Grey Larsen’s website (http://www.greylarsen.com/) mentions he has a new book coming out soon. Any advance word on it? It sounds like a must buy.
Unfortunately I became interested in the flute right around the time Hammy Hamilton’s book became scarce and I miss having a really good reference source.
Eddie
The book will be called “The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle”. It is to be about 500 pages long (!), and is supposed to come out this summer. The publisher is Mel Bay. When released, it will be available through Grey’s web site or from Mel Bay.
I got an advance look at part of it when I took a whistle workshop from Grey in the Spring. He gave us xerox copies of parts of it as handouts.
The parts I have are “Section 6: Forty-Nine Studies For Ornamentation Practice” and “Chapter 21: Musical Breathing”. Both are very detailed and excellent. The ornamentation studies are carefully thought out technical exercises – the kind of thing that can be boring to practice but which can really pay dividends. There is a lot of detailed narrative discussion. Grey has his own way of notating ornaments which takes just a bit of getting used to, but which works well.
Grey has a second book to be released this summer titled “The Essential Tin Whistle Toolbox”. This will also be published by Mey Bay.
I’m just a whistle player who fiddles with flute a bit, but I plan to order both books as soon as they are available.
He is also coming out with two tunebooks this year, one titled “Celtic Encyclopedia for Irish Flute”, and the other “Celtic Encyclopedia for Tin Whistle”.
–Jay
Great, sounds like I’ll be getting it as soon as it comes out.
Thanks.
Eddie
Hi.
Grey Larsen here. I’m glad to see that there is some discussion of my upcoming books here, and I am happy to provide some more information.
I have four Irish flute and tin whistle four books coming out with Mel Bay Publications. Two will become available this fall, and two somewhat later. You will be able to buy these books directly from me through my website, www.GreyLarsen.com, through Mel Bay Publications, or hopefully your local music store. To receive notification of the release of each of these books, join my mailing list by sending me an email at grey@greylarsen.com. Feel free to email me with further inquiries.
The first and biggest book is:
The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle
To be released October or November 2003. Approximately 450 pages, with two companion CDs. $39.95.
After reviewing the manuscript, Matt Molloy, flute player with the Chieftains, has offered these words about it:
“Grey has, through his research, patience, and diligence, completed a work on Irish flute and tin whistle that I feel is essential reading for anybody interested in getting it right.”
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 commercially available recordings 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. The transcriptions are accompanied by biographical notes and commentary each the player’s style and approach to the particular tune.
The second book is
The Essential Tin Whistle Toolbox
To be released in November/December 2003. Approximately 160 pages, with one CD. $29.95.
Everything needed to help the beginner, novice, or intermediate player of Irish tin whistle progress to a high level of competence. Full of exercises and examples: from holding, fingering, breathing, and blowing, on up to advanced ornamentation, phrasing and variations. Features a simple and penetrating new approach to understanding and notating ornamentation that goes beyond any previous method. Also includes history and theory of traditional Irish tin whistle music.
There will be additional materials related to these books, such as tune transcriptions, at my website once the first book comes out. Within a month or so I plan to able to take advance orders for the3 books at my website.
Thanks very much,
Grey
Thanks for the followup Grey, I can’t wait.
As someone who just started playing the flute two years ago, there’s a definite need for a good reference work on the subject. There’s a lot of information floating about; workshops, this site, the woodenflute mailing list, and others, but it would be fantastic to have a ‘master’ reference to keeping coming back to.
Now if Hammy Hamilton will finish the update on his book…
Eddie