Irish Flute Tunes

I’ve also heard the first tune called “The Bench of Green Rushes” but what’s in a name?  The second tune is very popular and hopefully quite playable on the flute.

My flute is still sick.  It just got sick shortly after I started to put tunes on this site.  I’m not sure where cause and effect fits in or fit in here.  I’m heading off shortly to where a flute doctor lives and hopefully on my return things will be better.  In the meantime I’ll plough on with a few tunes now and again.

I hope some people are getting some use from this site.  If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks.

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Here’s the same jig a bit quicker plus one called the Luckpenny.

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Here’s a jig played slowly.  I don’t know its name.  It is in Ceol Rince na hÉireann 3, number 16

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Every time I ask someone the name of this tune they tell me that I have the wrong name.  I want it to be called by the name I’ve given it so I’ll keep asking.  I hope you like this tune and enjoy learning it.

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Here’s a reel.  Don’t know much about it but it’s quite a nice tune for the flute.

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Here’s the same highland as before plus another one called Tom Taylor’s or The Teelin highland.

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Here’s a highland.  I can’t remember it’s name but I think it would be quite easy to learn.  I’ve slowed it down a bit here.

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Here’s the previous tune plus a reel named after the Micko Russell from Doolin, Co. Clare.  I think I should have played the parts twice each.  It’s on Mary Bergin’s first tin whistle record if you want another version.

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Here’s a common reel, slowed down.  It’s probably a good one for learning as there aren’t too many scary bits in it.

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Another popular reel.

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This is a version of a reel which was composed by the flute player Vincent Broderick.

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Here’s a simple and slowed down version of a popular jig.

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The first tune is Con Cassidy’s Jig (another tune from the Teelin fiddle player) and the second is a slip jig which goes by several names.  The Leitrim flute player Packie Duignan called this tune “Dever the Dancer” or “Devro the Dancer”.

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Here’s a reel with a few F naturals. The flute still hasn’t forgiven me for attacking its cork with a kitchen knive. Flutilation.

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2 Reels. Having flute trouble. Just cut the cork in half with a kitchen knife. I’ll replace both cork and tunes when I get things sorted.

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Two common jigs. I know the name of the first one but wouldn’t bet on the second one really being Tobin’s, although I wouldn’t rule that out either.

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Same two tunes as before but a bit quicker - don’t know where the third one came out of.

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Two Common Reels played slowly.

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Here are the same tunes again, a bit quicker.

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Here are 2 popular tunes.  I’ve slowed them down here to make them easier to pick up.

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Here’s the last tune alomg with one in D to save metal fatigue in the F natural key.

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This is a version of Juila Delaney’s reel.  I never really played this on the flute, apart from in sessions with fiddle players.  There are a few holes in this version but I hope you’ll find that you can play along with more stringy people in a session with this setting.

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Here are 2 polkas which John McKenna recorded, as did lots of other people.  I’ve used a bit of helium with these ones.

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The first is based on a vague memory of a tape I have somewhere of the fiddle played Mickey Doherty.  The second is a reel recorded by one or more of Coleman / Morrison / Killoran (Michael / James / Paddy) in G minor.  I can’t remember it’s name; only that I don’t like playing it in G minor on the flute.

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Same tunes. “normal” speed.

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Here are a jig and a slip jig from the fiddle players Con Cassidy (Teelin, Co. Donegal) and James Byrne (Meenacross, Co. Donegal). I’ve slowed them down a bit here in case that helps people pick them up.  The first one is usually fairly leisurely anyway.

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The first one is Amhrán an Tae (The Tea Song) and I’ve called the second one “Denis Murphy’s”.  Considering the number of tunes the last Mr. Murphy knew, this title is usually a safe bet when you don’t know the actual name.

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The first tune is the House on the Hill. I think I’ve heard it called Miss Thornton’s as well. I Think I first got it from a recording of Packie Duignan from Roscommon. My mis-spent late youth has probably corrupted my version of it since then. The second tune is called the Ashplant (I think). I know very little about this tune apart from approximately haw it goes (or how to spell “how” it would appear.

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The first one is an E minor version of a tune Paddy Carty played in D minor. The second one might be called by the name I’ve given it. On the other hand …

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For Quinn’s reel see RTÉ CD of Pádraig O’Keefe and also Ceol Rince na hÉireann 2, number 171.

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