A Flute Lesson with Brian
How this web page arrived...
After initially meeting on the Irish Music session scene in the Bristol Area, I next encountered him on Lundy Island, one of my then regular holiday retreats. After some mighty sessions in the Marisco Tavern, I was offered a one-to-one tuition session on the flute, which I had recently taken up. So the following morning I set up the minidisc recorder, put the kettle on, opened the door to Brian's knock and cheery "Hello", and the lesson commenced.
After a couple of years, during which I was a frequent visitor to Lundy, Brian gave everybody a shock by moving to Tasmania! I carried on in the sessions round Bristol, and eventually started teaching at the Hibernia centre, which Brian helped set up with Donal Lynch. Unfortunately, I fell out of touch with Brian after some time.
Then in October 2005 I found The Session, a brilliant resource of tunes, links and discussions for session musicians. Through this website, I got back in touch with Brian.
Then, as one more coincidence in a day full of coincidences, the evening after teaching at Hibernia, I was going through some old recordings, and found the minidisc of the lesson. Whilst listening to it, I happened upon a posting on the session website about learning tunes. One of Brian's comments on the posting read "Also, maybe ask Wurzel about 'The Knotted Cord'. As a beginner when I did a one to one class with him on Lundy..." I replied that it was funny I had just been listening to that recording, and commented "I always thought of that lesson as the most important 25 minutes of time spent in my musical learning, and use it as the basis of my teaching to this day". I also suggested that, with his permission, I'd put it online for others to benefit from.
Brian has replied with his permission and blessing, as one of his aims is to pass on the heritage of the music. So, here the lesson is - It's in 4 parts, to keep the download times and file sizes as short as possible. Here goes then!
Part One
Brian explains how he teaches tunes, how tunes are put together, and how each player evolves their own version of a tune. Then the tune Sean Reid's (a reel in G Major) is played "bare bones" - slowly and with no ornamentation.
part_1.mp3 (2.8 mb)
Part Two
A bit about Ornamentation - Tips, Cuts, Rolls and Hooding. Then Sean Reid's is played at session speed, bare bones first, then with ornamentation.
part_2.mp3 (2.7 mB)
Part Three
When to breathe during a tune, and how different versions or regional variations of a tune evolve. Then a slow speed, bare bones playing of Master Mc Dermott's, a reel in D Major.
part_3.mp3 (2.3 mB)
Part Four
Master Mc Dermott's played at session speed, bare bones at first, then with ornamentation. Then the final tune, The Knotted Cord, a reel in A Minor, is played through the same way as the other tunes.
part_4.mp3 (2.5 mB)
Hope this small webpage has been useful to you.
Thanks to Brian for the tunes, and see you at a session somewhere soon!
Wurzel X
