c.
Kawa bannoge atchicha Koge ake aw[-a]; Banoge atchicha shagobe he he he! Mintingo mitade Pini pini he! Atchicha le machi mi nam ba miktande, Miktande pini pini he! Dancing was little else than posturing and jumping in masks--usually made to look like the head of a wild beast.