flute playing

chicken_little

okay so i play the tinwhistle.. have been for 5 years.. fairly advanced at this stage..
mega interest in all things trad. and im considering learning to play the flute..

how difficult is it.. ?

how much is a flute.. ive seen the Mc Brides trad. flute is 179E hoping for something cheaper than this and it doesnt have to be top of the range..

advice need from all the musicians

Futurecrook

Cheap flutes are cheap for a reason. They're usually awful instruments. If you think you'll keep playing the flute then investing in a quality instrument is definitely worth the money. Martin Doyle makes fantastic flutes - very easy to play and so, are great for beginners. They are around the €600 - 700 mark. Seery & Dixon flutes are a good bit cheaper than that and aren't bad.

The transition from tin whistle to flute is a relatively easy one in that all the notes/fingering are the same. The breathing/blowing is different but you shouldn't have much trouble with it.

Seoid

I made this transition myself a few years ago (10!) and I think you will be fine with the transition - the only difficult thing is the breathing which will take a while. But as the fingering is the same once you have the breathing down you will be fine. Took me a few months to a year to get the breathing comfortable and after long periods i'd switch to the whistle for a break.

Look out for second hand flutes. My first flute was a Seery and it served me well Not sure how much it was as my parents got it for me. I don't know McBrides.
A cheaper flute may well be harder to play and harder to get a good sound out of it - when it comes to musical instruments I always think you're better off getting a good second hand instrument than a cheap new instrument for the same price.

Moonbeam

you can get a Tony Dixon non tuneable cheap.
It is fine for getting the basics but after that you need osmething a bit better.
got my one from totalmusicsupply.com for about 20 pounds,tony dixon do lovely tuneable whistle too.

coffeelover

I just made the transition a few months ago. Still trying to get the hang of the breathing but I'm getting there .. I got a Martin Doyle flute for €625 and I have to say its brilliant

Blade

I'm totally scared of making this transition. I know that cheaper flutes are much harder to play and I don't want to spend a fortune on one if I'm not going to be able to use it. Without asking, a local musician suggested I borrow his Des Seery which I did but only for a few days. Not just the breathing but I could hardly get a tone out of it, well not a constant one, if I rolled it a fraction it would be gone. I found the fingering even more awkward

Futurecrook

I'd recommend getting some lessons Blade. It can be tough to get used to at the start but it gets easier.

Seoid

Definitely get lessons - even just a couple of masterclasses will get you started.

piskins72

if you want to get the knack of learning to blow a flute, get an empty glass bottle and blow across the top of it as you would when blowing a flute, the trick is to blow across the hole and not into it, it may sound a bit mad and crazy but its a good way of learning how to blow a flute initally and it does take a while to get it mastered.

I made the transition years ago ( so long I can't remember) its true the better the flute the sweeter the tune and also it applies to actual learning it, better made ones are easier to blow. I have an eamon cotter flute, started out with a cheap brand one, think it was a ganly one I had and the difference is incredible.

philip kelly

hi
I am just starting from scratch no tin whistle experience really to talk of.
I have been talking about it for years and have finaly bought one.
Mc bride starter, breathing is tough.
I have main mouth piece off and just practice with that till I get light headed.
I am unfit at the moment which does not help.
any recomdations on music to listen too.
matt malloy obiously but I am sure there are many more.

thank you
phil

ps Just hit a low D for first time very happy.....out of breath but happy.

Futurecrook

Hmmm... there are absolutely tonnes of flute players you could/should listen to. A few off the top of my head (and in no particular order):

Matt Molloy
Tom Doorly
Michael McGoldrick
Emer Mayock
Gary Shannon
Harry Bradley
Kevin Crawford
Catherine McEvoy
Sylvain Barou
John Michel Veillon
Conal O Grada

That should be enough to get you started for now.

philip kelly

Futurecrook

Thank you very much.
I really do appreciate the time to do that.
I started my first lesson, and love it.
I have a lot to learn, and getting the basics right seems like the only thing to do.
I will start hunting the Trad shop in town for some of the people on the list.

