Irish Flute Tunes

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 just versions of tunes as I remember them. My memory isn’t the best so some of the versions and the titles might be a bit astray but hopefully they’ll be of some use. I’ve tried to play the tunes slowly first and then at a quicker pace so that they can be of use to a variety of players. I’ll keep recording more tunes whenever I get a chance. If there are days without new posts, that doesn’t necessarily mean I’ve given up. I’ll always get back in a while.

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 (iflute@googlemail.com). Thanks,

Michael.

(The tunes are split over a number of pages to stop the pages being too slow to load. To go to the next page, please click on Previous Entries at the bottom of the page, otherwise use the index on the left of the screen to navigate to a specific tune).

Here’s a tune which I think is named after a bridge.  Talking of bridges, I think I learned this on the fiddle in B flat.  My fingers seem unwilling to coax this tune out of a 2 keyed flute in that key so here it is in C.  I’m not sure whether C belongs to it but that’s how it came out this time.

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Here’s one I’ve been asked to record.  I had to look it up and I’m a bit uncertain of ho it goes.  This version is probably sufficiently washed-up to at least have some shore connections anyway.

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Here’s one for flutes with flats.  It’s a bit vague here as per usual but it’s a nice wee tune.

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This is one I was asked to play.  I don’t know whether the version of the first part that goes up to a high ‘C’ is the normal one or whether the more land-based one rules the waves or waves at those who rule the land.  I think I heard this tune from a recording of Leo Rowsome who as Rí na bPíobairí ruled over something himself.

If anyone listening is fussy about tune versions then this particular one will probably send them straight to www.vexed.com.  Hopefully most other people will either like or ignore as they prefer.

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As usual the playing here is a bit vague.  The tune just occurred to me so I thought I’d play it while the sausages were cooking.  They’re done now - probably about as half-baked as this recording.

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Here’s a reel which I was asked to play. I’m not writing a disclaimer with the “Iwas asked to play” bit. It’s just that I’m so glad to have been asked that I can’t help but mention the asking in the posting.

I used to think this was a new fangled sort of a tune but the likes of Willie Clancy played it and Francis O’Neill has it in his collection from 1907 (I missed the centenary balloons anuraidh).

Here’s my Friday evening go at it anyway. (The name makes me think of taking leaves intravenously. I’ve (y) more chance of taking leave of my ….).

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I’ve been asked to play this.  Having tried to play it I think I know why it I never did before now (I think it might be awkward on the flute).  I couldn’t even work out what the first note ought to be.  I don’t think I have enough of a bunker mentality.

Anyway, here’s a sort of run at it.  I hope there are only 3 parts in the tune.  That’s certainly all there are here.

Maybe this rendition will offend someone out there into learning the tune properly.  I’m away out now to get wet and educated.

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Here’s another tune I was asked to post. Posting ponies; is that like Pony Express are are they just post ponies?

Anyway, I’m never too sure of the first part but that wasn’t the focus of the query to which I’m trying to respond here. I hope I haven’t forgotten about any parts either. It’s a good job that the latter bits (another equine apparatus related term) hadn’t too many low notes as on finishing the tune I noticed that my foot joint (hoof?) had fallen off.

I hope that the tune is OK, though, and promise that no animals were hurt in the recording of it.

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Here’s a fiddle tune.  The flute’s only really a fiddle with more holes and fewer strings so it’s probably acceptable to play fiddle tunes on it.  It even starts with the same letter.

I vaguely remember being in a group once, many years ago, and “Mooncoin” was the polite one of the two names it had.  That’s my only connection with Mooncoins.

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I’ve just been asked to play this tune so here is an attempt at it. I’m about to go and do the washing up now and am feeling a bit uneasy about what may be lurking under last night’s saucepans. A few wriggling elvers may actually be quite an effective dish dirt dislodger though.

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Here’s a reel I was asked to play. My postings of late have been about as frequent as my blacksmith sightings, merry or otherwise, but being reminded of this tune at least stirred me into a brief flurry of activity. This particular tune is very suitable for the flute and provides ample opportunity for anvilesque hammering sounds on the D notes. On this occasion I seem to have let most of these opportunities slip by but at least it’s nice to know that they will still be there the next time I try the tune.

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Here’s a common reel.  I thought I’d probably have played this one already but I didn’t see it on the site.  Maybe I called it by another name (”don’t kiss me Kate” perhaps).

I hope this version is OK.  My recall facility for tunes has been a bit vague lately.

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I’m not really the right person to be playing this great composer’s tunes but as I’m the one who happens to be nearest this computer, I’ll have to do.  I’ve just called this No.1 to mark it out from any subsequent PF reels which I might play in future.

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This is yet another tardy response to a request to record a tune.  I’m delighted to be asked to play specific tunes as it saves me having to think them up for myself.

I had to look this one up on the internet as I didn’t know it.  I hope my dot to note transfer has allowed the tune to arrive without being too scathed.

I think this tune is in B minor.  My bad spelling allows me to think of digging in the ground for stripy, stingy things (stingy as in needle-arsed rather than tight arsed) but that’s neither here nor there in the context of this tune.

(Sorry for using the ‘a’ word).

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Here’s a fairly popular one, as are many enchanted things and persons.

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Here’s another tune I was asked for.  I’ve tried to oblige but I haven’t quite got my sea legs.  I might have been better scuttling this attempt.

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