how and why did you all start playing the flute?

Lightheaded Mike · Post by **Lightheaded Mike** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:30 pm

I played saxophone in junior high school and then spent the next twenty years subconsciously flicking my fingers a' la saxophone keying while litening to music. Always liked Irish music so my wife gave me a Clark Meg for Christmas 2 years ago, and suddenly my finger flicking produced actual sounds again. Discovered Tom Doorley and asked an ITM-obsessed friend where I might pick up a beginner's flute locally. He lent me his Casey Burns blackwood flute, introduced me to all sorts of great recordings, tunes, and started dragging me to sessions when I scarcely had a dozen tunes. It was (still is) a kind of apprenticeship, really.
I now play a fantastic large-holed Rudall-derived flute made by Jon C.
But the Meg has gone missing.
Mike

Berti66 · Post by **Berti66** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:32 pm

have always loved the sound of the (silver) flutes.
in 2004 I started on whistle, and got to meet one of our german forum members.......he had quite a nice collection of whistles but when he started to play the irish flute, it struck me like lightning and I fell in love.....
with the flute, that is !!!
so I bought a dixon 3 piece from another forum member and have worked hard since that summer but have not been lucky as I got problems along the way which limited the flute playing.....
because of these problems I had to really FIGHT keep playing and fulfill the deep longing for this instrument, keep myself going.

last year january I got a flute on loan from that same member, and I liked how it felt in my hands and the sound of it on the cd's of kevin crawford...
it has inspired me to keep going, the flute has gone back since, and I have mainly stuck to the dixon and the whistles.
meanwhile have worked hard last year on tone, embouchure which all has improved.......still a long way to go after playing one full year intensively...
still having that challenge so still have to fight....

have an aebi keyless on order now, and can't wait for it to come, knowing I will love it to bits and grow some further into the passion that the irish traditional music has become.

cheers
berti

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:50 pm

Some one here wanted to be rid of their Tipple flute. I arranged a trade and that was how it happened. The flute is a different experience. I am practicing almost every day. However, progress at times seems to come in small granules.

le_koukou · Post by **le_koukou** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 1:10 am

Like other members on this board, I started with the recorder then grew tired of it and decided to try the traverso. That was about one year ago. It is much more fun in my opinion and I am not going back to the recorder anytime soon!

pandscarr · Post by **pandscarr** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 3:30 am

At 9, I wanted to play the trumpet - but my older sister played the flute and my parents wouldn't buy another instrument. I changed to the oboe and cor anglais in junior high school, and then gave up playing anything for a couple of decades.

Then I missed the music and played the piano for years, but it was always so lonely... when I wanted to join the session, it seemed like the instrument that would suit me best was the wooden flute, and it has!

I have a theory that some people are natural wind players, and some natural string players but few are good at both - Clare Mann is one exception.

Matt_Paris · Post by **Matt_Paris** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:02 am

I first discovered Breton music. I used a Bb whistle to practice bombard tunes without annoying my neighbors.

At that time, for some reason it was impossible to find a D whistle in my town: I think instruments sellers were ordering Generation batches... So the D were sold immediately and you could just find the others.

My brother's Irish girlfriend Ciara gave me a great old model Feadog D. (I unfortunately lost it later). A friend of mine who played the uilleann pipes really well taught me the basis of Irish ornamentation and gave me my first Bothy Band record... Matt Molloy was a revelation.

My first flute was made by two Bretons, who make good bombards: Hervieux & Glet. I wouldn't recommend the flutes, but I kept it for 6 years, and still have it... When I had some money, I ordered a great Aebi Pratten. I now play mostly an old Rudall & Rose and a Delrin Jon C.

pixyy · Post by **pixyy** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 4:07 am

When I was about 8 or 9 we had a neighbour who played the piano. Not from books or anything and he would sing too. I loved the obvious freedom of his expression.
We didn't get a piano, but my parents got me an electric organ (

) Probably because it was cheaper, took less space AND could be played with headphones on. Took lessons, stuffy music. Got into the keyboard/synth craze and got lessons in general music theory and improvisationl. Never got beyond the very basics. With all the electronics i now realise I was far removed from the freedom of the piano playing neighbour.

