I have recently acquired a 6 hole tipple low D flute as I am travelling in the summer and wanted an instrument to take with me. I am compiling a small songbook of bests and favourites of different styles to take with me and am looking to increase my repertoire. I want a range of different styles as, as much as I love my instrument, I do find that with one instrument is everything is of the same style there is only so much a listener can cope with when listening to a single line instrument playing on its own! I figure if people suggest the best 1-3 overall then I should be able to look most suggestions up! I love great rhythms and some jazz but I’m working on finding pieces with do-able accidentals on my 6 hole. Only condition; FAB MEMORABLE FUNKY MELODIES – (findable score music/ youtube links may be helpful if your posting for easy listening -but are not necessary).
Here is my little list of things I like and added so far, to give you an idea of my taste and what’s already on the list:
CD Transcription:
‘Twa Stewarts’ by LAU ( Auld Stewart/Young Stewart /Last week effort Medley) – I love this mix, it takes a while to get going but the tunes just fit nicely under the fingers, however the last one is super fast!
‘Hinba’ also by LAU – transcription in progress, love that 7/4 time signature
Classical:
‘Tambourin’ Francois Joseph Gossec
‘Gavotte’ from Prokofiev’s classical symphony – though some awkward accidentals
(? Possibly eine kleine nachtmusik – Mozart, as a well known piece. Yet to notate).
Fun:
Sailors hornpipe (Jack the lad traditional)
Mediaeval and Renaissance Music
Tourdion by Anon. (from jess walsh book mediaeval and renaissance music) –3/4 to 6/8 shift, love the different stresses.
Corne Yards - Scottish from the same book.
Representing the Countries (Theme: well known fab tunes but perhaps not the most overplayed if that makes any sense?!)
Irish (what I had to hand):
Red Haired Boy – Hornpipe
The Peeler’s Away with my daughter – Jig
Drowsy Maggie – Reel
Harvest Home - hornpipe
The Bridal
English:
Country Gardens – Morris Dance
?
Welsh:
?! Help
Scottish:
Follow my highland Goldier
Blythe was the time
? Jazz / American/ Blues?/i]-The Athol highlander will be added to the mix when I find it.
SOOOO… the forum is open. I look forward to hearing your suggestions of the best if you think you can help! Thanks in advance.
I play a lot of American fiddle tunes on my flutes and whistles. They tend to be in D, G and A, and have few accidentals.
Some of my favorites are:
Colored Aristocracy
Forked Deer
West Fork Gals
Shady Grove
Train on the Island
Senaca Squaredance
John Brown’s March
Girl I Left Behind
Quince Dillon’s High D
Over the Waterfall
Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself
Rye Whisky (included for Henke)
I play some blues, pop and jazz, but not having keys, get frustrated pretty quickly.
Thanks for your favourites crookedtunes i’ll see if I can find them to have a listen to and to play! I love finding out about what other people really like as I find it hard to find great tunes sometimes. I don’t mind a few accidentals but unfortunately there are some that are just unmanagable.
Just out of interest have you found one or two that do work with minimal frustration?!
Hello Juliette,
You have received some excellent recommendations. However, none have yet mentioned two popular tunes that are sure to warm the hearts of many people. In fact, the ad for the music for these tunes reads, “Every performing musician must be familiar with these two beautiful standards which can be heard in any authenitic Irish tavern on any given day”. ebay ad
I was only trying to be funny, folks. I like both of the tunes that I mentioned, but they certainly would not go on my top three tunes for the flute. Like I mentioned before, others have given Juliette many good tunes. I personally like some of the Old Time contra dance tunes, since I happen to know a lot of them from my days as a band member. I think that the above ebay ad copy is hilarious. I sincerely doubt that on any given day you would hear either of these tunes in an authentic Irish pub.
How true, how true. We (wife, daughter and me) recently did a St Pat’s day gig at a local restaurant. No one noticed our carefully arranged jig and reel sets and they talked through my Patrick Street songs, but they all stopped talking, sung along and cheered at the end of BOTH the above tunes. Ok, so my wife has a better voice than me!
