Boys of Bluehill [Hornpipe] - Tune of the Month with Shannon Heaton

Here's “Boys of Bluehill,” a common session tune. I teach this D Major hornpipe phrase by phrase and then I put it in an ensemble context. As always, I’m playing this on my Patrick Olwell Pratten-style flute.
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[@Me2Lancer]

Thank you, Thank you! Got your email. Appreciate the link! Love your music.

[@irishflutegirl9022]

💚☘️😀❤️👍🏻

[@eg6620]

A wonderful (and enlightening) contrast between playing the tune straight at the beginning and the awesome variations in the performance/ensemble version! Thanks!!! I will have to watch the whole season.

[@ShannonHeatonMusic]

Thanks, EG. I DO think there is, as you say, a bit of a contrast between a slow/fixed version of a tune... and then the tune "in real life." This can be a bit unsettling for folks sometimes. Though playing the tune straight and steady, even while there is melodic variation around, works, too. Hope this can offer people practice for that!

[@lisaflute185]

Thank you for helping me learn this ! 👍🏻

[@david_1214]

Great tune. Thank you so much for posting these videos. They are a great help, and a lot of fun.

[@ShannonHeatonMusic]

I'm so, so glad they can be helpful! I continue to learn so much from other people who share THEIR music. It's the trad way...

[@davidgoodwin7269]

Thanks Shannon. Great sound, as always. We have that tune here in Northumberland known as ' Lads of North Tyne'.

[@ShannonHeatonMusic]

do you play it in the same key?

[@davidgoodwin7269]

@@ShannonHeatonMusic Hi Shannon. Yes. Exactly same tune, same key. Your variations/triplets were good.

[@CAVEDATA]

How should a beginner learn fife etc? Cant find any entry level tunes to learn without knowing sheet music etc. Really wanted to learn this but not sure where to start. thanks and great playing

[@ShannonHeatonMusic]

Hiya! You could start to get to know the instrument better by playing tunes you already know in your head. Pop tunes. Children's songs. The Happy birthday song. Anything at all.
Then if you're moved to learn this tune (Boys of Bluehill), simply learn to sing it FIRST. You can make up your own words to it if you want! Just really get it in your heart. And then try it out on the fife?

[@Melvorgazh]

Heyo @Shannon Heaton
Matt and Shannon,
I which videos can we see Matt flaticking a bit, at the beginning of a tune or set?
I only vaguely remember.
But it was very very good.
I think it was on a ríl.
See ya later!
Tomó

[@ShannonHeatonMusic]

I always love hearing Matt and Flynn playing. Here they take turns backing and playing the tunes: czcams.com/video/pbxdLO6tEGQ/video.html

[@Melvorgazh]

@@ShannonHeatonMusic That make 2 of us 😺.
But I remember he was doing it with you.(in the kitchen I think)
Perhaps you were making some bass drone lines for a couple of bars. You really don’t remember? (It’s true you made so many excellent videos it must be getting tricky to remember, Shannon.)
Flynn is amazing too.
I heard his playing on the mandolin too.
About swapping roles(backing/flatpicking) I saw that on an old video of 2 male bluegrass mature(45-55 perhaps) guitar players.
They were playing Cooley’s reel.
I looked for the video many times.
It seems to have been deleted 😿
They were laughing during the video.
One of them even ticked the other.
It was outdoor, good weather and there were some distant festival noise, I think it was bagpipe.
Attacking B-part Earl’s Chair today and the Killavil jig :) and King of The Fairies(with the recording of that excellent redhead mountain dulcimer player Wendy Songe).
Have a nice week and so it’s 1 hour earlier for us Europeans for another week, right?
Sláinte agat!
Kenavo tuchant 😉

[@Melvorgazh]

@@ShannonHeatonMusic Go raibh maith agat a chara! X

[@dgp4399]

Thanks very much for all your work. I noticed your playing has a pulse, would you say that's happening more with breaking a steady stream of air or more with fingering ? Thanks

[@ShannonHeatonMusic]

Happy to offer these videos! I definitely spell out the rhythmic lift via breath accent. Though choice ornamentation can bring out (or can squish) a nice feel.

[@madfortrad4717]

Sounds great Shannon. Feel free to check out my version which I uploaded earlier today. It features banjo and guitar. Let me know what you think. Thanks!

[@ShannonHeatonMusic]

Thank you for sharing YOUR video, and for making it. I like your photos with the tune. Interesting to do just one A part and one B part (not AABB). Keep up the music!

[@madfortrad4717]

@@ShannonHeatonMusic That's how I play it with my wife :) Best wishes Marcel

[@ShannonHeatonMusic]

So great that you guys are playing music together!

[@wilson8029]

Whats the name of the tune in the background?

[@ShannonHeatonMusic]

The Mountain Road (played in G, instead of the normal D). We recorded it that way on our album "Lovers' Well"... along with the Galway Rambler played in D (instead of the typical G).

[@wilson8029]

@@ShannonHeatonMusic thank you and greetings from Germany!