Solo Live Flute?

Irish Flute
1

I used to - and to some degree still do - think that flute is rather less suited to solo public performing than, say, fiddle, box, or pipes.

The other day at a pub, though, I wound up being the only one where I was expecting three others to play with me during happy hour. Sort of an ITM ambient music mini-session sort of thing. Now normally I’m a bit reticent, usually unwilling to turn things into “The Nano Show”, but, well, there I was with a free pint looking at me, and some edibles soon to follow, and I thought it would be wrong for all that to sit on my hands, so I decided I might as well get over myself and earn my keep.

It came off better than I thought it would. Just keeping to the ambient music concept, and keeping a finger on the pulse of the clientele, I just relaxed by my table, committed my faith to the validity of the Pure Drop, played mainly as if to please myself, and let the sound drift. It was an easy crowd and not crazy-busy and I could hear myself very well, so it was a real treat to play a number of airs, relaxed jigs and reels, and hornpipes. A few energetic sets of reels, jigs and polkas, but I could sense it wasn’t a requirement. It was also nice to actually communicate something, which is a lot harder to do in a group setting.

Plus I got to play in Eb tuning. :smiley:

I guess this post is mainly to say that contrary to my assumptions, it COULD be done after all. Who’d’a’ thunk it.

Any similar stories, other experiences, pointers, philosophies?

2

have I ever told the one about the cheap bamboo, "F"ish or so, flute…just about the tree line, a few passes south of Glacier on the PCT…family of humming birds?

3

I’m curious, did anyone said anything to you? Or otherwise express delight at getting to hear just the flute? I might have come up to you and told you how much I enjoyed “just” the flute.

4

Yes, they did. I forgot to mention that. Also the passing smile, and a smattering of applause, too, now and again, if I may be so immodest as to report it. It was reassuring to say the least, considering how weak a player I’d considered solo flute to be. But part of the good reaction was due, I think, to my keeping to good sonorous tone first and foremost and keeping the ornamentry as subservient to that.

Plus, concerned as I was, I asked the help a couple of times if they thought the “just flute” thing was working out okay, and they told me yes. I can usually tell when someone’s talking out of both sides of their mouth, and I didn’t get that from them. The boss was there, and he was positive about it, too. Not sure I want to make a habit of playing solo flute, though. The occasional now-and-again will be good enough if need be, I think.

I don’t recall it. Tell me more.

I played to a toad once. He seemed to dig it for a bit and then remembered he was exposed and foodworthy, and prudently moved on.

5

Good on ya, Nano.

6

It was like jumping off a cliff, I tell ya. But once you’re over the edge, you’re on for the ride, so you might as well enjoy and make the best of it!

7

I’ve played a couple of weddings solo, as well as occasionally in church, and it works pretty well. But I enjoy playing with another person more.
Played in the park with a fiddler this evening, and a squirrel hung around to listen.

8

" I used to play with a band… now I just play with myself" (an old musicians joke, but then Im an old musician). When youre used to playing with a group its easy to back off occasionally and just go along for the ride but going solo sort of leaves you naked to the world. Personally, when it comes to the flute, I love the sound and would prefer to hear only it playing.I think you can be more emotional with your music by playing alone rather than having to over blow for the sake of being heard, for example. It sounds like it was the perfect setting to try out your new solo career. Do it again.

9

I’m guessing that it’s true for most if not all flute players that at least an appreciation of solo flute goes with the territory. I never extended that to the rest of the world in terms of anything longer than a few minutes’ listening; in fact, quite the opposite: I presumed that a lot of people would be quickly bored by it. I still haven’t abandoned this presumption altogether, so I was spurred to play my best and try to overcome that possibility. I had over three hours to kill, after all. I mean, can you imagine three hours of just flute? I think you can appreciate the danger I was in. :astonished:

It was definitely an opportunity to take advatage of in that way. So much more subtlety and nuance was available. It was truly refreshing to me as a flute player.

Only if I have to. I considered my case to be a default option. After all, one’s listeners can have too much of a good thing: you can’t live on a diet of caviar. :wink:

(…meaning FLUTE, not ME, ya tossers. :wink: )

10

good plan, that!

…and do I remember that the Eb body is keyless?

