Irish Flute Tunes

The Pikeman's March

Here's a march popular with flute players where I come from. I'm not sure where it came from originally. I think the "pike" in question is the weapon variety and not the ingredient Olympic divers include to get more points per plunge. Are the extra points as compensation for any potential lacerations they might sustain if the pike bites them? Maybe the chlorine in the pool sedates it and stops this from being a risk anyway. I played it a second time on a piccolo (or pikeolo) but got very self-conscious as people playing little flutes haven't always got on too well with my neighbours. Anyway, I think the tune suits the tiny treatment.

Lady Gordon's Reel

Here's a slightly less common Gordon's reel than the Lordy version. This one has the marked advantage of being much shorter. I'll have to work myself up to recording the longer one in the next while. In the meantime, I'll go for the Gordons that goes in a glass, with a slice of lime.

Castlekelly

This is a very popular tune. I hope you like it.

The Blackthorn Stick

Here's a great tune for learning. I hadn't played it for a while and had forgotten how good it was for relearning as well.

The Irishman's Blackthorn

I'm not sure whether the Blackthorn Stick was made from part of this, or whether it was bought from ebay or ebough. (The spellchecker thought it was neither of the above, or the beside). It's a good tune anyway. Oíche mhaith.

The King of the Clans

Here's a popular reel which should be a safe bet at most sessions. I'm afraid I didn't have much time to record this tune so its regal qualities are a bit left to the imagination here. I'm sure they'll be reinvigorated when someone else plays it.

The Humours of Tullycrine

More humours - / ; / ... ? this time in the form of a hormpipe which is a nice, melodic minor-sounding one. I might have first heard it on Michael Tubridy's "Eagle's Whistle" record where he played it on a concertina. There's some lovely flute playing on that record too (all well as the concertina playing I mean).

The Plains of Boyle

I've just realised (the spellchecker wants a "z" in "realised" and "spellchecker" to be 2 words - it can go and ztrangleitzelf for all I care) that I have put hardly any hornpipes on this site. Here's a nice common one called "The Plains of Boyle". I put some more on soon. Cheers, Michael.

The Hollybush

Here's a fairly common reel which should sound well on a flute.  I think the prickly nature of its title has had an effect on my playing and there are more than a few holes in it but you should get the jist of what ought to have been going on. (I was wondering whether I should limit the number of tunes I record per day / week so that the tunes don't disappear off the first screen before people have a chance to see them.  On the other hand, the index makes them fairly accessible wherever they end up.  Any thoughts? )

Tell Her I Am

Here's a great jig which I think was made popular by a recording of Michael Coleman. Michael Coleman came from Killavel, Co. Sligo and settled in New York where he worked as a tram conductor (I know that wasn't his primary reason for being there but so be it). He was frequently pestered by executives from the likes of Decca and Columbia records to record tunes for them on the fiddle. Fortunately the allure of tram life wasn't always too powerful to be overshadowed by the record moguls' offers of dollars and other, unstated rewards. I never quite knew what "Tell Her I Am" meant. In an attempt to make some sense of it, I put it into an anagram machine. I was repayed with "A Hell Remit". There you go.

The West Wind

Here's a piping reel (Willie Clancy again) which is possibly a version of "Colonel Frazer".  There's another tune called "The Braes of Busby" which sounds like a version of it too. I'll record the other 2 tunes with reasonably long intervals between them so you don't hear them all together and find out that they really are just the same tune with different names and that I'm running out of things to play.  If that happens I'll have to start singing but I only know one song - a Patsy Clyne number as it happens but copyright restrictions might have me scuppered.

Garrett Barry's Reel

Here's a good reel, or at least it was until I blew it down a hole in a piece of blackwood. It used to get a dryer journey courtesy of Wille Clancy and prior to that, Garrett Barry who was a piper from the generation before Willie Clancy's. I've been raiding the track listings of a few Willie Clancy records lately.  Stealing tunes from piping records is usually a good way of getting flute tunes owning to pipers' reluctance to pick tunes in funny keys.  They've enough to be getting on with keeping all their plumbing in some sort of order.