When my house got robbed 10 years later I lost all electronic instruments incl bass guitar, amps, computer recording gear - the lot.
A friend of mine gave me his mandolin and guitar on permanent loan - figuring I would need SOMETHING to play music on.
Tought myself some chords on the guitar and got interested in singing.
Was actually something I enjoyed

When I moved to Denmark in 2000 I figured I needed to do something to keep me sane. For some reason bought a tinwhistle (what WAS I thinking) and found Chiff and Fipple. Met Jens through the messageboard and got into the small but active Irish music scene in Copenhagen.

Tried to toot on a flute for the first time during a whistle workshop with Mary Bergin. I somehow thought one should play whistle first for many years, but I always found them too shrill.
The flute on the other hand, seemed to be the instrument I had been looking for for those 20 years. I love to PLAY the flute, the directness, the feel and the control of it. The simple system flute has great beauty in its simplicity.
Maybe I'm too clinical/methodical when I try to learn Irish tunes, but the ones I have learned give some of the joy of the piano playing neighbour, especially when playing with others. And when relaxed and having plenty of time to play there are few things better than the tone and feel of a wooden flute and to make it sing...

here ends my musing

Wormdiet · Post by **Wormdiet** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 10:26 am

My car got stolen last year, and my insurance company gave me an extremely good settlement. With a bit of that windfall, I bought an M &E. And now look at me

But I;ve always loved Irish/Scottish music. . . I'm another GHB convert. It was hard to keep playing once I got to college (Dorm rooms aren;t a great practice space) and I also found the competition scene a bit stifling after several years.

monkey587 · Post by **monkey587** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 1:24 pm

I'm a guitarist who wanted to play a more portable melody instrument. At first I wanted to play whistle, but didn't like the volume of the high notes. A little over a year ago my friend Anton (who occasionally reads this board) told me about Doug Tipple and I ordered a flute from him. I have several flutes but I play my 1880s 8-key german flute w/ Jon C headjoint nearly all the time, unless I need extra volume, in which case I play my McGee keyless.

In The Woods · Post by **In The Woods** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 9:26 pm

I started on Highland pipes fifteen years ago, and did the competition scene, and was a member of three street bands. But as I have gotten older, I found that marching in 90-degree heat wearing a 16 oz worsted kilt, black shrit and glengarry and playing the pipes for a three mile parade are not nice things to do to myself.

So I have dropped the parades, but still play the pipes, including shuttle pipes.

About four months ago, I was invited to a session in Charlottesville, Virginia. I went with my shuttle pipes, but I was realy taken by the music, (plus the fact that you guys have *way* more notes to mess around with than the pipes (only nine notes; how hard can it be?) So I got a whistle, and then decided that a flute would really be extra nice too, since I love the sound of it. I bought a Tipple for Christmas, and I've been working with it since. I can get some flute sounds out of it, and I think I will just keep right on piping and whistling and fluting(?).

With best regards to all,

Steve Mack-

Searleit · Post by **Searleit** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 7:02 am

When I was 6 my parents wanted me to lern to play piano, but I never liked it. Few years later I have had the oportunity of listening to Jean-Luc Thomas live, and that was the first time I saw Irish flute. In that time I didn't know what kind of flute is this, because it wasn't popular in Poland. One year ago, I've found people who play Irish music, and discovered this wonderful instrument for my self

.

dhamilingu · Post by **dhamilingu** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 8:49 am

I've been a trumpet player for about 23 years, jazz mostly, although I haven't played much for the last few years. I've always been into Irish trad. music, and have tooted on tin whistles around the house for longer than I played the trumpet, but only more seriously over the last 7-8 years (I'm still pretty amateur on the whistle). I've played the bodhran for 6 years and still do (yes, I admit it!!). In the sessions I've been playing with, I normally play faster tunes on the bodhran and slow airs and other slow tunes on the whistle. However, the session I currently attend has many whistle players, all better than me! One guy at the session plays beautifully on the low whistle, which I investigated for a while, and that led me to the flute. I prefer the tone and lower register to the whistle, and there are no other flute players at the session! But I've just started VERY recently, so I don't expect to actually play in the session on the flute for a while. My ultimate preference would be to play 70-80% of a session on the flute, and play the bodhran for an occasional change, for tunes I don't know, etc. Can't wait for my CB folk flute to arrive!