Thank you again.

Phil

Futurecrook

No problem. Always glad to see people taking up the flute. It's a great instrument. There's a good mix of styles in what I've suggested there so you can get a good grasp of what can be achieved.

philip kelly

Hi
I have a few more questions..........
I am playing a bit better now.
Still have a long way to go.
I have played my flute a Mc bride flute (made in Pakistan), and have to say it is nothing compared to playing a proper hand made flute.
I had a go of a Martin Doyle one , completely different sound, lighter and easier to play.

Do people sell them second hand , or is it worth buying one at all second hand.
Who else makes good flutes?
They all seem to cost €600 + would that be right ?

Another question..........
I try and play every night , even if it is 15 minutes , until my hands get tired, what do people do in general is this too little?


Advise would be appreciated

Thanks

Phil
ps I came across some very good tunes recently, this one I love , when the flute comes in it changes the tune completely and lifts it up.
O'Connor, McSherry, McGoldrick, Byrne - Live in The Spirit Store

Futurecrook

Yes, people sell decent flutes second hand. If I come across anyone I know getting rid of a decent flute I'll send you a PM.

For a new well made flute, yes, expect to pay 600 euro or more. But as you said, you could get one cheaper second hand.

Practicing every day is great, even if it's just for 15 minutes. For a beginner that's plenty of time. Obviously as you progress you need to spend longer practicing but for now it sounds like you're doing a good job. Keep up the good work.

philip kelly

Hi again.

More questions on Flute playing if you don't mind.

I am listen to a lot of flute playing at the moment .
I bought

Michael Turbirty- The Eagles Whistle
and
Marcus O Murchu O Bheal go Beal

Both very nice albums to listen too and lovely styles.

I would love to know what the different styles there are as i have heard the donegal and belfast Style are different .
I won't get this untill I have played and listened to a lot i presume but people talk about it like it is a different language.

I also Listened to Hammy Hamilton in the shop, but there was a piano on the first track....now that I don't get, I know he is good but again could not hear the style difference.

Where can i find the history of Irish Flute playing ?

Also I looked up the local comhaltas to my area and the website is down and I would like to go and learn about the history of irish Music and theory and how to read it .

Thank you

phil

bodhrandude

You should try Vinchenzo Di Mauros flutes, he has his own website and is based in Galway. His student flutes range from 300 to 400 euros for a student Delrin flute. A good book to get on Irish flute music is Timber by Fintan Vallely.

philip kelly

Thank you for the reply.
Timber is on it's way as I type.

I have a delima.
I am practicing every night that I can .
I have stopped putting the flute away as i found I would not just pick it up and play if it is in the box.

I can not read music yet , so i am looking at the finger holes and the ACDE ect.

I want to learn more music but what do i do , I have tin whislt book with about 40 tunes in it a lot too complex for me at the moment.
Is there a difference between a tin whistle tune book and a flute book?


I don't want to waste my teachers time going back to him with out a tune learned off..
I practice but it always very slow.
Is this normal.
What is the process for learning ....steps ect.

Thanks

phil

Blade

philip kelly wrote: »

I can not read music yet , so i am looking at the finger holes and the ACDE ect.

I want to learn more music but what do i do , I have tin whislt book with about 40 tunes in it a lot too complex for me at the moment.
Is there a difference between a tin whistle tune book and a flute book?

No, sheet music is sheet music, you should learn to read it as it's not very difficult. It's the same for all melody instruments. As a quick guide you can think of all the notes from the bottom up as follows, on the lines: EGBDF (every good boy deserves football) and in between the lines simply FACE.

philip kelly wrote: »

I practice but it always very slow.
Is this normal.

What is the process for learning ....steps ect.

It can be slow and bad practice will be seriously detrimental to you in the long run, I think you should get a teacher!

philip kelly

Blade thanks for that.

I have teacher, but didn't want to waste his time with unesseccary repeating of lessons.

phil