Irish Flute Tunes

Hello. This site contains recordings I have made as a source of tunes for people who play the flute, or other instruments for that matter. They are often just versions of tunes as I remember them but, as my memory isn’t the best, in some cases I cheat and find the dots online. As often as not, the online versions and the dots inside my head aren't quite the same so there may be a sort of 'average' appearing. I usually play the tunes once through slowly (ish) to make them easier to learn, then I have a bit of a run at them to give another view of them. I hope this approach is OK. If anyone has any comments, or tune suggestions, please get in touch (iflute@googlemail.com). Thanks, Michael Clarkson (Belfast).             In the good old days, there used to be a tune index on the left hand side but Podbean "upgraded" the layout a few years ago and this index was lost. You can now list tunes by type, but this relies a bit on my having categorised them all properly; maybe not all that reliable. The search function at the top of the screen works fine though.                        

Here's a tune written by the concertina player William Mullaly (1884 - ca.1955) from Mullingar. I was reminded of it by a recording of the recently departed fantastic musician Charlie Harris. That recording, along with a recording of William Mullaly himself playing it in the extreme olden days, is available here: The Drunraney Lass on "The Session".   The tune reminds me of "The Lark on the Strand". I'm not sure whether that Lark's egg came before or after this particular Drunraney chicken.          

Here's a tune I learned from a recording of the Chicago fiddle player Johnny McGreevy. The session.org call it "By Golly". I was  surrprised to see "By Golly" written on the "session" site without an exclamation mark. So surprised that I nearly said "OMG!!!!!!!!!!".      There's more information about the tune and the Jimmy Neary (and it's played properly!) at https://connollymusiccollection.bc.edu/document/457.            

I might have posted this tune under a different name in the days before AI, but here it is anyway, along with computer generated triplets in the picture below, to go with the flute generated ones in the recording. Sorry if the notation is a bit truncated and twisted. That's all my free Chatgpt account would give me. The rest of the notes are here: Wexford Lasses notation.  

Here's a second post for this Olympic-length posting period. A sensible reel without much musical tautology. Rare enough in our times.   My new (cheap) phone can't seem to handle anything louder than a sigh so the recording is a bit distorted. No harm: I can hide my dodgy tone behind the buzzing. I've been keeping my flute and my mouth in a cupboard for over 9 years so rich resonances are rare in my reels. Or in anything else I do.   John Egan's Reel (thesession.org)  

I was just reminded yesterday of the existence of this Irish Flute Tunes site by getting my annual subscription receipt from Podbean. So, I thought I might as well put a tune on it to get my money's worth.  I played this one on a very reliable Rob Forbes flute which I got off eBay a little while ago. My wooden flutes are also reliable but my ability to find them is less so. I'm in Belfast at the moment, on holiday from Luxembourg, so (another "so") I'm allowed to play the flute as it's not illegal here. I'll be back in Belfast FOREVER from 1st May. So ... I might go into work retirement and come out of flute retirement. So... À bientôt ...     The Crib of Perches (as "The Session" has it)

Here's another tune from O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland. I hadn't noticed it before, despite its being there since 1907. I don't remember ever seeing a wren either. Maybe because they're so small.  

Tune number 748 from O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland - 1001 gems  There are 1000 tunes in this book with better names but only some of them are better tunes.      

O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland tune number 129   I probably would have been better getting the cat to play it.  

I play this tune by direct debit.  

Here's another tune from Francis O'Neill's 'Dance Music of Ireland - 1001 Gems'. My understanding of 'gem' in today's context is a tune without syncopation and notes keeping close company with other notes they don't get on with.  

Here's tune number 652 in O'Neill's Dance Music of Ireland.   It's the best tune between tunes 651 and 653.  

As requested, here's an attempt at a flute version of a steadfastly fiddle tune.     X: 1 T:Jackson's Reel (sort of flute-friendly'ish) R: reel M: 4/4 L: 1/8 K: Dmaj |:F|D2FD EDFE| DEFD EAcE|GE ~E2 GABd| ceAc dBAF| D2FD EDFE| DEFD EFGE| ABce dBAG| F/2G/2F EG FDD:| |:g|fd d2 ~d3f| edef edcB|A2cA BAcB| ABcA Bcde| fd d2 ~d3f| edef edcB|ABde faea|1fd d2 ~d3:|2fddc d/2d/2c dB|| A3A B2AG| FAAF G/2F/2E F/2E/2D| ~E3F GFEG| Agec dBAF| D2FD EDFE| DEFD EG ~G2| ABce dBAG| FAEG FDAF||   Here's the uncut version: https://thesession.org/tunes/1665    

Here's a tune high in vitamin C. Also called the 'Belfast March', named after a town low in every vitamin.    https://thesession.org/tunes/5000

Here's a tune I was asked to post here. It's a great tune but I can't play polkas, so I never play them, so I can't play them, so I never play them, so ...   The associated polka dots are here: https://thesession.org/tunes/1560  

Here's a tune which Tom Morrison recorded i 1928. London clogs are probably mainly fatbergs in the sewers these days.   Here it is played properly: https://archive.org/details/TomMorrisonTheLondonClog   Here it is written out badly:

This reel was made in space for the flute; sorry this effort isn't as out of this world as the title would suggest.    

Here's a tune written by Josie McDermott in honour of Peg McGrath who made one of the nicest flute noises I've ever heard.  

A short tune to fill a spare minute. I don't know how much postmen/postwomen (or even postmodernists) whistle now under the burden of Amazon boxes.  

Here's a tune I first heard from a recording of John McGuire - Seán's father. The guy in the photo was Jack Rowe - looks like he could blow a flute with the back of his neck. Some feat. Some neck.