Interesting post!

spittle · Post by **spittle** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 9:48 am

Great stuff here! I'd like to hear from more makers (Thanks Doug!).

My intial interest in woodwinds was awakened in High School when my younger brother started learning the Clarinet, then later the Bassoon on which he's now an accomplished, professional player. The rich, resonant sound and the fact that the instrument was made of wood was visual and aural aesthetic that left a great impact on me.

It wouldn't be till over twelve years later (a little over 4 years ago) that on a 'boys weekend', a friend of a friend (who played flute and whistle) popped in a CD from a band with a goofy name: 'Kornog' or something

- I was mesmerized! Already having a keen interest in the history and culture of the Ireland, Britian and Northern Europe since childhood, the the love of the music was kindled as an extension of that interest. I listened to this guy talk of how easy and affordable whistles were for learning the type of music we were listening to and also about this guy name 'Olwell' who made great Bamboo flutes for not much money. A few months later I'd called Patrick and the rest is history.

An interesting turn in musical interest for a guy who listened to primarily to Progressive and Blues-based Rock!

pinkyirl · Post by **pinkyirl** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 10:32 am

i played the keyboard from age 7 & loved it, all popular music & learning by ear so i could play a request in a pub (started early hehe) etc
but my teacher (a a neightbour) said he could teach me no more & suggested i learn piano. so i played classical piano from age 12 - 17 as far as grade 6 - but i never really liked it. a whole year was spent learning a set amount of tunes for the exam, nothing for pleasure, i couldnt accompany a singer or play a nice tune for someone and i lost all interest. didnt touch an instrument for over 10 years, but always loved the flute and trad sessions.

i bought a hammy metal practice flute last year, along with the grey larsen book & thought i could teach myself but found it impossible to even get a note out of it! i had given up all hope, when my boyfriend treated me to a term of lessons for my 30th birthday in september. and then another term for my Xmas present - so i'm signed up for til next september and really enjoying it.

the hardest part is being disciplined enough to practice - and having patience. I cant stop singing the tunes in my head all day & they sound great - but then i go to play them and my versions are ten times slower, wrong notes all over the place, not much articulation - and i get disappointed. but i suppose i'm doing okay after 3 months...need to keep practicing!

Azathoth · Post by **Azathoth** » Sat Jan 14, 2006 12:11 pm

I started age 12 since my parents encouraged me to start playing an instrument. So I went to the music master at school, he showed me the 'music cupboard' where the instruments were stored, and invited me to pick one of the instruments available. I chose a Boehm flute -- because it was the smallest

I studied this for a few years, went through the RSM Grade exams, and then just kept playing on and off through uni and beyond.

This went on until, two years ago, I was getting a bit tired of the classical world, and also wanting to actually play in a group informally, so I tried something else. First I thought of jazz, which I've always liked, so I went for alto sax. This I played for six months and then realized that whilst I liked jazz, it didn't like me.

I then saw an advert for an Irish group which needed a "flautist or fiddle player" -- and that was that. Two years later I still haven't mastered all those tricky traditional ornaments, but I'm having a lot of fun! And, despite having a 'proper' Irish flute or two, I still play the Boehm a lot for stuff in those 'tricky' key signatures.

And another thing I like about playing Irish flute is that it's a little bit unusual, in that it's not an absolutely traditional instrument for the music -- quite the opposite of classical music, where there always far too many flutes and not enough seats in the orchestra