Irish Flute Tunes
Irish Flute Tunes
Michael Clarkson
Traditional Irish Tunes Played on the Flute ([email protected])
Introduction
04 June 2023 - I've just noticed that the index has been upgraded from 'Muddled Up' to 'Deleted'.  I am in the process of adding the tune types to a drop down list at the top of the page. This process is incredibly boring (or maybe just predictably boring) - it's definitely boring anyway - and will take me a while. In the meantime you can browse the site page by page or just search for tune titles. Thanks, Michael.       **** Tune Index all Muddled up ****   I've just posted a tune here for the first time in months. While I was on the site I noticed that the tune names are no longer in alphabetical order. I think they are now in chronoligical order. If you just type Ctrl +F and then put in the tune name, or part of the name,  it will take you to the link for that tune if it is on the site.   *** Some recordings not playing ***   Some recordings go missing from this site from time to time; the internet seems to suffer from memory laspses jist like the rest of us. If you find that a recording doesn't play, please let me know. I have the recordings backed up somewhere (though I'm not sure where) and as a last resort I think I might be able to find some of the tunes in my head and somehow transfer them from there back onto the site.               Hello. This site contains recordings I have made as a source of tunes for people who play the flute, or other instruments for that matter. They are often just versions of tunes as I remember them. My memory isn’t the best so in some cases I cheat and find the dots online. In some cases the online versions and the dots inside my head aren't quite the same so there may be a sort of 'average' appearing. I usually play the tunes once through slowly to make them easier to learn, then I have a bit of a run at them to give another view of them. I hope this approach is OK. If anyone has any comments, or tune suggestions, please get in touch ([email protected]). Thanks, Michael Clarkson (Belfast, Luxembourg and on the Dublin-Belfast Aircoach).    Slowing Down Tunes   Just in case the tunes on this site aren’t dull enough, you can slow them down using recent versions of Windows Media Player (I’m sure there are plenty of other ways of doing this too).   In Windows Media player click Now Playing at the top of the screen then pick Enhancements and then Play Speed Settings. There is a nice range of speeds displayed but I can only get the half speed one to work. That’s probably enough to be getting on with in any case.
May 14
4 min
Jimmy Neary's Jig
Here's a tune I learned from a recording of the Chicago fiddle player Johnny McGreevy. The session.org call it "By Golly". I was  surrprised to see "By Golly" written on the "session" site without an exclamation mark. So surprised that I nearly said "OMG!!!!!!!!!!".      There's more information about the tune and the Jimmy Neary (and it's played properly!) at https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/457.
May 14
1 min
The Wexford Lasses
I might have posted this tune under a different name in the days before AI, but here it is anyway, along with computer generated triplets in the picture below, to go with the flute generated ones in the recording. Sorry if the notation is a bit truncated and twisted. That's all my free Chatgpt account would give me. The rest of the notes are here: Wexford Lasses notation.
Apr 7
2 min
John Egan's Reel
Here's a second post for this Olympic-length posting period. A sensible reel without much musical tautology. Rare enough in our times.   My new (cheap) phone can't seem to handle anything louder than a sigh so the recording is a bit distorted. No harm: I can hide my dodgy tone behind the buzzing. I've been keeping my flute and my mouth in a cupboard for over 9 years so rich resonances are rare in my reels. Or in anything else I do.   John Egan's Reel (thesession.org)
Mar 3
2 min
The Crib of Perches (reel)
I was just reminded yesterday of the existence of this Irish Flute Tunes site by getting my annual subscription receipt from Podbean. So, I thought I might as well put a tune on it to get my money's worth.  I played this one on a very reliable Rob Forbes flute which I got off eBay a little while ago. My wooden flutes are also reliable but my ability to find them is less so. I'm in Belfast at the moment, on holiday from Luxembourg, so (another "so") I'm allowed to play the flute as it's not illegal here. I'll be back in Belfast FOREVER from 1st May. So ... I might go into work retirement and come out of flute retirement. So... À bientôt ...     The Crib of Perches (as "The Session" has it)
Jan 27
2 min
The Wren Hornpipe
Here's another tune from O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland. I hadn't noticed it before, despite its being there since 1907. I don't remember ever seeing a wren either. Maybe because they're so small.
Jun 4, 2023
2 min
Clarkson’s reel
Tune number 748 from O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland - 1001 gems  There are 1000 tunes in this book with better names but only some of them are better tunes.
Apr 7, 2020
2 min
The Cat in the Corner (jig)
O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland tune number 129   I probably would have been better getting the cat to play it.
Mar 25, 2020
1 min
The Day We Paid the Rent (reel)
I play this tune by direct debit.
Mar 24, 2020
1 min
The Tongs by the Fire (jig)
Here's another tune from Francis O'Neill's 'Dance Music of Ireland - 1001 Gems'. My understanding of 'gem' in today's context is a tune without syncopation and notes keeping close company with other notes they don't get on with.
Mar 22, 2020
2 min
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