I sometimes play with another beginner or intermediate flute player, and always find even a very simple tune sounds gorgeous on two flutes.
I think flute duet playings are not so common in the recordings, but they are all great. Hammy Hamilton & Paul McGrattan, Harry Bradley & John Blake, and.... Could you recommend some others? Does there exist any flute duet recording in the world?
I agree - it has a very "wild" sound. The more the merrier. I've played in a session with 5-6 flutes, one set of pipes and one fiddle. Sounded great. The only multi-flute recording I can think of is two tracks at the end of a very old Boys of the Lough album: Good Friends - Good Music. Cathal McConnell is joined by Pat Hanley and...er...some other great player. They do some jigs then some Vincent Broderick reels. Some recordings by Macalla were also quite multi-flutey.
But this type of recording is sadly almost absent (to my knowledge), yet is not an uncommon session format.
In my opinion, there is nothing more beautiful to listen to than double flutes/low whistles. Lunasa does a lot of flute/low whistle duos, and sometimes they even have three whistles going. On Otherworld, their second album, they have Mike McGoldrick playing a flute duo (Devils of Dublin) with Kevin Crawford. John McSheery and Mike Mcgoldrick do a lot of whistle duos, with Mike playing flute sometimes too. I think that John McSheery and Phil Hardy are going to be making a whistle album soon as well. I'm not sure, but I think Flook does some double flute stuff. I also love it on the Bothy's "Afterhours" album where Matt Molloy plays Rosie Finn's Favorite, and Paddy Keenan does harmony on the whistle.
Ah, yes, Lunasa. Actually I'm not a fan of the band, but I love their flute/low whistle tracks. "Two-Fifty to Vigo" on their fourth album is just awesome.
I'm just listening to sample tracks of Double Barrelled. What a lovely playing. Thanks for the info and links.
I'm just thinking about buying one or two Boys of the Lough recording. Cheers, Danny.
I just remembered Kevin Crawford plays a set of reels with another flute player on "The Sacntuary Sessions" recorded at Cruises Bar in Ennis. Needless to say, it's great with no accompaniment. So, are there any live recordings featuring flute duets?
Meself and the lad play a few duets on whistles - about a dozen tunes from the Northumbrian Pipers duet book - can't call any names to mind bar the Coquetdale Waltz and Go to Berwick. They always go down very well with people who hear.
We played the Coquetdale Waltz one morning when we were camping, and a very elderly lady with a dog who was crossing the field stood and listened, and when we'd finished she came over and said it was the most beautiful music she had ever heard. Unless she had only just been cured of deafness the day before that's quite a compliment.
I just came back from a weekend of wild family tunes on my uncle's back porch. My dad, uncle, coupla cousins, aunt, coupla siblings, driving away at the tunes with the rain pounding on the porch roof- gorgeous. Anyway my most-looked-forward-to thing in these family sessions is a serious head-to-head flute duet with my uncle, who made both of our flutes himself. He often will play snippets of the tune a third above me for a simple harmony. Even better- a trio, with his young daughter on the third flute in the set. Altogether lovely.
I basically agree aswell. BUT, I'm often aware of playing with another flute player. I mostly don't because I know it will probably be a mess. But that regards flute players I dont know or flute players I do know but know that there stile is so different that it makes no sence. Two very good flute players can make it sound great but two bad players are worse than two bad fiddle players. Thats what I experienced anyway.
Yes, it can be a mess just like other combinations of instruments. I played with many different players, and find some intermediate and technically good players don't listen to my playing, try to show off their skills, and speed up a lot while playing together. Really horrible.
However, if two musicians respect and listen to each other's playing while doint a duet, they will complement each other very well. It's not a matter of difference in style. Otherwise, you know, the session wouldn't be possible. I think Hammy Hamilton and Paul McGrattan are stylistically quite different flute players, but they did a great job. Of course, they are exceptionally great players, but in my opinion we don't have to be great players to enjoy duet playing.
I love playing whistle with a fiddler, which is a really lovely combination. But I feel flute duet is something special and has a totally different effect. It seems two flute merge into one sound much more easily than any other combinations of instruments.
I agree with what you say except for the thing about styles. Ok, obviously it depends on how great the difference in style is. Probably as long basics like rythm and speed are clear to both it shouldnt be a mess. Maybe I should play with more flute players again.
Flute Duet
Flute Duet
I sometimes play with another beginner or intermediate flute player, and always find even a very simple tune sounds gorgeous on two flutes.
I think flute duet playings are not so common in the recordings, but they are all great. Hammy Hamilton & Paul McGrattan, Harry Bradley & John Blake, and.... Could you recommend some others? Does there exist any flute duet recording in the world?
# Posted on May 24th 2004 by slainte
Re: Flute Duet
I agree - it has a very "wild" sound. The more the merrier. I've played in a session with 5-6 flutes, one set of pipes and one fiddle. Sounded great. The only multi-flute recording I can think of is two tracks at the end of a very old Boys of the Lough album: Good Friends - Good Music. Cathal McConnell is joined by Pat Hanley and...er...some other great player. They do some jigs then some Vincent Broderick reels. Some recordings by Macalla were also quite multi-flutey.
