While the wooden simple-system flute is traditionally used in playing Irish music, a growing number of folk players have adopted the silver flute as a viable alternative. Here for the first time, The Complete Irish Flute Book presents the silver or Boehm flutist with a method for learning authentic Irish ornamentation! This thorough guide provides detailed fingering charts, exercises, and technical essays for learning to execute ornaments in the in the Irish style. Through a wealth of hornpipes, reels, jigs, set dances, and slow airs and songs. This book focuses not only on musical accuracy, but stylistic authenticity as well. The companion CD contains 26 of the 101 tunes from the book.

For the beginner to the highly advanced player of Irish flute, tin whistle, or Boehm-system flute. 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. 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 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. for those who don't read music, almost all the exercises, examples and tunes appear on the two companion CDs. 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. - Matt Molloy, Irish Flute player with the Chieftains.

While the wooden simple-system flute is traditionally used in playing Irish music, a growing number of folk players have adopted the silver flute as a viable alternative. Here for the first time, The Complete Irish Flute Book presents the silver or Boehm flutist with a method for learning authentic Irish ornamentation!This thorough guide provides detailed fingering charts, exercises, and technicalessays for learning to execute ornaments in the in the Irish style. Through a wealth of hornpipes, reels, jigs, set dances, and slow airs and songs. This bookfocuses not only on musical accuracy, but stylistic authenticity as well. The companion audio download available online contains 26 of the 101 tunes fromthe book

An extremely well-written, thorough study into contemporary and traditional tinwhistle music and performance. Included are chapters on fundamentals, ornamentation and more. Includes an accompaniment CD

This book is for someone who can already play the silver flute to some extent. I hope to show you some of the techniques to engage with the sounds of traditional wooden flute, as well as teach you a few tunes along the way. There are lots of my own tunes included which are particularly suited to the silver flute and a few traditional tunes to help illustrate the techniques."a wealth of information for silver flute players who wish their instrument to sound more like a traditional wooden flute...deeply thought through and gives really useful practical advice. ...It really is an impressive book...both entertaining and really useful." - Living Tradition Magazine"hugely important book...Philippe is a master of those techniques...Irish Music Magazine's John Brophy's comment is quoted in the book; "I've heard nobody else who can make the Boehm flute sound like the true traditional thing, who can mould tone to the tune so nicely, the sheer musicality is exceptionally impressive."...This is an invaluable resource for Silver flute players and is a great teaching aid; it should be in every secondary school music room in the country." - Seán Laffey, IRISH MUSIC MAGAZINE"This book serves as an ideal introduction for any Boehm flute players who are interested in exploring the traditional language of Irish Music. One of the most important elements in idiomatic Irish flute playing is the execution of a wide range of ornaments, and they are clearly explaned her and backed up with examples from the repertoire. Barnes stresses the difference between classical ornamentation (which is essentially melodic) and Irish ornamentatin where the focus is on rhythm. He disusses differences in hand position and an appropriate approach to vibrato, and covers techniques such as feathering, cuts, rolls, cranns, bounces and slides. Each technique is clearly explaned in straigntforward language, and there is plenty of repertoire included to help skills develop in each area. Recommended." Carla Rees, British Flute Society Magazine

This book is a comprehensive, detailed approach to playing Irish music on the tinwhistle. It has been written especially for new enthusiasts who live impossibly far from Irish musicians and are fretfully asking themselves, “Where Can I Ever Learn To Play?” It contains information on technique and style that more advanced players will also find useful. And, there are 72 dance tunes and airs suitably arranged for the tinwhistle, including some recently-composed pieces and several unusual settings of old standards that even the most jaded musical palates aflame with the insatiable desire for New Tunes will find exhilarating and momentarily satisfying.