Review: Conal O'Grada's "An Fheadog Mhor" Irish Flute Tutor

[drewr]

Great review. I'm only just beginning a study of this book and I'm taking the process very slowly. I sure as hell wish I'd read Conal's advice about cuts and breathing about four years ago. Nobody's ever explained it as well as this in
any of the other tutor books I own. This book is definitely going to change my flute playing.

[skyspirit]

Great review. I'm only just beginning a study of this book and I'm taking the process very slowly. I sure as hell wish I'd read Conal's advice about cuts and breathing about four years ago. Nobody's ever explained it as well as this in
any of the other tutor books I own. This book is definitely going to change my flute playing.

I got mine yesterday in the mail. Really packaged nicely to get to the USA. So far, I went through the breathing chapter. Never thought of it in the sense that he explains.

Heck. I went throuh how to hold the flute and checked my holding the flute. If I had the book before, I would have saved my self several months of learning how to get a tone. My teacher did help with that. Now, I can refer back if I need to when teacher is not there.

I love that the book is spiral. Don't have to weigh a bound book down to keep it open.

Well, this is from a novice's prospective. I plan on discussing the breathing with the old teacher.

[Adrian W.]

I'm not supposed to be spending money.....but no, you guys had to convince me I needed this book. So I pulled the trigger, hope it gets here soon. SOON.

[radcliff]

So, somebody needs to see what they are going to buy,
I took a picture of this awsome book...



I'm agree with Cathy's positive review, it is a serious tutorial for to play the Irish Flute!
In addiction I'd like to underline the word "IRISH" that here is connected with tradition & culture.
My feeling is that the main argument is not about the flute itself, nor about how to play the perfect roll. A proper resume should be "the 5 secrets to play irish music with your flute: now you know them, just study hard and that's it"...
I guess many good players are going to grow up after read this book.

last thing...
When you buy this book from the Man himself, you can add €3,50 to offer him an extra Guinness... it is a damn good book!

[Cathy Wilde]

A proper resume should be "the 5 secrets to play irish music with your flute: now you know them, just study hard and that's it"...
I guess many good players are going to grow up after read this book.

I had the exact same thoughts! Great minds ...

Thanks for the nice words, guys. Here's to us all getting awesome! Home to practice now ...

[crookedtune]

OK, I'm digging deeper, and loving this book more at each twist and turn. The 'critical listening' stuff (tunes played by Harry Bradley, Aoife Granville, Mike Rafferty, Catherine McEvoy, Patsy Hanly, Tara Diamond, John Wynne and Eamonn Cotter) is great.

The 'hidden tracks', not identified in the book, are tracks 40-47, which feature our man blazing through various tunes, some with accompaniment, in varying situations. I can't identify a single one of 'em, but man, they're gorgeous!

What a treasure!

[Grizzle]

Crooked - I dont have the book in front of me but I'm pretty sure that tracks ~30-39 are Conal going through tunes he has listed in Appendix 2. ~40-47 are the guest musicians he covers.

[crookedtune]

You're right. My mistake. In Appendix 4 he breaks the order by listing the tracks 40-47 before tracks 30-39.

I'm easily confused.

[Grizzle]

I only knew that off the top of my head because I had to rename the mp3 files once I realized I made the same mistake.

[Ballygo]

It is by far the best irish flute tutor book I have had. I have them all believe me. Just brilliant.

ballygo.

[Cubitt]

It is by far the best irish flute tutor book I have had. I have them all believe me. Just brilliant.

ballygo.

So what does it tell you the others do not? What do you understand that you did not understand before? How are you now a better flute player? If you have them all, I gather you are knowledgeable and a good player, no? (Now don't be modest! )

I'm not challenging you, I'm just wildly curious to know what makes this work so special.

Thanks.

[flutefry]

Cubitt, I think the biggest difference is that this tutor tells you why to do, and how to do, but the emphasis is on the why, so you can apply what you learn. I have a couple of bouzouki tutors, 3 pipe tutors and the June McCormack tutors, and to me, these emphasize the mechanics of how to do.

So this appeals to me a lot. The logic of the tutor is in cartoon version (If this is what you want to achieve, these are the ways to do it). Comparing the tunes with ornaments marked in various tutors shows patterns of where different people do what, which is interesting, as is looking at multiple tunes marked by the same person. Those inclined to analysis can figure out the underlying idea perhaps (or not).

Put another way, most tutors are written out versions of the sit and listen method. The most likely end result is someone who can copy the teacher. Conan's tutor is more aimed towards helping you find your voice. I think this is the value in his analysis of tunes played by different people. I found it fascinating to hear an expert say why he thought flute player X achieved the distinct elements of his or her style.

Hugh

[radcliff]

Btw, I found a negative aspect... This evening I was listening to Matt Molloy & to one of my favourite players...and I'm not sure I still like this second one that much. My listening is more critical than before..therfore my playing has improved a bit.
On the other side, I like MM a bit more than before

[Cathy Wilde]

you could do worse

[plamas]

Hey Flutefry,
Did Conan write a tutor too? I thought he was just a barbarian!
Hammy