Chiff and Fipple Forums

Greetings all. I've just begun playing the flute (almost a week now), and although I'll start lessons with a teacher in a month or so, in the meantime I'd like to learn some basics - proper embouchure, hand position, maybe something on breathing, etc., so I'm wondering if anyone can suggest a tutorial book (perhaps with cd/tape) to get started with. I read music and play other instruments (whistles in ITM) as well as my burgeoning interest in the flute. Appreciate any recommendations - thanks.

Probably the only thing on the market for you would be the Mad for Trad CD-ROM. Click here to see the website. There's also a book out by Fintan Vallely but the tape is out of production.
Do you have your bamboo Olwell yet?
Cheers,
Aaron

Try this for starters:
http://www.woodenflute.com/playing
especially Paul Mulvaney's tutorial essay.

Hammy Hamilton sometimes has copies of his book and cassette
http://www.hamiltonflutes.com

And Grey Larsen's book should be out any time now:
http://greylarsen.com/catalog/books.html
I'd email him and ask.

Good luck! But don't be disappointed if it's slow going. Having lessons with a teacher will make a huge difference.

You might get some help from Skip's Tips at the Skip Healy website. The link to the tips is at the bottom right of the intro page.

http://www.skiphealy.com/

Steve

I second the Mad for Trad CD. However, don't expect too much for one short month. This flute stuff can keep you busy for years.

I got the CD after playing lonely for six or eight months. After spending about six weeks with it, I got a much better feel for what Trad flute playing is all about. I put it away, and kept absorbing (limited amounts) more info about trad music by playing and mostly, by listening a lot.

I recently pulled the CD out again, and went through the lessons. I found them even more instructive and worthwhile after letting them simmer for that time. The tunes he uses for instruction are very well selected and carried out.

My only complaint is that when Seamus Egan is playing at anywhere above dead slow speed, I cannot for the life of me see his fingers move when he performs a roll. He has absolutely the fastest fingers I have ever seen (or thought I did). Some of the top players are so good that it just makes you want to take up golf, just to reduce the frustration level.

Appreciate all your suggestions - I picked up Fintan Vallely's Timber[i] tutorial book the other day, and have looked at a few of the online resources, which should get me going just fine until I decide on a teacher in the next month or so. I can see already that learning the flute is going to take quite a bit more patience (and practice!) than the whistle (even the low whistle), but I'm sure it will be rewarding in time.
Thanks again -

Stephen [/i]

I know what you mean stiofan. I was in about the same position as yours a couple of months ago. I dear to say, already, that you'll probably find it worth all the effort. The wooden flute is the most magical instrument I've ever come across, but they give you so much trouble in the very beginning, and still does so for me, ofcourse I am still very much a beginner. A couple of months is nothing, I've noticed when learning wood flutes. They do take a lot of air, even with a fairly good embouchure. I have problems with it. I don't know how good my embouchure is but I think I've got a good tone, and I've got compliments from my teacher on my embouchure, but that's on the Böhm flute, wich I find a lot easier to play wind wise. Anyway, there is nothing like getting a hot flute to honk real good.

Expect three difficult months.

I'm not so satisfied with the Seamus Egan tutorial for a few reasons. Firstly despite reiterating the importance of breathing and embouchure, he barey covers them at all. Which isn't very useful to one who's starting out on the flute. Secondly, the tutorial is just him playing tunes fast and slow, with sheet music. Very little is covered stylistic-wise and most times his playing on the video clips are a little on the non-descript side, i.e. any competent flute player could have done the video. I think I have certainly gained more from the information circulating on the internet, being on the wooden flute list etc. than on this tutorial.

My 2 centavos!

Well, Eldo, you may have been past the point where you really needed the CD when you ran into it. I probably started at (and stayed at) a lower level than you did, and found some solid grounding from studying the CD. There is nothing quite as instructive as actually watching somebody correctly do tips, cuts, rolls, and crans.

As far as embouchure and breathing instruction, I don't know if there is an instructional CD that could possibly do those subjects justice. I have asked all of the talented flute players that will listen about what constitutes a good embouchure and how to develop one. Their answers are as varied as can be. I don't think that teaching embouchure can go too far to help a person, as individual as each person's physiology is concerned, as well as playing style.

