Irish Flute Tunes

This is probably the commonest of the several tunes bearing this name.  I can't for the life of me think why there are so many.  Anyway, it and flutes are reasonably at ease in each other's company.

Here's a popular jig which isn't too painful in the flute.  It has a sort of insistent rhythm about it which I think might be why people like it.  I'm sure it has other nice points about it as well, I'm just nor up to the task of describing them at the moment.

Here's a good, common tune. I'm sorry about playing it with a mouth filled with nettles but it should be OK for learning.  I took a sort of notion that I'd already put this tune on but I don't see it on the site anywhere.  Maybe it's the nettles.

Here's a reel that I don't know too much about (as you'll hear).  It might actually be called "The Huntsman's Course", or is he coarse??   Anyway, I think it's a nice tune.  I hope you do too.

Here are two reels which are common in sessions and hopefully suit the flute. You can also find a nice version of this tune, along with a wealth of music and information at Greg Bacon's music site http://www.baconworks.com/ It's definitely worth a visit.

The first one is also called "The Cedars of the Lebanon".  The second one is fairly common but deserves a bit more of a airing (despite the dodgy start here).

Here's a fairly common jig. I hope someone likes it.

I'm not referring to the number of lasses but to the number of tunes.  This one's maybe a bit more common than its namesake.

Here's a reel with the same name as another common reel.  I'll put the other one on soon.

Here's a reel that was made for the flute. It's a real South Sligo thing, even though Cloontia is in Mayo.  There's a version of this tune in Ceol Rince na hÉireann, Vol 2, number 195, transcribed from Sonny McDonagh's playing.

Here's a jig which is very popular with flute players all over Ireland.  I hope someone out there likes it too, whether they be in Ireland or elsewhere.

Here's a tune which just occurred to me.  I think it's usually associated with pipers (Leo Rowsome's name springs to mind for some reason) but It's handy enough on the flute.  It should be a common enough tune in sessions as well.  I hope it's OK.

Here's another common tune, again one which is well suited to the flute.

Here's a very common tune which is popular with people starting to learn the flute.  It's got a good melody for playing around with.

Another reel. Sorry sorry sorry.  My memory is faulty and can only remember reels at the moment.  It's getting harder to know whenever you're within a mile of Dublin these days.  It's getting to the stage when Dublin is within a mile of all of us.  Bye for now.

Here's a fairly common tune called something or other. It gets "Dang" or "Bang" between Jenny and the tapistrator. I'm neither sure about what happened between Jenny and the weaver, nor about what the proper term for a maker of tapestries might be. It's a nice tune anyway, I hope. I think it might be on a Bothy Band record somewhere.

Here's a reel (I'm sorry about so many reels) from Donegal. I heard it on a tape of Francie Byrne from Kilcar. I'll probably run out of tunes quite soon. It's easy enough to know a tune when other people start them but trying to conjure them up while looking at a computer is a bit of a challenge. If anyone has any tunes in mind which they would like to hear played on the flute, please please let m...

Today isn't one here, buíochas le Dia! This reel is nicer than the weather it describes.  It's worth digging out a recording of Séamus Ennis playing this tune.  In the meantime, here's a flute version to be getting along with.

I think this tune was made up by box and fiddle player Finbar Dwyer. It has a fiddly G sharp in the first part but is good therapy. Just to prove the point about the G sharp, I've made a mess of it myself in a couple of places. Please don't feel obliged to learn the messes. (24/04/07  - Just played this one again after hearing the state of the last try.  The messes are still there but I've moved t...

Here's a tune associated with the fiddle player Jimmy Lyons, who came from Teelin in Co. Donegal.

Here's a reel which Mary Bergin put on her record "Feadóga Stáin".  It is in CRÉ 3 (number 123).

Here's a jig which you'll find in CRÉ 3 (number 15). I think it's on a record of Sean Keane and Matt Molloy - Contentment is Wealth, where it is called Connie Connell's Jig.

Here's a well known reel. There's a version of in in Ceol Rince na hÉireann 3 (number 96). I'm not sure how close my version is.

I think this jig is on a record of Bobby Casey, a fiddle player from County Clare.

I've played this reel in A minor.  It's often played in E minor as well but A comes before E in the alphabet and E doesn't necessarily stand for "easier" at the moment. You'll here fiddle players playing this in A minor an octave lower in Donegal (if you're in Donegal listening to a fiddle session, that is).  Some of them call it the "Gweebarra Reel".