The Stone In The Field (reel) on The Session

Recording

Paddy Carty (flute) recorded a beautiful, and very elegant, version of this tune - the album is entitled "Paddy Carty - Traditional Irish Music".

The Stone In The Field

Wow, a friend just gave this tune to me and I can’t stop playing it!

Tommy Reck

And of course Tommy Reck recorded it on his album of the same title "The Stone In The Field"

Stoned

I’m recording this song at the moment as a slow reel, it really works. I’ll tell ye when I’ve put it up on my myspace - www.myspace.com/dominichenderson

It’s a tune

Stone in the Field

Another setting:

X: 1
T: Stone In The Field, The
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
EAAG A2 Bd|e~a3 gedB|cBAc B~G3|AcBA GEDG|
EAAG A2 Bd|e~a3 gedB|cBcd e~g3|1 dBGB A2 GD:|2 dBGB A2 B/c/d||
eabg a2 ab|gabg aged|cBAc BGGB|AcBA GE D2|
e~a3 b~g3|agef ~g3a|bgaf gedB|1 AcBG ABcd:|2 AcBG ABAG||

The tune in Danu’s album ‘Up in the air’ is a jig.

Are my ears deceiving me?

I am learning this tune from Paddy Carty’s recording, and I swear I hear a high-c-nat at the beginning of the second bar of the B-part… …even allowing for the fact that the entire recording itself is about 1/4 to 1/2 step sharp.

I’ve been working through this recording for a while now (with my flute’s tuning slide pushed all the way in, and an overly "sharp embouchure"), and I absolutely *LOVE* this tune, so I’d like to nail it.

If so, what is the best technique for hitting this note cleanly at-speed on flute?

You’re right

You’re quite correct, "browndog". I seem to remember this reel is in Breandan Breathnach’s 1st volume of "Ceol Rince na hEirreann" with a high c-nat, and maybe also in one of the "Bulmer & Sharpley" books. I’ve always layed it as such, using the c-nat key, but I don’t know if you have that particular option.

High c-nat on flute…

Thank you for your reply, Kenny.

Soooo… a c-nat key, huh? Ahhhh… my keyed flute has been in the making for quite a while tho’, so I’m still on keyless.

Given that, the only way that I’m able to hit that note when playing along with Paddy Carty’s recording is by half-holing… and since that’s the left-hand index finger (my weakest, control-wise), I only have about a 10% success rate of hitting the pitch accurately, and no way can I keep it in time. I guess I have a *LOT* of practicing to do! 🙂 (…including short-rolls on high-b, too…)

Danu

On Danu’s album "Up in the Air", "The Stone in the Field" is in fact "The Maid In The Meadow", a jig.

Patty Carty’s flute

Did he use his Radcliff flute for that recording, would make all the c a little more easy to be intune, not that intune matters a ton, i just needs to sound right