Jenny Picking Cockles

Here's a great reel which I'd probably associate most with Willie Clancy. It's on one of the "Pipering of Willie Clancy" records which Claddagh Records published some years ago. Between picking cockles, welcoming Charlie, tying bonnets, Danging weavers, getting clinkings coming home from the races and all the other activities she's recorded in tune names as having been involved in, its a wonder she had time to blink (I don't remember there being a tune called "Jenny's Blink", so maybe she hadn't). Anyway, I hope this tune is of use to someone who is a tad less busy and without a Jenny-esque social calendar.

Sixpenny Money

Here's a piping jig which is good on the flute. It's an especially good one for learning. I have a Seán McGuire LP somewhere with this tune on it. He called it "2 1/2 New Pence". References to the monetary system in Belfast in about 1972 mightn't have stood the test or time, or be too portable, but I'm just passing on what tiny bits of information I might have about the tunes. I'll maybe be a bit more taciturn as regards the late phenomenon who was Seán McGuire.

The March of The Meeatoiteen Bull

Here's a march from John Doherty's playing. I thinks it's originally Scottish, like lots of Donegal tunes. I think its name alone is a reason to play it. It suits the flute well too.

The Lark in The Morning

Here's a very popular jig.  I'm sorry if you can hear my washing machine in the background.

The Peach Blossoms

Here's my valedictory effort for the evening.  This is a barndance which the Sligo fiddle player, James Morrison, made popular through a great recording he made of it years ago. It's a nice melodic creation and it suits flute players' sensibilities as well.

Ríl Gan Ainm (2)

I'm starting to run out of names.  I don't know how the tunes will hold out but I'll maybe give up at Ríl Gan Ainm (202). In the meantime, here's a good reel which is really a fiddle tune.  Bits of the second part would normally be an octave lower but hopefully this setting works OK on the flute.   If anyone knows a name for this tune, I'd be interested to hear it.

The Butterfly

Here's a very popular slip jig.  I think it was composed by the Dublin flddle player, Tommy Potts.  It's been decomposed and recomposed a few times since over the years. It's a good tune for the flute and hopefully shouldn't cause people too many difficulties in playing.

Joe Cooley's Reel

This is another popular tune - named after the great Co. Galway box player.

The Boyne Hunt

Here's a good standard reel which is very popular in sessions.

Will You Follow Me Down To Limerick?

This is an entirely rhetorical question at this stage. Willie Clancy probably would have known more about it. It's a good tune in any case, I hope.

Barndance

Here's a barndance. I haven't been in a barn for a long time but I hear that the dancing is great in them. (I think this tune may be called "Connolly's Barndance".  Here it is in a different key: http://irishflute.podbean.com/2008/08/08/connollys-barndance/ ).

Bundle and go

Here's a nice march from the fiddle playing of John Doherty.

John Doherty's Highland (1)

Here's a highland from JD. It's a bit on the tricky side in places. It puts the "High" back into "Highland".

James Byrne's Reel

This is a reel from James Byrne's playing.  That's all I can tell you.

James Byrne's Jig

I learned this from James Byrne who is a great fiddle player from Meenacross, near Glencolmbkille in Donegal.  I'm not sure whether it has another name.  It sounds a bit like a slide to me.  There are quite a few of these tunes which have ended up in Donegal.  They must have taken a wrong turn in Killarney one day.

The Concertina Reel

Here's a reel I used to hear a lot.  It's also called "The Farting Badger".  It deserves to be played occasionally just for that reason.

Untitled Highland (1)

Here's a highland.  I've no name for it, only a few notes.

Masúrca Gan Ainm

I can't even remember who I learned this from, let alone its name.  I've called it "Masúrca Gan Ainm" as it looks a bit more exotic then "Untitled Mazurca".  It was nice of the committee in Dublin to take the trouble to make up an Irish word for "Mazurka".

