An Fheadóg Mhór (The Big Whistle) Irish Traditional Flute Technique

An Fheadóg Mhór: Irish Traditional Flute Technique

Back By Popular Demand – Published by McNeela Instruments

We’re delighted to bring An Fheadóg Mhór back into the hands of flute players everywhere! Written by the legendary Conal Ó Gráda, this is the ultimate guide for mastering the Irish flute, now published by McNeela Music after being unavailable for a couple of years. So if you’ve been searching for a copy, your wait is finally over!

Conal Ó Gráda’s step-by-step method makes learning the flute feel easy. The book walks you through each technique, from the basics of holding the flute and proper breathing to more advanced techniques like glottal stops and rolls. Conal’s approach centers around three simple questions—What does it sound like? How do you do it? Where do you use it? By the end, you’ll be playing with heart, confidence, and maybe even a touch of flair.

The book comes with a free CD packed with audio examples from legends like Catherine McEvoy, Harry Bradley, and more. Plus, Conal has included a chapter on critical listening, so you can learn to hear the little details that make the pros sound so good and add that magic to your own playing.

For the relaunch: Watch as Paraic McNeela sits down to interview Conal himself, the genius behind this widely celebrated flute tutor book & CD.

What Musicians Are Saying

 

TradConnect:

“Conal’s book is concise, and brilliant, and tells a story too.”

Chiff & Fipple

“Conal O'Grada's book is excellent, especially the section on close listening”

"Conal O’Grada’s [...] tutor, for whatever reason, totally makes sense to me. It demystifies a bunch of things, and it’s already making a mighty difference in my playing."

Book Preview

• Chapter 1: Breathing
• Chapter 2: Finger Based Articulation – Cuts
• Chapter 3: Finger Based Articulation – Pats
• Chapter 4: Finger Based Articulation – Rolls
• Chapter 5: Finger Based Articulation – Scrapes
• Chapter 6: Breath Based Articulation – Glottal Stops
• Chapter 7: Putting it all together – Guide to building competence
• Chapter 8: Critical Listening, featuring insights from top players such as Harry Bradley, Aoife Granville, Mike Rafferty, Catherine McEvoy, Patsy Hanly, Tara Diamond, John Wynne, and Eamonn Cotter

Additionally, the book includes four helpful appendices:

• Appendix 1: Holding the flute correctly
• Appendix 2: Blowing the flute and producing a basic sound
• Appendix 3: Notated Tunes
• Appendix 4: Index for accompaniment

With each chapter and appendix, Conal Ó Gráda’s method guides you through Irish flute playing step by step, making it accessible for all levels. So now that An Fheadóg Mhór is back in print, you can start your journey with one of the best Irish flute guides out there. Grab a copy and let’s get playing!

Estimated Shipping Times: 

All orders placed before 12pm are shipped the same day.

IRELAND (Next Day)

UK (5 - 7 days)

EUROPE (7 days)

USA and CANADA (7 - 10 days)

REST OF WORLD (10 - 14 days)