But this type of recording is sadly almost absent (to my knowledge), yet is not an uncommon session format.
# Posted on May 24th 2004 by Rudall the time
Re: Flute Duet
Ooh, ooh, John Skelton and Kieran O'Hare. Double-barrelled.
# Posted on May 24th 2004 by jerball
Re: Flute Duet
Had a trio of flutes in our last slow session...sounded reely good!
I agree, flute duets are nice to listen to.
Eric
# Posted on May 24th 2004 by Jayhawk
Re: Flute Duet
Definitely, Jeremy! Just heard that on my trip with Emily up to Cody. Fab album, that one.
# Posted on May 24th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Flute Duet
In my opinion, there is nothing more beautiful to listen to than double flutes/low whistles. Lunasa does a lot of flute/low whistle duos, and sometimes they even have three whistles going. On Otherworld, their second album, they have Mike McGoldrick playing a flute duo (Devils of Dublin) with Kevin Crawford. John McSheery and Mike Mcgoldrick do a lot of whistle duos, with Mike playing flute sometimes too. I think that John McSheery and Phil Hardy are going to be making a whistle album soon as well. I'm not sure, but I think Flook does some double flute stuff. I also love it on the Bothy's "Afterhours" album where Matt Molloy plays Rosie Finn's Favorite, and Paddy Keenan does harmony on the whistle.
Double Barrelled can be heard on http://www.cdbaby.com.
-Max
# Posted on May 24th 2004 by Max Becher
Re: Flute Duet
Ah, yes, Lunasa. Actually I'm not a fan of the band, but I love their flute/low whistle tracks. "Two-Fifty to Vigo" on their fourth album is just awesome.
I'm just listening to sample tracks of Double Barrelled. What a lovely playing. Thanks for the info and links.
I'm just thinking about buying one or two Boys of the Lough recording. Cheers, Danny.
I just remembered Kevin Crawford plays a set of reels with another flute player on "The Sacntuary Sessions" recorded at Cruises Bar in Ennis. Needless to say, it's great with no accompaniment. So, are there any live recordings featuring flute duets?
# Posted on May 24th 2004 by slainte
Re: Flute Duet
Sorry for the repetitions of "just."
# Posted on May 24th 2004 by slainte
Re: Flute Duet
Meself and the lad play a few duets on whistles - about a dozen tunes from the Northumbrian Pipers duet book - can't call any names to mind bar the Coquetdale Waltz and Go to Berwick. They always go down very well with people who hear.
We played the Coquetdale Waltz one morning when we were camping, and a very elderly lady with a dog who was crossing the field stood and listened, and when we'd finished she came over and said it was the most beautiful music she had ever heard. Unless she had only just been cured of deafness the day before that's quite a compliment.
go for it Hiro
# Posted on May 24th 2004 by showaddydadito
Re: Flute Duet
I just came back from a weekend of wild family tunes on my uncle's back porch. My dad, uncle, coupla cousins, aunt, coupla siblings, driving away at the tunes with the rain pounding on the porch roof- gorgeous. Anyway my most-looked-forward-to thing in these family sessions is a serious head-to-head flute duet with my uncle, who made both of our flutes himself. He often will play snippets of the tune a third above me for a simple harmony. Even better- a trio, with his young daughter on the third flute in the set. Altogether lovely.
# Posted on May 25th 2004 by dances with swords
Re: Flute Duet
I basically agree aswell. BUT, I'm often aware of playing with another flute player. I mostly don't because I know it will probably be a mess. But that regards flute players I dont know or flute players I do know but know that there stile is so different that it makes no sence. Two very good flute players can make it sound great but two bad players are worse than two bad fiddle players. Thats what I experienced anyway.
# Posted on May 26th 2004 by AlFonso
Re: Flute Duet
Yes, it can be a mess just like other combinations of instruments. I played with many different players, and find some intermediate and technically good players don't listen to my playing, try to show off their skills, and speed up a lot while playing together. Really horrible.
However, if two musicians respect and listen to each other's playing while doint a duet, they will complement each other very well. It's not a matter of difference in style. Otherwise, you know, the session wouldn't be possible. I think Hammy Hamilton and Paul McGrattan are stylistically quite different flute players, but they did a great job. Of course, they are exceptionally great players, but in my opinion we don't have to be great players to enjoy duet playing.
I love playing whistle with a fiddler, which is a really lovely combination. But I feel flute duet is something special and has a totally different effect. It seems two flute merge into one sound much more easily than any other combinations of instruments.
# Posted on May 26th 2004 by slainte
Re: Flute Duet
I agree with what you say except for the thing about styles. Ok, obviously it depends on how great the difference in style is. Probably as long basics like rythm and speed are clear to both it shouldnt be a mess. Maybe I should play with more flute players again.
# Posted on May 26th 2004 by AlFonso
Re: Flute Duet
A load of flutes rattling out a load of flute tunes - heaven!
Often three fluters in our session - me, Seamy and Medbh McKibbin and I love it.
# Posted on May 27th 2004 by breandan