John Doherty's Mazurka

Here's a mazurka I learned from the playing of John Doherty.  I couldn't think of anything better to call it.

Roaring Mary

Here's "The Skylark's" friend.

The Boy in the Boat

A good old sort of a tune.

The Humours of Castlefinn

A great reel.  I don't know it's usually played single or double.  I remembering it being on an LP of Noel Hill and Tony McMahon with a bit of galloping  in the background.

Dublin Porter

Another drink related tune.  I've something on my mind.

The Glass of Beer

This is a popular reel that could go with a Humours of Whiskey chaser.

The Kid on The Mountain

Today seems to be slip jig day.  This is a very popular one.  It has four parts (I hope there weren't supposed to be more????) and I hope I remembered them OK here. It's good to have a tune which so popular without being as Capri-corny as this comment.

Hardiman The Fiddler

Here's another slip jig.

The Humours of Derrycrosane

Here's another traditional slip jig.

The Humours of Whiskey

This is a nice slip jig.  There seem to be a lot of whiskey related humours cited in the nomenclature of traditional tunes.  I'm more a gin / Guinness / red wine / beer / poitín / vodka / white rum / brandy / white wine / sherry / green chatreuse type of person but each one to their own poison. Sláinte.

Slieve Russell

Here's a piping jig which should be OK on the flute. All the best, Michael.

The Dream of Home

I can't tell you much about this tune apart from that I like it.  I hope you do.

The Bells of St. Louis

Here's a cheerful sort of reel.  I don't know a huge amount about it but being cheerful is a good start.

Speed The Plough

Here's a great standard reel.  It's worth digging out a recording of Séamus Ennis playing this on the pipes to get an idea of how this tune can sound.

The Hare in the Corn

Here's a good jig.  It's often played as part of "The Fox Chase" but I've given up fox hunting as the animals used to wreak havoc in my house.

John Egan's Reel

This must be a flute tune as it's named after a flute player - a great one at that.

The Skylark

This reels is a bit lonely without its friend "Roaring Mary". I'll add its companion as soon as I can.

The Humours of Ennistymon

Here's a jig which should find noises of recognition at any session.

Give us a Drink of Water

Here's a well known slip jig.  (I had it attached to the post for "Sweeney's Dream" earlier - I hadn't been asking for the right sort of drink).

Sweeney's Dream

Here's the way I remember this tune. I'm not sure how standard it is. (Sorry - I had the wrong tune on this.  I've fixed it now.)

The Piper's Despair

Here's a good reel.  I don't think it has as severe effects on flute players as it does on lucht na bpíbí.

The Girl That Broke My Heart

This is often in G minor but the flute gets a bit displeased by this tune in that key. The A minor version has the added advantage of being annoying to people who do like the G minor version. (Not sure about the grammar in the title. I suppose it reflects the heartbroken person's view of the being what caused him such anguish.)

The Kesh Jig

A very popular tune - you can probably blame the Bothy Band for that. As with most popular tunes, it has a good melody and rhythm.  That's probably why it's popular.  If that's a load of rubbish then it must just be popular courtesy of the Bothy Band.  I don't know whether any of them liked it or were just asked to play it. I think it's quite nice.

Ceol na gCeártan (The Forge Music)

Here's a piping reel which is good on the flute. It sounds a bit like some other reels, sure all reels sound like all other reels. This Irish music all sounds the same to me. I just learned one tune and a few dozen names. That's the reason why I've being recording tunes one at a time. It's like the two people who you've never actually seen in the same room at the one time. Maybe there's only really one person in the world. I fairly sure it's not me so it must be you.

The Banks of Lough Gowna

Here's a nice, melodic jig which I was asked to record here.  It suits any instrument (anthough the C  naturals can be challenging on a triangle if it isn't isosceles).

