Hi all.
We’re all often talking about Irish (Celtic) traditional music around the flute, but maybe somebody knows another use of the D ‘simple system’ flute (as solo instrument or not): in jazz or in very particular classic pieces ?! Thanx for your reactions.
I love playing jazz on the simple system flute. They’re so much more flexible than boehm flutes, especially regarding ote bending/sliding.
I’ve experimented a bit with other genres with my keyless. I’m having a great time with some Israeli folk songs and melodies–some are in 6/8 which can be played like jigs; others in 2/4 4/4 like reels. Adding the Irish ornaments brings a whole new dynamic element to the tunes/songs. Not surprising that I think it works because they are dance/folk tunes akin to ITM.
I also like experimenting with tunes/songs that have simple melodies, for instance “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” which many consider a jazz standard. I know I’ll probably get some ribbing for this, but the song does have a great melody.
I’m still thinking about whether I’d ever perform any of this in public, but it’s definitely possible.
I think Niall Keegan has dipped a toe in this water. Cheers,
Rob
Well I really appreciate your quick answers. I thought for myself this ‘terra’ is too ‘incognita’, you get not much leads about this thread. So as everyone knows, a simple system flute is not fully chromatic. It means you can’t play all standard jazz tunes (the same for classical pieces like the ‘Badinerie’ by Mozart). But to built up a classical 12 bars blues (like Miles Davis ‘All Blue’ for exemple), what should be the best basic key for a D flute? Further you can always transpose the original tunes off course…
I think jazz and classical are very playable on the Irish/D flute, especially a keyed flute. Here is sheet music arranged by Nicholson that I lifted from an earlier thread:
http://www.oldflutes.com/articles/roslincastle.htm
If you can play that, you can just about play anything. The flutes we play Irish trad on were, of course, originally concert flutes. The Boehm supposedly makes playing in odd keys easier, but the Boehm flute and I do not get along.
I play ragtime, classical (most Bach is wonderful on a simple system flute), and whatever moves me and/or whatever my wife is currently playing on the piano.
Eric
I saw Niall Keegan performing in Durham (UK) three summers ago with Harris Playfair on Keyboard. Though his set was based on traditional Irish tunes his treatment of them was very much heading in a Jazzy direction.
There is no reason why anyone shouldn’t play jazz on a wooden flute, though unless you are accustomed to playing in keys other than D & G it would probably be better to use a keyed flute because of the accidentals that tend to crop up in jazz tunes.
I haven’t played jazz on a wooden flute as I have not been playing flute very long, but I have tried it on recorder. I transposed about a dozen Jazz Standards to fit the alto recorder and play them from time to to time as a change. I originally did it because it was a good way of practicing chromatic notes that you don’t come across too often, but also I chose the tunes because I liked them and found them satisfying to play.
Not flute so a bit OT, but Niall Vallely does a rendition of 'Round Midnight on Anglo Concertina on a compilation album “Anglo International” and it sounds really good.
Geoff
Indeed. Maybe more than a toe a time or six.
Eric → Thanx for sheet. I’ve read it already. Ok, I must still train 
), but it’s a good exemple indeed. As saxplayer could you play a transposed version of Take Five with a keyless flute?
Goeff → I’ve just seen on YouTube some short tracks about Niall Keegan. It sounds well jazzy ‘somewhere’ (I mean this is not ‘BeBop’ or ‘Funk’). I try further in his direction for the moment.
I got some music by Eric Dolphy playing on a boehm flute. It’s still a little bit difficult to me to imagine the same ‘phrasé’ with an Irish flute… I think I have to get used to assimilate first all the shades (how can you attack, etc)…
While we’re already OT…one of the prettiest things I ever heard was Paul Groff, who if memory serves is also a fluther, playing “Moon River” on the Anglo concertina. Cheers,
Rob
tootler - I saw that performance by Niall and Harris too - afterwards Niall described it as more like combat as they wrestled the tune off each other, and they ended half way through an eight bar phrase, but it was amazing to listen to!
Flappy - I probably could if I had sheet music. I’m not sure I know the tune you named, but I’ve found very few things a lot of practice won’t allow me to play. I’m not sure I could pick it up by ear like I do when learning Irish tunes…
Eric
Actually ITM on the D flute is itself “another use” for this type of flute.
I play everything but ITM on my irish whistles and irish flute. I sight transpose into an easier key and everyone I play with is able to adjust their instruments to go along with this. I would actually have a harder time playing sheet music in the key of Ab then I would just sight transposing it to G.
Play what you want to play.
Neither jazz nor classical, and I play American Old Time,
Rock n. Roll, Country, Blue Grass and Blues on Irish
flute. Lots of ballads too. Actually interested in seeing to what extent
I can use wooden flute for these genres. I’ve been
playing a good deal in an acoustic jam where
just about everything gets played–pretty good
musicians too.
Didn’t I read somewhere that there is a style of Latin American music played on ex-classical wooden flutes?
Finally it’s a more extensive subject I thought in the beginning. Anyway thanks all for your comments and advices. Very interesting.
Eric → I was just talking about Dave Brubeck’s Take Five (but it’s true, this is old stuff already). Hier is his score (melody is on line 5 - alt sax):
http://johnwesleybarker.madasafish.com/scores/transcriptions/Take5.pdf
Jim → You’re right, every style is possible at last…
Do you ever play your flute at an old time jam, you know, with other folks playing stringy things? What do you do when it’s not your turn? I brought a flute to a jam, never having been to one before, and didn’t know what to do with it. I’m not very imaginative, and I didn’t really know the tunes well enough to take a turn.
Flappy - thanks for the notes…that’s very playable on flute, but you’d need keys to get the Eb (you can half-hole Bb and Ab fairly well - but keys would make these notes easier as well).
Eric