Does anyone out there play the Hurricane on a keyless flute? (James Scott Skinner’s…) Doing a forum search on hurricane gets lots of posts about katrina…
I’m trying to work out how best to adapt it. Going to G will simplify many aspects, but will torpedo any chance of playing with the fiddlers. On the other hand, none of the ones I know play it yet anyway…
In A, I have to decide what to do about the low C and Bs. A simple octave up sound dumb. As an example, I have tried d | cAB^G A2 ed | cEAc BEBd … for the start.
Also, the original music has a lot of accidentals in the fourth part, but I’ve found versions in abc which just ignore these or move the notes to leave them out. e.g replace an Esharp with a Csharp…
I could play this on the keyed flute with all the accidentals, but I’d kind of like to get a passable version going on the keyless if I can.
The third octave ENaturals aren’t a problem, though maybe playing with the octaves there might make an interesting variation?
And do people really play all four parts in sessions - I’ve only ever heard people playing it solo and they did play all the parts.
Taking those low notes up may not sound that good when just the flute is playing, but when you put it together with a fiddler who is playing the low notes it will actually sound fine. In fact, the listeners’ ears will probably be tricked into thinking you are playing those notes in unison with the fiddle.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard this tune played in a session, and I’ve been to a lot of sessions - although, to be truthful, none in Scotland. But my impression of this tune is that it’s a fiddler’s party piece, not a session tune.
Never heard it played in a session, even in Scotland. Nearest I can get is I remember hearing Dougie Pincock - ex-Battlefield band - making a valiant attempt on whistle. Some tunes I’m quite happy to leave to the fiddlers.
It’s not a tune I play on any instrument. But I have heard it played in sessions. Very occasionally, and solo, on fiddle.
But, if I were to learn it on whistle (I’m not great on flute yet, having only been trying to play it for less than four months), I wouldn’t take those bottom C’s and B’s up an octave. I’d use rolls instead. Something like:
d | cABG A2ED | ~E2AC ~B3d | cABG …
…or even, in the second bar:
~E2AC Beed | cABG …
I think either of these would be preferable to simple octave switches. At least, for this particular tune.
But bear in mind the caveat above: I don’t play it.