The Old Blackthorn

This tune's a great stalwart.  Stalwart is a great word.  Syllogisms can be musical.

The Leitrim Fancy (jig)

I was asked for this tune and recorded the hornpipe.  I never knew it was also a jig but here's the jig.  Lovely Leitrim's full of fancies.

The Boys of Ballisadare

Here's a reel which works very well on the flute. Someone once described to me how to play reels in 'G' in the flute; you hold down the top 3 fingers, blow into the hole provided for blowing into, and slap the other 3 fingers down on their allotted holes in time to the tune. That's what I've done here.

The Hare's Paw

Is this the tune Mary? I had to do a search for this name. The version I found on the internet isn't quite the same as this but here's how I learned it. I never knew it came from a leporid. Between being coursed, accused of insanity and having their feet cut off to make tunes, they get a fairly raw deal.

The Friendly Visit

Hopefully its a friendly "friendly visit" and not a "friendly" "friendly visit". It think it's really just a hornpipe. I've taken to recording tunes in bulk and then putting them on a few at a time. There's a danger that this might lead to tunes going on more than once as my tracking system doesn't exist yet. There could even be ones that don't get on at all (they must be the good ones). Hope this one isn't a twin in any case. Safe enough about the "good one" thing.

The Boy on the Hilltop

I don't know much about this tune apart from the fact that it isn't too hard to play and it can sound OK (this instance not withstanding).  That's probably all I really need to know.

The Man of the House

This reel is often known as "Paddy Carty's Reel". I think he called it "The Day I Met Tom Moylan" but I may well be wrong. I thing the mice must have eaten most of my record collection and I haven't been able to find my Paddy Carty record to check. I'm not sure how close this version is.

The Boys of The Town

Here's a jig I was asked to play.  I seem to remember there being a nice version of it on a Josie McDermott record.

The Milliner's Daughter

A piping reel which suite the flute.

The Lilting Banshee

Here's a jig I was asked to record here. It's a great tune for learning. I hadn't played it for a long time and am glad to have been reminded of it.

The Primrose Lass

A good reel which deserves to be played more often than it is.

The Limestone Rock

Here's a good reel.  I'm not sure how standard my version is as I haven't played or heard it for a long time.  I hope it's OK.

Garrett Barry's Jig

A very popular piping jig which suits the flute too.

The Cliffs of Moher

Here's a very popular jig - another suggestion from a flute player in internet land.

The Leitrim Fancy

Here's a nice hornpipe.  A flute player called Alexandre suggested this tune, along with a few other ones.  If anyone requests a particular tune, I'll gladly record it as long as I know it.  My memory isn't what it was so tunes are exiting my head quicker than they are being replaced.

The Musical Priest

There are lots of versions of this tune.  Hopefully this is fairly close to the commonest one.

Seán Reid's Reel

Here's a good piping reel.  As is ofter the case with good piping reels, especially ones in G, it's good on the flute too.

The Pipe on the Hob

Here's a popular piping jig.  Some people called this "The Piper of the Hearth (or embers)".  One Irish translation for a cricket is "Píobare an teallaigh" which = the piper of the hearth.  Who knows?

Jackson's Reel

There were a lot of reels names after this chap.  This one is normally associated with Michael Coleman.

Old Tipperary

Here's a very popular jig.  It works well on the flute.

The Yellow Tinker

Here's a piping reel.  It has a few F naturals in it.  I tend to play the low octaves with a key and use half-fingering for the high octave ones.  I'm a bit rusty with this tune but hopefully it almost makes sense.

The Sligo Maid

Here's a reel with is good for learning and is also a great tune in the standard repertoire of Irish traditional musicians everywhere.

Get Up Old Woman And Shake Yourself

Here's a jig which is good on the flute.  I can't comment on the name.

The Curragh Races

Here's a nice piping reel which suits the flute very well.

The Humours of Ballyconnell

Here's a very common reel.  It's a great standard tune for sessions.

