Stuff for a beginner to try?

Hunter · Post by **Hunter** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:18 am

I'm brand new to the flute (and I mean brand new), but I'm no stranger to music. I'm looking through youtube and other places for some traditional songs to learn, but what I'm finding are either insanely complex, well beyond my ability now, and far too difficult for someone who's only been tooting away for just over a week...or they're too basic to keep my interest.

Are there any resources I could scrounge for some fairly interesting and challenging tunes that fall somewhere between "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "The Devil Went Down to Georgia"? Reading music isn't a problem.

Anything will be most helpful!

Thanks!

Hunter

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:25 am

You didn't specify a style, so I'll assume you're interested in Irish Trad. 'The Session' has thousands of transcribed tunes available.
http://www.thesession.org/index.php

And of course, there are many, many more sites on the internet. Finding tunes will NOT be a problem!

Enjoy!

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:42 am

http://www.oldmusicproject.com/allans.html

http://members.aol.com/kitchiegal/kmmusic4.html

http://www.oldmusicproject.com/oneils1.html

http://www.eirefirst.com/midiindex.html

Hunter · Post by **Hunter** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:44 am

Excellent! Thanks!

Yep. I'm looking for traditional Irish music (since most of my musical experience has been classical piano and trumpet...you know...Chopin, Mozart, Hyden and that sort of thing I haven't really been exposed to any traditional Irish music at all). This should keep me busy for a while!

Thanks again!

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:49 am

I have posted a tunebook with 20 tunes with sheet music on a page at my website. The link to my website is the www icon at the bottom of this page.

Jim, I see that we have cross-posted. Thanks for sharing the links to the excellent tune resources.

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:51 am

The jigs and reels are pretty quick initially.
By all means try them.

However there are a number of slower tunes,
and those will be more accessible.

O'Carolan melodies, for instance.

Learning by ear is a helpful skill
that you can develop if you don't
already have it.

None of this is particularly easy on flute,
however we jump in somewhere.

Cubitt · Post by **Cubitt** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:53 am

http://irishflute.podbean.com/

This source lets you hear a great deal of standard repertoire, and if you care to learn by ear rather than by written music, it will get you into ornamentation and style as well. The best resource I've found, and the website was created by one of our own members. Check it out.

Cheers.

Hunter · Post by **Hunter** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:54 am

Wonderful! I can't wait to break away from the office, head home, and take a whack at some of these tunes when I get home tonight!

sbfluter · Post by **sbfluter** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 12:07 pm

Put an order in for the Fliuit Tutor. It's a great book. It will teach you a lot about breathing and ornamentation without tossing in too much ornamentation. Lots of the tunes in there are fun to play. Some are less so, but it'll really get you started.

It's funny but the book itself has only a little information about ornamentation and almost nothing about breathing. It's all in listening closely on the CD. For about half the tunes she'll play it slowly with few ornaments. Because it's slow she breathes a little more. Then she'll play it faster with more ornaments and less breaths. You really get a feel for how Irish music works on the flute, where you choose your spaces for breathing and how you use your breathing to shape the tune just like the ornaments. It's amazing.

Hunter · Post by **Hunter** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 12:23 pm

Hehehe...you're making Christmas shopping easy (well...for me, anyway)!

Tootler · Post by **Tootler** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 4:52 pm

Easy Peasy Tunes from Dave Mallinson sounds to be the sort of thing you are looking for.

It aims to bridge the gap you describe and has a good selection of tunes commonly played in sessions in the UK. The actual tunes are a mixture of English, Scots and Irish and he grades the tunes in difficulty.

Link to his website here: http://www.mally.com/details.asp?id=68

Geoff

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 6:33 pm

what kind of flute did you get? where did you get it? have you tried a whistle? keep a whistle in your car or any other convenient place.

Hunter · Post by **Hunter** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:18 am

I have a pretty decent bamboo flute at the moment (just something to learn on), but I'm going to be buying an M&E flute for myself as a Christmas present. Doc has a beautiful blackwood M&E flute I've been drooling over and another in polymer that's caught my eye. I'm really not sure which one to get...but the wonderful crowd on this forum are being most helpful in my decision making process.

I don't have a tin whistle at the moment, but plan on getting one to carry around. I try to spend as much time as I can practicing, and keeping a whistle in my car or briefcase will allow even more tooting time!

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:33 am

Hunter wrote:I'm really not sure which one to get...but the wonderful crowd on this forum are being most helpful in my decision making process.

You want helpful? Buy 'em both and see which you like better!

Hunter · Post by **Hunter** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 8:38 am

What a great idea!

Umm...anybody know how much plasma I'd have to donate to get $1000? How much do you think I could get for a kidney?