Can anyone tell me what a “hard D” is? I’ve heard it used in relation to Irish flute playing.
Also, does anyone have the 2 CD set “Wooden Flute Obsession?”
I picked it up a couple weeks ago from Elderly’s and so far I like it a lot.
I can see I need a lot of work to get the technique down. I’m still playing like I would play a Boehm system flute.
It’s a phrase borrowed from uilleann piping, where there are two very different-sounding ways of playing the bottom D. The “hard D” on the pipes is achieved by playing a cut (sometimes called a grace note) with the ring finger of the top hand just as you put all fingers down and lift the chanter off the knee to get the bottom D. That gives the D a much reedier, harsher, more penetrating sound than the “soft” D you would get if you just put all your fingers down and lifted the chanter off the knee.
With the flute, the terminology’s a bit looser: a “hard D” really means a bottom D that’s played with lots of power, focus, and volume so it pops out the same way it would on the pipes. You don’t actually have to cut the D with a G to produce that hard, reedy quality on the flute; it can all be done with lung power and embouchure.
On the Wooden Flute Obsession, listen to June Ni Chormaic (on disk 2) playing Fred Finn’s and Father Newman’s – she puts in a lot of hard bottom D’s there. Matt Molly is well known for using the hard D, though it’s not represented on his track on WFO as he’s playing a slow reel on a Bb flute so he doesn’t punch out the bottom note as much as usual.
Matt Molloy, in his famous interview at firescribble.net says the following about the hard D:
Now go read the rest of the interview! 
The Wooden Flute Obsession CD is, in my oft-quoted opinion , the definitive record of the state of the art of Irish music playing in the 20th century, and it should be a required purchase for anyone who wants to learn to play Irish flute. A sequel (The Son of Wooden Flute Obsession) is in the works.
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Well, not to quibble with a Flute God, but…
I guess a genuine hard D on the flute, in the sense of being a close imitation of what you’d hear from the pipes, would indeed include that cut on the G. You have to do it to get the hard D on the pipes, so if you want to imitate that effect you have to do it on the flute.
But the actual sound quality of the hard D on the flute (reedy, strong, louder than the other notes) can in fact be achieved without cutting on the G. I do it both ways and I think plenty of other flute players do, consciously or not.
And I forgot to mention that another king of the hard bottom D is Conal O’Grada – his bottom Ds are one of the seven wonders of the world.
Oh yes, Conal, of course!
I heard that having a short foot (without the C/C# holes) helps with the hard D too. But i agree with what you said too, that most/many flute players in the Irish tradition strive to get that honking bottom D, and it’s considered one of the marks of a good instrument too. There’s a big difference between the bottom D and E in the flute, and this helps too, helps set up the D as a note apart.
I just got a hard D lesson from Michael Cronnelly, as well as a bit on embouchure. He was quite patient in playing a D, then a hard D, over and over…what I heard (and I’m new at Listening to the flute) was a D played forcefully enough that you’re hearing both octaves, almost a bark.
And I am sitting on my hands right now, swearing to myself that I’m NOT going to order the R&R until I get a grip on playing what I have… but oh, it is a lovely instrument!
No, no, no. His name isn´t Conal. He is CONAN O´Grada. 
Now armed with the aforementioned knowledge. I shall proceed home today and listen for some hard D’s on the flute. Perhaps I will eventually meet a flute player who has perfected the art and I can see it first hand.
Listen to Matt Molloy’s version of The Gold Ring on his black album, lots of great hard D’s. Also, virtually every track on The Top Of Coom by Conal O’Grada (as has been mentioned above).
Next, get your flute out and try to emulate what you’ve just heard. After that, put the flute away, chastise yourself for being so stupid as to think you could emulate the fluting gods and go out and cut the grass - that’s generally my routine
The hard D (or just a really solid D, at least equal in volume to other notes) is a bit of a Holy Grail for me. I have a Dixon polymer, no problem with the low D on that. I also have a Prowse that I’ve had for about a month or so - not so easy, but I’ve heard others play it and that elusive hard D is in there somewhere, if only I could find it consistantly.
Still, I take some comfort from the fact that Matt Molloy describes it as “hit and miss”.
I’m off to invent and market Viagra for the flute, a sure-fire way of achieving a hard D. 
Cheers
Graham
Ah Lads…steady up on the praise…my heads beginning to swell something savage!
I go at the hard D as follows:
- tighten the hole being formed by your mouth to focus the air
- marginally increase the pressure of the air stream
- focus the air downward into the flute more so than other notes
- hold this focus and pressure absolutely steady while playing the note
The above is my approach when playing a sustained hard D such as would be found for example in an air. The note is played just on the edge before it breaks the octave.
Beir Bua
Conal
http://www.scoiltrad.com
…the virtual music school
Wonderful info! I always wanted to find out how you do it but just too shy to ask. Thanks.
Tots