A well seasoned tip, listen to good players playing reels and  hear how the music flows. However fast it's played there should always be a sense of space and unhurriedness.

The Boy in the Gap

A lovely reel which falls nicely on the whistle. Here it is played at a reasonable slow pace and again slowed down to half that pace

There are some written notes Here(The Session) they are slightly different from the way I play it but it's essentially the same. There is also a third part which isn't included on the written notes. The important thing with this tune and any other tune for that matter, is to get some swing to it. The ornaments don't have to be perfect (as in mine) as long as they don't interrupt the flow of the tune, so don't spend lots of time trying to get ornaments until the tune (and feel of it) becomes smooth and rhythmic.

A couple of slowish reels to start this page. These two tunes can be heard on Mike McGoldrick's Fused CD, played on a Bb flute. He does a typically beautiful rendering.

I have put them here because they are relatively easy to play and can be played at varying tempos. I have heard the first tune played very slowly and it works fine.

I like the feel of minor going into a major. The first tune is in E Dorian and the second in D Major, more on modes here. The tunes fall under the fingers very nicely and there are no awkward fingering problems, therefore it should flow along as smoothly as possible. The second tune goes to the top B which can be pose tuning problems, these notes need to be attacked with confidence. There are plenty of places to breathe, some I have indicated with commas. Rolls can be practiced on the long notes at bar 4 etc. I have copied some of M. McGoldricks ornamentation because I like the way he plays. This is how most people progress with their style, by copying and adapting to their own playing. Individual ornamentation should be looked for as well. For instance on the 6th bar of the second tune a tongued triplet could be used instead of a roll. I have used a tongued triplet on bar 5 of the first tune.

On the second time around, on the first tune at bar 13 the G note can be held for the duration of that bar, as in the faster clip. This is good way to vary a tune without having to insert extraneous notes.

D whistle Terry 'Cuz' Teehans & Her Long Dark Hair