One fellow who was teaching a local workshop plays with his lips so close to the embouchure, and covers so much of the hole, that if he got any closer he would have to stick his lips inside the flute. He plays great that way. In imitating his style, I can't get anything resembling a tone. A flute teacher I had for a few months played her wooden flutes with an embouchure that varied little if any from what she used on her Boehm flute, and got wonderful tone and expression from all of them. :roll: It's all too complicated for little ole me.

Nope Ron, I was a total beginner to the flute when I got the tutorial. I had a couple of years of whistling under my belt before though, so things like cutting, rolling and weren't my biggest concerns. What I was needing help with was stuff like how to get a decent tone out of the instrument, how to sustain this tone, basically the real fundamentals of how to play the flute. I felt disappointed when I found out that this tutorial does not cover those subjects at all, even though it has been reiterated that they were important factors. The tutorial doesn't describe glottaling very well either and months after buying it I still didnt have the foggiest idea on how to glottal. Hence I do not believe that it is especially useful to rank beginners on the Irish flute.

However like you said, it will benefit those who would like to see someone perform finger ornaments like cuts, rolls, crans etc. Other than that, I think resources from the internet, like Brother Steve's whistle website, the wooden flute list, or whistle tutorials like LE McCullough's would easily cover everything featured in this tutorial(and more), especially when it doesnt really go in depth about things that are unique to the flute, or flute stylistics.

I also agree that it is difficult to teach embouchure due to the reasons you cited. However I still think it should be covered in some way or another in a good flute tutorial. Maybe not in an strictly instructional context, but giving a rough idea what the process of finding your embochure is like etc etc. Its a bit bemusing to see Seamus Egan belt out tunes - albeit melodically simple ones, and wonder if there's anything wrong with you when you can't even get a half-decent sound of of your tube. Breathing can be taught with more ease than embouchure though, and some pointers should be given at least, in a comprehensive flute tutorial. If such fundamental topics aren't covered, then I don't see how I'd be worse off if I got myself a good whistle tutorial instead.

Incidentally, I think the madfortrad whistle tutorial is pretty nice.

I`m with Eldarion on this one. I was totaly disapointed with the Mad For Trad Tutorial. The 3 or 4 secounds it spends on embouchure are laughable. Nothing on breathing and realy at the time I got it it was way over my head. Heck the tape put out by Lark in the Mourning is ten times better, IMHO that is, then the Mad for Trad. When I first got the CD my biggest problem was embouchure. I wouldn`d have cared if there was 5 of 6 different styles if I just could have gotten an idea of how to develope one. Alas I was left to my own devices on that score. So it has spent its live in my desk drawer and I have had to struggle along on my own and with the help on the net and of course here. Anyway, as a rank begginer I do not recommend this CD. Try the Lark in the Mourning tape for half the price. I think you will get more out if it.

Tom

I just scanned the previous posts, so I may be redundant, but I've heard several people say they like Scoiltrad better than Mad for Trad.

http://www.scoiltrad.com

I did Mad for Trad myself, but quit using it after I'd printed out all the 'dots' in the lessons (but I do agree, I found the Seamus video basically useless because I couldn't see, but I blamed it on my monitor) (whoops!)

But conceptually, I could see the value in it. Maybe Conal Grada's version is better. I like that Scoiltrad gives you the opportunity to send in mp3s of yourself and get feedback .... at least there's some engagement there.

Good luck!

cat.

All of that is true. I guess the best way to learn how to develop your embouchure, aside from using a knife on your flute, would have to be done one on one by a good teacher.

I still don't have a clue as to why I manage to play with an acceptable tone some days, then can't manage a good squawk on some others, no matter what I try.

I think that wooden flute playing and golf must have been developed by the same crafty evil geniuses. they are both great sources of pain and joy, not to mention frustration.


Never follow in the footsteps of the master-especially if he is on a horse.

Couldn`t agree with you more Rondo. Perplexing to the max. Lately I`ve have quit trying to learn songs on my flutes and have just been playing them. You know, what ever comes out. Total lack of disaplin on my part I know but I think it is realy helping. I guess I am kinda learning what the flute has to teach right now. It would be nice to know what it would be like to take a course in flute playing but I doubt that I would stick to it. Inventing your own course may be bad news but its better then no news.

Tom