Posting clips

[Irish Marine]

Hi Guys,

I've been learning so much from all of your posts. Great stuff all around. I figured it's about time I put up a tune of my own.

I recorded Lilting Banshee jig with an internal computer microphone-hope it came out okay. I'm working on my embouchure in the second octave as I definitely blow a stronger stream rather than tightening my embouchure. Anything else you notice that may help me please let me know. Thanks!


http://www.box.net/shared/jgexw3sw0k

[Bothrops]

Here it's my humble version of "Morrison's Jig", it's probably the worst, but I'm quite new to this! lol

http://audio.xanga.com/Bothrops/a59222121829/audio.html

[JeffS]

Bothrops -
Nice playing there! You have good timing throughout. Sometimes, when people play, I have a hard time finding the pulse but you definitely have it there.

One thing to address is filling the flute. Try and get your emboucher solid on the instrument so you improve the tone.

I quite enjoyed your setting of the tune. Good breath placement as well.

[kennychaffin]

Here it's my humble version of "Morrison's Jig", it's probably the worst, but I'm quite new to this! lol

http://audio.xanga.com/Bothrops/a59222121829/audio.html

Nice job, way better than I could do.

KAC

[Bothrops]

Thanks, people!

I have to work on the embouchure, indeed!
Although sometimes I'm able to get a strong and solid tone, I have problems in holding it throughout a whole tune, and it turns breathy.
I'm currently working on the tone, practicing it in slow tunes, such as "Inisheer", "Down By The Sally Gardens", "Scarborough Fair" and some others.
Anyways, the wishes are sometimes stronger, and I try to play a jig or a reel!

[Bothrops]

Today I learnt this nice reel, and I wanted to record it with the flute to upload it here.

Here it is:

"Golden Keyboard"
http://audio.xanga.com/Bothrops/743a42130769/audio.html

[peeplj]

I was playing around with playing and recording in different rooms of our house.

The kitchen seems a very flute-friendly place; here are some tunes I recorded in our kitchen this morning.

http://www.flutesite.com/samples/new/earlschair.mp3

http://www.flutesite.com/samples/new/jimwards.mp3

http://www.flutesite.com/samples/new/eastersnow.mp3

These were played on my Hamilton.

--James

[peeplj]

Today I learnt this nice reel, and I wanted to record it with the flute to upload it here.

Here it is:

"Golden Keyboard"
http://audio.xanga.com/Bothrops/743a42130769/audio.html

That's a fun reel on flute!

Sounds good. What kind of flute are you playing?

--James

[Bothrops]

Today I learnt this nice reel, and I wanted to record it with the flute to upload it here.

Here it is:

"Golden Keyboard"
http://audio.xanga.com/Bothrops/743a42130769/audio.html

That's a fun reel on flute!

Sounds good. What kind of flute are you playing?

--James

Thanks!
I'm playing a Tipple low D flute, I received it a week ago, and it's my first "true" irish flute.

BTW, I heard your recordings, they are very nice!!. I liked "The Earl's Chair" a lot.

Cheers,
Martin

[peeplj]

One more clip for ya'll, before the work week starts up:

http://flutesite.com/samples/new/josefine.mp3

This is Josefin's Waltz.

The cellist is Alec Brown. I am playing my Gemeinhardt.

--James

[Cayden]

James, I listened to you Jimmy Ward's. Fair play to finally playing a steady beat compared to a few years ago. I do think you play too much by the bar which makes the details of the phrasing a bit odd. I would suggest you pay more attention to proper phrasing and maybe try to keep the tune going over the endings of the part i.e. maybe find different spaces to breath and connect the beginning and ends of parts and phrases so the tune carries through instead of stopping and re-starting the tune each time. Good improvement since I last heard you anyway.

[jemtheflute]

Arbo & Bothrops, I've just listened to your Morrisons clips......

Arbo, as usual, great low octave sound, but your 2nd 8ve (which is quite important in this tune) still lacks clarity, especially the 2nd time through the tune where you keep dropping into the fundamental involuntarily. Nice rhythm and phrasing, though, but I don't like the over-use of the portamento A to B in the A music - nice as an occasional effect, rather mannered if repeated so much.

Bothrops, you're doing great! Some inconsistencies in timing/rhythm (me too!) but overall very nice. As others have said, your embouchure is not well enough focussed yet, so you run out of air which affects your phrasing as well as the clarity of your sound: but it will come. No real problems with fingering/"ornamentation" etc. Good stuff.

James, have been listening to your new clips whilst writing. I liked your take on Earl's Chair - nice rhythm and easy flow to that one. I thought Jim Ward's was less successful - a bit stilted, maybe less familiar? The slow air is lovely - I liked the pace and your approach to it. You're getting a grand sound out of your Hammy. Very enjoyable. Josefin's Waltz is prettily played - very nice cello! - but did you deliberately play it more as a slow air type of thing? It has no waltz feel to it whatever, and that isn't solely a function of speed.

[peeplj]

Thanks for the kind comments, folks.

Josefine's Waltz is a bit of an odd piece; it doesn't seem to be really a waltz at all, at least not in the dance music sense of the term. I think you could basically think of it as a listening air in 3/4 time.

Of course there are different ways it could be approached; this is just our take on the tune.

Alec is an advanced cellist, and is coming along very quickly on whistle as well. I'll try to get more recordings that feature his playing.

Martin (Bothrops), I think that may be my first time to have heard a Tipple flute...sounds very nice! I'll be interested in what you can do with it as you continue to progress. Is this one that has the "wedge"? Can you play it into the 3rd octave at all?

Forgive my curiosity, but from time to time people approach me wanting to learn to play the flute, but for most of them, even the polymer flutes like M&E and Seery are far out of reach. It would be lovely to be able to recommend a low-cost alternative!

--James

[Bothrops]

jemtheflute: Thanks a lot for the feedback! I really appreciate it.

peeplj: My Tipple low D flute is a 3 pieces without the lip-plate nor the wedge. I'm moving to Israel in about 2 months, and I wanted a good flute (for a beginner like me), portable (3 pieces) and resistent to temperature/humid changes (very important in Israel ).
Before this Tipple flute I played one made of bamboo, which I bought from a local maker, but it was very difficult to play, I sold it and bought the Tipple. I'm happy with my decision.
Maybe in the future I'll upgrade to a delrin flute (I'm not interested in wooden flutes, because I don't want to be worried that it could crack anytime).
As you said, a delrin flute is much more expensive than a Tipple (>u$s 300?), so, for a beginner, I think that the latter is a very good choice.
I'll try to keep posting my progress with it, although when I'll be in Israel I won't have much time, nor an own home. Therefore, maybe I'll record a video with my digital camera every now and then, and upload them to YouTube.

Cheers,
Martin

P.S.: By the way.. as "jemtheflute" said, my embouchure isn't well developed yet, therefore, I can't try to reach the 3rd octave notes! I still find a bit difficult to reach the notes above 2nd octave f# clearly!

[peeplj]

Bothrops, if you ever get a chance, listen to your clip through an X-Fi sound card...

You'll like it. Trust me on this.

Might not be accurate reproduction, but it's flattering, at least.

I played your clip on my wife's computer, and now I understand where you're coming from a bit better.

No worries, a lot of learning to get a good flute tone is just training muscles in your lips and face to do something that's a bit different than their usual. You have to practice, of course, but with practice and a certain amount of time, it'll come.

--James