The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle – Physical Book

Description

This is a book for the beginner to the highly advanced player of Irish flute, tin whistle, or Boehm-system (modern) flute. It features a simple and penetrating new approach to understanding and notating ornamentation that goes beyond any previous method, exploring ornamentation techniques never described in print before. It also includes adaptations for Boehm-system flute players, guidance on breathing and phrasing, 49 ornamentation exercises, history and theory of traditional Irish flute and whistle music, and 27 meticulous transcriptions of recordings (1926-2001) by these important Irish flute and tin whistle players: John McKenna, Tom Morrison, William Cummins, Séamus Ennis, Willie Clancy, Paddy Taylor, Paddy Carty, Grey Larsen, Josie McDermott, Matt Molloy, Cathal McConnell, Mary Bergin, Donncha Ó Briain (Denis O’Brien), Desi Wilkinson, Breda Smyth, Seán Ryan, Conal Ó Gráda, Micho Russel, Joanie Madden, Kevin Crawford, Catherine McEvoy, and Seamus Egan.

We are happy to report that well over 12,000 copies of this have now been sold. It has been translated into Chinese and Russian.

Below you may listen to some examples of the audio that is included with this book:

• Figure 8-16. A version of the hornpipe “Bantry Bay” using cuts and a variety of strikes. (Tin whistle)
• Figure 11-7. A setting of “The Sporting Pitchfork” using short rolls on B, A, G, F-sharp, and E as well as long rolls on E and G. (Irish flute)
• Figure 15-4. A setting of the reel “The Skylark” using long double-cut rolls on A, G, F-sharp and E. (Irish flute)
• Figure 16-6. A setting of the reel “The Trip to Durrow” which makes use of long cranns on D and E. (Irish flute)
• Figure 19-11. Four melodic variants on the long G roll found in the first bar of the reel “The Shaskeen.” (Irish flute)

Here are four selections from the chapter, “49 Studies for Ornamentation Practice.”

• Study 4. A variety of cuts on repeated notes in a jig. (Tin whistle)
  
• Study 31. Simple and added-finger slides in a jig. (Tin whistle)
  
• Study 33. In a jig, long rolls that begin on the pulse. (Irish flute)
  
• Study 42. Stepwise ascending short rolls in a jig. (Irish flute)
  

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