Fred Finn's Reel

Here's a reel named after the South Sligo fiddle player , Mr. Finn - Peter Horan's friend.

McKenna's Reels

I put these on separately, slowish then quicker, but I thought that as these tunes have been almost conjoined for the last 80 years, it would be inhumane to split them up now. You'd be much better getting a recording of John McKenna playing these but, in case you can't get hold of one just yet, here's a version which is hopefully fairly close to the standard one.

The Happy Days of Youth

Here's the one after the one before.

Colonel Rodgers' Favourite

This is the first of 2 reels which are usually just known as "McKenna's", after the Leitrim flute maestro John McKenna.

Old Man Dillon

I always think of "The Times There are a Changing" but I think the spelling would need to be a changing too (to two?) Sorry.  This is a popular jig although I haven't heard it played for a while.

The Ravelled Hank of Yarn

Here's a popular piping reel which suits the flute.  It's often associated with Willie Clancy.

Fifing tune (Paddy O'Carroll)

Here's a tune from the fife & Lambeg drum tradition.  Some of these have crept into the repertoires of Irish traditional flute players too.  I can't remember a name for this one.

Dr. Gilbert's / The Queen of May

Here are 2 reels which were popularised my Michael Coleman. Here's my iffy effort.

The Belfast March

Here's a fifing tune. There are some people in my part of the world who play it on big flutes too.

The Bunch of Keys

Here's a reel that's popular on the fiddle too.

Charlie O'Neill's Polkas

Here are two polkas. The first one is called the "Shelf" polka. I never heard a name for the second one. Charlie O'Neill originally came from Mount Charles in Donegal and then moved to "the Moy" in Tyrone.

The Reel of Mullinavat (really - I think)

I posted this tune before but it I had the name totally wrong, or the tune, maybe both.  I think this one really is called "The Reel of Mullinavat".

Paddy Fahy's Jig

Here's a jig with a few B flats and F naturals.  Can a flute be a can of worms?  I do the B flats with half-covering.  The F naturals are with a short key.  I was always a bit vague about the exactitude of the accidentals.  Anyway, it'll be one source of the tune for whoever wants it.

The Flags of Dublin

Here's a reel from the world of piping.  I'd imagine the flags aren't the sort which flutter unless the weather is really rough.  Did you ever see a paving slab up a pole?

Eileen Curran

Here's a reel called Eileen Curran. I think I'd rather call these "people reels" -  "Eileen Curran's Reel" and so on. The personification of tunes always made me feel a bit uneasy for some reason. Anyway, the good news is that there ate no G sharps in this tune. Shame about the high C naturals. (I half cover them here.)

The Bare Island Reel (fake Beare Island)

Here's a version of the Beare Island Reel with no G sharps.  I lay no claims to it being any good.  It's just an idea to be playing with.

The New Policeman

Here's a good tune for flute players.  It's also very popular in sessions (as far as I remember).

Rosemary Lane (jig)

Here's a melodic jig which is I don't hear played all that much (I wonder if that could be because I almost never go to sessions these days).  I think it deserves a bit of an airing from time to time.

The Trip To Durrow

Here's a very popular reel which isn't too cruel to flute players.  I'm sorry if I've been cruel to it. If anyone has any requests (maybe even to stop) please get in touch iflute@googlemail.com.  I appreciate any feedback.  I've put my shoes back on for this tune as I know the tapping was of use to at least one person.  I'm sorry for not having had it in the last few sets. I'll make sure I'm shod from now on. All the best, and I hope you like the tunes.

Gerry Commane's Reel / The Dogs Among the Bushes

The first tune is a reliable old standard. The second one is sometimes played a key below the present one but is handier on the flute in A minor. You can get the dogs to yelp a bit louder in the higher key. * Thanks to William for pointing out that the first tune is not The Reel of Mullinavat. I think it is Gerry Commane's Reel. I'll put the tune which belongs to the "Reel of Mullinavat" on when I get a chance.