If I could play THIS tune, I'll be satisfied....

[bradhurley]

She triple-glottal-stopped all the C naturals.
...For the C naturals in the second part I do a quick C-D-C flick. Seems to work...

Those are excellent solutions to that problem! My own approach is to use short rolls on the C, fingered thusly:

ooo ooo
oxx ooo
oxx xxo
oxx ooo

which of course sounds ridiculous played slowly but passes as a short roll when played at speed. The whole sequence of notes at the beginning of the B part of the tune would be:

oxx ooo (C)
xxo ooo (A)
xxx ooo (G)
oxx ooo (C) --I do a brief glottal stop here)
ooo ooo (C# cut)
oxx ooo (C)
oxx xxo (tap)
oxx ooo (C)

The timing of the above would sound like:

dee-dah-DUM-dah-diddly

With the "DUM" being the G and the following "dah" being the C just before the short roll (the short roll being all the notes that come after the glottal stop), and the "diddly" being the short roll itself.

Since this is an awkward way to explain it, I've recorded myself playing this short roll (which admittedly does sound a little wimpy compared with Catherine and John's solutions).

Here's a link to an MP3 (about 250k) of me playing the sequence of notes shown above (including the short roll on C):

http://www.firescribble.net/shortrollbunker.mp3

And here's a link to an MP3 (about 250 k) of me playing the entire B part of Bunker Hill. There's a bit of reverb on this one, sorry.

http://www.firescribble.net/bunkerhill.mp3

My server seems to be a bit slow at the moment so you may get some skipping at the beginning when you download these; if so, just hit "PLAY" again.

[Bill Reeder]

Curious about which tune any of you have marked as the one that would mean, if you could play it, you're as good as you'd like.
In other words, your toughest tune that you've not mastered, but aspire to play.
Share the ABC here!
Mine was/still is Gravel Walk (ala Chris Norman/Matt Molloy), one of the hardest tunes for the flute, especially with ornaments, etc.

I've found that this kind of thinking is a trick that our minds play on us. Everytime I start thinking about a tune like this and finally succeed in getting it down, a new one rises up to take its place. Still, I pursue the carrot on the stick - I'd love to play a convincing version of Gravel Walk on my pipes!

[jim stone]

There is no one tune--I just don't understand
how anybody can play a D flute as fast and
well as it's played on the CDs I listen to.
Doesn't seem physically possible.

[MarkB]

Gee Dave

Just when a guy is starting to make things work for him on the flute you go and raise the bar. Right now the bar is at my ankles but the flute is getting better every day.

As to a tune that is a challenge or Holy Grail, I just want to play a decent reel/jig/hornpipe etc., at a decent speed and make it sound like something.

But the regime that I have set up for myself to practice one hour every morning before work is really paying off. The simple reel that I can play well is The Bag of Spuds no real challenge but I learned it entirely on the flute without going to the whistle.

I want to be wheezing Geezer!

MarkB

[Ro3b]

I love learning those screwy fiddle tunes, myself. I find it's a great way to stretch my technique. My goal right now is to master "The Trip to Galway," an amazing jig that's on the new album by Liz and Yvonne Kane. Lots of D minor arpeggios, which means I'm finally having to get comfortable with my long F key. I'm also intent on learning "In Memory of Coleman," a beautiful G minor reel by Ed Reavy that's on that same album. I've been playing another Reavy tune, "The Road to the Glen," in E minor, which lays out very nicely on the flute, but since fiddlers play it in D minor I've been relearning it in that key. More fun than a bathtub full of guppies.

I'm also slowly working on learning my whole flute repertoire on the button accordion, but that's beyond the scope of this thread.

[carrie]

Just a thanks to everyone for the Bunker Hill responses. Wonderful.

Carol

[johnkerr]

Ríl Bhéara, Dr. Gilbert's, Bunker Hill...

Best,
N

Doctor Gilbert is actually a great tune for the flute. Once you pop the notes below D up an octave, it lays really nicely. I prefer to play it at a fairly mellow, stately, East Galway/East Clare tempo, where it really shines. Unfortunately many fiddlers, perhaps realizing that an alternate name for the tune is The Dispute at the Crossroads, prefer to turn it into a real road rage event and play it way too fast. It's not a real problem keeping up with them on the flute, but IMHO it just sucks all the music out of the tune when they do that.

[Ro3b]

Re Bunker Hill, the usual B part of that tune is just rhythmically bopping around the C and D arpeggios. It's a pretty simple matter to find other ways to bop that don't involve rolling the C. I usually play the B part thusly:

GcBc ecBc|GcBd cAGc|Adcd fdcd|Add^c d_cAG etc.

But since the movement there is more harmonic than melodic, you can substitute any number of melodic variations in C for the hard parts. Nothing wrong with copping out if you're creative about it. E.g.:

Gcec gcec|BcGc cBAG|

~G3c ecdB|cCEG cBAG|

~e3d ce~e2|decA GAcB

Etc.

[RudallRose]

Wow
I thought this would be a good thread, but I'm thrilled at the use of it. So much great dialogue!
Regarding Bunker Hill....great tune....try to hear Chris Norman's setting on it. Sweet.
Deirdre's style is terrific, once you master the roll/cran of the E. That's the key to her playing in a nutshell, i think. Same with Frankie Gavin.
For the 8-key players (or 6, if you will) I find the most challenging tune for the F-nat keys (you must use them both) is Julia Delaney in D-minor. That first part is a pretty nifty workout. Triplets on the Fs make them easier than just 3-note turns.
Any of the Charlie Lennon tunes in minor mode are cool, too.
I used to think it was the Bucks of Oranmore as the "got it" tune....you're right....one goes and another takes the place.
Sigh....we're all sick, sick people to continue this, eh?

[Ogrt48]

Eyes On Me - with the flute. The song is from Final Fantasy 8.