Posting clips

Bothrops · Post by **Bothrops** » Tue May 20, 2008 2:24 pm

And one more (did you realize that I like mainly reels and jigs?

)

"The Glass Of Beer"

http://audio.xanga.com/Bothrops/36e0e2247923/audio.html

jemtheflute · Post by **jemtheflute** » Wed May 21, 2008 5:36 am

I've been meaning ever since I changed my "avatar" image that I should post some clips on the flute it shows - an early C19th boxwood one-key by Norton of Shaftesbury (Dorset). It isn't a Baroque flute, although most of the cross-fingerings work adequately on it - the embouchure and tone-holes are post-classical era in design and it is pitched at or slightly above A=440. I find it takes me a while to play myself into it and get decent-ish intonation - and it certainly isn't perfect in that regard even then! Still, I enjoy playing it and it has a lovely tone.

Here are two tunes by "Ioan Rhagfyr" - John Williams of Dolgellau (1740-1821), a well known writer of hymn tunes and a partly trained, partly self-taught musician, from a notebook belonging to him and his brother written c1760 and including several dance tune compositions by him. They are very much Baroque mainstream influenced but folksy - I suppose kinda loosely comparable to O'Carolan etc. in the Irish tradition. The important thing is he was a flute player! The Norton flute would have been made towards the end of his lifetime, in terms of contemporaneity, and one may presume that he would have played similar instruments. It isn't any more closely associated with him or Wales than that, though, save it now resides there itself and has played his music in Dolgellau!

Gavot (the second of two in the MS)

Air (also the second of two items thus labelled)

We have no idea what tempo the "air" was intended to be played at - the term only means it isn't in a specific dance metre, not that it should be slow as such. I have played this one slowly first, but I think some of the figures within it suggest it should be rather brisker, so the second run through is at a tempo that makes them work better, I feel. That said, I completely fell apart at the end!

jemtheflute · Post by **jemtheflute** » Wed May 21, 2008 5:53 am

Martin/Bothrops, I just listened to your two latest - nothing to add to previous comments, really - fingerwiseand tunewise your playing is going just fine. Tone is the big issue, and subsidiary to that there are some intonation difficulties. Much as you (like most of us) enjoy the quick tunes, you'd be doing yourself a favour to concentrate on slow stuff for a while - even if it is the jigs and reels slowed down - and work on keeping a well focussed embouchure/tone. If you can get rid of most of that spilt-breath hissiness you will also improve your intonation control. Back to the long tones and incremental step-shifts!

Rob Sharer · Post by **Rob Sharer** » Wed May 21, 2008 5:59 am

Lads, anyone who likes this thread where it is on the forum page should vote in the "Stickies Round 2" poll, lest we be consigned to some invisible realm.

Rock the vote!

Rob

Darren · Post by **Darren** » Wed May 21, 2008 7:04 am

jemtheflute, that flute sounds sooooo nice! Really sweet sound from it.

Martin, I really think you are progressing nicely. I listened to your youtube song right after you got the Tipple and think that with these 2 latest you are improving a lot. Your tone on Tobin's Favourite sounds much better.

I've been at it for about 6 weeks now and think I am doing well with my tone but there is no way I am going to make a recording to post here. I don't come from a background in Irish music and anything I play would would either butcher it or wouldn't be Irish. :p

Keep on posting your playing though, Martin. It is great to hear your progression, especially since you already seem to know the music, just working on the flute sound. Great stuff.

Darren · Post by **Darren** » Wed May 21, 2008 9:51 am

btw, I am sure that everyone here knows about this but am just posting it in case anyone else is new like me.

I found these 20 mp3's at tradschool.com,

http://tradschool.com/index.php?option= ... =4&lang=en

You download as a zip file.

I really like The First House on Connaught and The Merry Blacksmith. I have all of them on my mp3 player though and love listening to them.

Bothrops · Post by **Bothrops** » Wed May 21, 2008 10:45 am

jemtheflute and Darren: Thank you very much!! I'll continue with the excercises to improve my tone, of course, although I find them boring, I know they're useful

Oh, and thanks a lot for that link, Darren. I downloaded the file and those recordings sound great. I think I'll put them on my mp3 player too

Regards,
Martin

JeffS · Post by **JeffS** » Wed May 21, 2008 12:19 pm

Here's a few tunes I recorded this AM

Reel of Mullinivat
http://www.box.net/shared/nvf71lwggs

The First Light of Day or From Galway to Dublin (hornpipe)
http://www.box.net/shared/8yoxpyjokc

Barrell Rafferty's (reel)
http://www.box.net/shared/shsepwjoks

mahanpots · Post by **mahanpots** » Wed May 21, 2008 3:25 pm

Nice clips JeffS. I especially liked the last one.

Michael

ImNotIrish · Post by **ImNotIrish** » Thu May 22, 2008 6:58 pm

Here's a couple of reels I enjoy playing. These are played on my Hawkes & Son.
Arbo

http://www.box.net/shared/ktueuylz44
(primrose lass/green grow the rushes)

jemtheflute · Post by **jemtheflute** » Fri May 23, 2008 7:42 am

JeffS - I second Michael - nice tunes and nice playing. Only two reservations: it sounds as though you are playing too close to whatever microphone you are using - I'd suggest backing off a couple of feet and then it would sound a bit less "bottley" and hissy; your hornpipe doesn't have enough lilt to it - sounds more like a gently played reel - sure, hornpipes can be played "straight" rhythm as well as dotted, but they still need that hint of dottiness to feel right. I'd be interested to know your source - a recording or another player(s) by ear or from notation? (Funnily enough, Mullinavat can have a tendency to feel hornpipey despite its title, though not in your rendition, a bit like Paddy on the Railroad a.k.a The Merry Blacksmith can.)

Arbo, I'd say almost the reverse is true in your reel set - you are playing them more as hornpipes than as reels. Lovely sound from your Hawkes, though your recent clips are using a bit much reverb for my taste.

ImNotIrish · Post by **ImNotIrish** » Fri May 23, 2008 2:57 pm

jemtheflute wrote:
Arbo, I'd say almost the reverse is true in your reel set - you are playing them more as hornpipes than as reels. Lovely sound from your Hawkes, though your recent clips are using a bit much reverb for my taste.

Jem, thanks for listening. I guess I was just in a 'hornpipey' mood that day. I struggle with control of the reverb (garageband- not the flexibility that I had with my old Pro Tools program). Yes, I too love the sound I get out of the Hawkes! Kick ass flute that one. BTW, I love the boxwood flute tunes. Nice instrument, and lovely playing.

Jeff S- I agree with Michael and Jem. Really enjoyed your clips. I too, preferred the last clip. Just seemed to appeal to me more. Keep up the great work!

Arbo

rama · Post by **rama** » Fri May 23, 2008 4:45 pm

arbo, sometimes we play those tunes at our local ceili/set dance i think it's for the stack of barley dance with the rhythm being bouncy, sorta hornpipey/barndancey.

gorjuswrex · Post by **gorjuswrex** » Fri May 23, 2008 5:50 pm

Jeffs

Liked you clips. I agree with Jem re the hornpipe but it is danceable as a hornpipe.

Kevin

gorjuswrex · Post by **gorjuswrex** » Fri May 23, 2008 6:02 pm

Arbo

Nice playing on the primrose lass / green grow the rushes. Isn't green grow the rushes normally a scotchie not a reel, I think that why you have that rhytem, think primrose is normally a reel but I guess your playing that more as a scothie as well.

Kevin

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