“available” odd choice of words to my mind… It is so like you though, innit.
I don’t see that ya had a good option :wink:

Three hours! That is impressinve!

I might someday tell the tale of the humming birds.
I do have trouble breaking that bit out from the rest of the two weeks. :smiley:

11

Goodness, no. In for a dime, in for a dollar, as they say. :wink:

“Available” in the sense that a lot of fluteworthy subtlety and nuance are pretty well useless in group settings. So, I had that option. But:

Good point. :slight_smile:

In terms of the mere task, not really…I took a couple of smoke breaks, and made a point of not playing tune after set after set after tune after set ad nauseam without some judiciously timed pauses in between, “ambience” being the watchword. Even repeated a couple of airs and hornpipe sets when there was enough turnover. The time went by for me pretty quickly, in the end.

That three hours of bare flute didn’t drive folks to attack me is impressive! :wink:

12

it is nice to have all of those other odd notes, innit

:laughing: what I ment… :laughing:

13

I’m just back from our local pub where a session was supposed to be tonight…well, it wasn’t. :wink:

Another fluter was there, so we took it in turns and played some solo tunes (to earn the free pint!). I played some jigs and reels (one of them on a baroque traverso the other fluter brought in, which was really nice - ornaments just popping out!), “Crested Hens” (with that Eb - a lovely tune), Rolling Wave (my favourite jig) and two or three airs. It was quite nice, the audience even stopped talking at some points. :wink: It was better than I expected.

14

Nice to have another fluter to help out! That way you can shift the spotlight, as it were.

15

I dont know what your personality is like but as for me the solo thing never flew. As a guitarist I was fine in a trio playing lead/rythym and singing but after the breakup my solo career lasted about a month. I didnt/dont have the confidence...... personality.... ego to say hey, listen to me, Im good. So you`ve done more than I can or care to. I also found that the audience of dustbunnies in my apartment are much less critical than most bar crowds.

16

Well, understand that it wasn’t anything to do with a “hey, listen to me, I’m good” mentality at all. I was stuck in a position where I had a job to do even if it was alone. So I did it the best I could. That’s it. There wasn’t much point in worrying about the begrudgers.

There are those who like to take on the spotlight at sessions, for example. I’m not one of them.

17

:astonished: I didnt mean to infer that you WERE that type. From the direction of the posts you didnt sound like the front man type and neither am I. I always enjoyed my moment to shine but never really liked taking center stage for long. I think it would be a little easier in a supper club setting where you would be more background music than main attraction. I`ve always envisioned myself as a wandering whistle player at the reniassance festival, more ambience than entertainment, something less obvious than a"Puke and Snot" category.

18

I play solo quite often. My wife runs a charming self-catering house that happens to be located next door to the bar we hold sessions. For this reason I have to go there very very often. The owner always welcomes me if drop by with the flute off schedule. He turns off the music and gives me food and drink.

Sometimes it’s an awkward time of the day and there’s nobody in the bar. That’s when I enjoy most the sound of the flute. My perception is that I play way better than at home. Nobody’s listening, but I feel some kind of reponsibility along with an absolute freedom to play what I fancy in that particular moment. I forget about volume and hassle of sessions and concentrate in tone, tuning, style, etc. I certainly enjoy those moments.

Edited for spelling

19

Once went to a St. Patty’s session in Maine more than an hour early and decided to wait in the back room where the session was to take place…no sooner sat down when a group of “girls” (and I’m no spring chicken) from Southie of all places, rolled in and wanted music ! I’t’s a good thing they started early…blasted away for about an hour to Irish “standards” (good thing I had a song book w/ me)…they went on to torment the sessioneers for a couple hours more when they showed up…they were unbelievable…god knows where they went next…never seen the like !

20

I’ve done a couple of weddings solo. Backgroundy stuff, O’Carolans, basically anything I wanted. It’s fun, as long as the acoustics are OK. I hate fighting to get a nice, warm, resonant sound in a crumby room. Outdoors is a challenge, too.

I enjoy it. We set up a little stage for a 2-day art show every year, and in between formal sets, each of us will do an hour or so solo, just to keep the music flowing. Makes for a nice coupla days, and the artists give 5% of all sales to the music society.