help me learn pleeeeeeeeease

Nowhere_Girl · Post by **Nowhere_Girl** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 10:02 pm

hi there i live in BC Canada and I recently recieved a very old 8-keyed irish flute from my mother for my birthday. I can get a few notes out of it but i have no idea how to go about learning to play it and I really don't know what most of the keys do so if someone knows where I could get a book or something that has info on keyed flutes I would be very happy if they could get it for me because the only info i have found so far is stuff about keyless flute. I am so unhappy that I cannot play my baby. I have a regular silver flute that I have played for years and i feel so dumb when i try to play this old irish one so please if any of you have any information for me I would be very very thankful my e-mail is like_2_laff@hotmail.com if its not already shown

Nowhere_Girl · Post by **Nowhere_Girl** » Mon Apr 01, 2002 10:03 pm

whoops i didn't mean get the book for me lol lol i meant if you could get me information or a website or something hehehe wow i sounded like a jerk there for awhile

Conal O Grada · Post by **Conal O Grada** » Tue Apr 02, 2002 3:31 am

Hello,
Conal O Grada here from Cork, Ireland. We run a web-based music school which you could check out at http://www.scoiltrad.com
In the meantime you should make sure that there are no leaks in your flute (kepypads, cracks etc.), that the cork is in the correct position and that the flute is oiled. All of this will make it easier to play your flute, particularly if it as been lying idle for some time.
Beir Bua
Conal

DaveAuty · Post by **DaveAuty** » Tue Apr 02, 2002 4:46 am

Hi,

To learn Irish music I would highly recommend lessons from Scoiltrad. The advantages(from my view anyway)are that you can take the music at your own pace in the comfort of your home. When you are ready to do the assessment you can be secure in the knowledge that the feedback will be what you need to progress further.

Good luck,

Dave.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Tue Apr 02, 2002 10:32 am

Wanted to put it a good word for Scoiltrad as well. I have taken several of the lessons on flute and whistle over the last year and I feel it has made a world of difference in my playing.
As for books, "Timber: The Flute Tutor" by Fintan Vallelly is one of the best I've seen.
Since you are coming from silver flute, there is some material on my website at
http://www.flutesite.com/learning.htm
that may be of use to you.
But you definitely can't go wrong with Scoiltrad--good stuff, nice teachers, great tunes.
Best wishes,

--James
http://www.flutesite.com

johner · Post by **johner** » Tue Apr 02, 2002 12:32 pm

While I agree that Scoiltrad is a great resource, personally I would also recommend taking a look at the Seamus Eagan flute tutorial from MadForTrad (www.madfortrad.com). I think it might be a little better suited to the absolute beginner on Irish flute, as it has a very clear progression of simple-to-harder tunes and techniques, and there's a wider selection to start with for your $39.

There's not as much on embouchure and breathing as I would have liked in it, and Seamus' technique is slightly unorthodox, though obviously his playing is fantastic.

I've been pretty happy using the MadForTrad one to get going and review some basics, with Scoiltrad as an additional, extremely valuable resource. Scoiltrad's system of interactive critique is a great help.

John

Nowhere_Girl · Post by **Nowhere_Girl** » Tue Apr 02, 2002 10:28 pm

thanks a lot you have a ll been a big help

johner · Post by **johner** » Wed Apr 03, 2002 4:30 am

A couple more things to add. If you're not totally against it, you might consider picking up a tinwhistle for less than $10 and doing a bit of learning on it.

Obviously it won't help you with the keys on your flute at all, and since you already play the silver flute maybe you don't need it, but it might help to learn tunes on the tinwhistle (which is extremely easy to get a sound out of), then transfer them to your wooden flute (which is more difficult.)

Also, if you're looking to play mainly Irish music, the fact is you won't really need those keys on the flute much at all, hence all the information you found about keyless flutes.

Good luck,
John

eubiedubie · Post by **eubiedubie** » Wed Apr 03, 2002 5:04 am

Mel Bay has a flute book by Mizzy McCaskill and Dona Gilliam called "Complete Irish Flute Book"and comes with a CD.It's just for keyed flutes and covers Ornamention for playing Irish music.I think it would help you.

Nowhere_Girl · Post by **Nowhere_Girl** » Sat Apr 06, 2002 1:05 am

wow I love this message board I have so much information all ready thatnk you all so much

clark · Post by **clark** » Mon Apr 08, 2002 1:49 am

I have a different opinion of Mizzy's flute book. I think it is weak if you are playing a keyless or simple system keyed flute. If you are playing a Boem silver stick it gives plenty of info about ornamentation on that. However, it doesn't always translate to the simpler flutes... and Mizzy doesn't tell you where that conflict exists. Also some of the tunes are in keys that work best with a Boem flute, awkwardly with an 6 key, and not at all with a keyless. The CD is deceidedly unhelpful and falls to downright sillyness in spots (I'm thinking of some of his sax use to name one instance).

The good news is that he wrote a very good whistle tutor that is accompanied by a MUCH better CD. The whistle tudor gives much info about ornaments on the whistle that translates directly to the flute most of the time. Also there are a set of tunes that are transcribed simply and then again with ornamentation suggestions which gives you a good idea how to ornament most tunes. So my suggestion is to pass on the flute book, but get the whistle book and CD and go through it with your flute! It worked for me.

clark

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Mon Apr 08, 2002 8:18 am

Just a few quick comments on Mizzy's flute and whistle books:
The flute book, as already pointed out, assumes you are trying to learn to play Irish on the Boehm system flute. Also, the settings for the tunes in this book are pretty nonstandard. It does have versions of "The Drunken Sailor" and "The King of the Faeries" in the back that are great settings, though. The flute CD is mediocre.
The whistle book still has some pretty nonstandard settings of things but overall is much better. Also, the whistle CD has tunes recorded on many different whistles, and the tunes are labelled by whistle. Kind of a "whistle listening library," very cool. It was this CD that gave me the original idea for my website.

--James
http://www.flutesite.com

CraigMc · Post by **CraigMc** » Mon Apr 08, 2002 10:33 am

Someone mentioned ealier to get a whistle to learn the tunes on then transfer them to the woodenflute. My experience is different and I would not recommend this to beginners who are mainly interested in the flute.

It was my flute instructor that plays flute, whistle, uilean pipes, and scottish bagpipes that told me to drop the whistle and focus on the flute. Most people only have so much time to practice and for me trying to do both was too much of a challenge and I was practicing 2 hours a day. Just because I knew a tune on the whistle didn't make it any easier to pick up on the flute. Also going from the whistle and then almost passing out when I would try to practice the flute just made it more discouraging for me to pick up the flute.

My plan is this: when I can hold my own on the flute at some of the sessions around here then I might go back and start playing whistles.

Catherine McEnvoy said it well when she said "Good flute players don't necessarily make good whistle players and vice versa" You may look at all professionals and say well they are good at both, but realize it was only after they won All Ireland Championships a couple times before decided to try a new instrument.

- Craig

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: CraigMc on 2002-04-08 12:36 ]</font>

Conal O Grada · Post by **Conal O Grada** » Tue Apr 09, 2002 7:57 am

Hello All
I'd agree with Craig when he says that whistle and flute are completely different when it comes to learning one instrument or the other. Apart from the obvious blowing issues, fingering for ornamentation is best done differently to get the most from each instrument. Also the basic articulation techniques are different i.e. tonguing on the whistle versus glottal stops on the flute. They are two different animals in reality....just like cats and dogs...they're both pets, can be kept in the house and need to be fed... but other than that.
Having said all that, it is fairly common for beginners to start on whistle and then graduate to flute.
Beir Bua
Conal