Archive for Recently Added
October 10, 2011 at 4:40 am · Filed under Flute, Irish flute, Martin Doyle Flutes, Recently Added, Website ·Tagged Added, D flutes, fingering charts, Martin Doyle Flutes, simple system flute, Website
In the interests of serving those who play simple system flutes, Martin Doyle has added fingering charts for simple system keyless D flutes to his website. Printable PDF versions of the fingering charts are also available to download.
These fingering charts are inspired by the fingering charts published by Johann Joachim Quantz (1697–1773) in his treatise On Playing the Flute which was first published in 1752. Martin Doyle studied Quantz at the beginning of his flute making career and found On Playing the Flute to be a great source of inspiration and information regarding simple system flutes and eighteenth century music in general.
Martin Doyle's fingering chart for a simple system keyless D flute
Martin Doyle’s fingering charts for simple system keyless D flutes can be viewed here »
A big THANK YOU to Asankita for creating the graphics – chur bro…!
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July 6, 2011 at 8:35 pm · Filed under Flute Making, Irish flute, Liscannor, Martin Doyle, Recently Added ·Tagged Bob Denton, County Clare, Irish flutes, Martin Doyle, musician, photographer, Wooden Flutes, workshop
Martin Doyle portrait by Bob Denton
A number of photographs have just been added to Martin Doyle’s Photostream on Flickr. They were taken by Bob Denton who is a friend of Martins from back in the 1970s.
Bob Denton is a photographer and musician who plays guitar, mandolin, claw hammer banjo and tin whistle. Originally from South Africa, Bob is credited with starting the Barleycorn Music Club on Woodbridge Island, Cape Town, in 1975. He also compered and performed in many South African Folk Festivals.
In the realm of photography, Bob worked for Deegan Photo on Leeson Street in Dublin during the early 1970s and took the photo of the Book of Kells which was used on the one and five punt notes in Ireland. He also took many of the photographs for the Doors of Dublin poster originally produced by Borde Failte.
Bob first met Martin Doyle when he moved to Bray in County Wicklow in the early 1970s. Martin, a native of Bray, had just begun to play the banjo and he and Bob would play together regularly.
Read more/see more here:
Bob Denton’s photos of Martin Doyle – February, 2011
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July 24, 2010 at 4:09 am · Filed under Flute Making, Flute Players, Irish flute, Martin Doyle Flutes, Musicians, Recently Added, Testimonials, Website ·Tagged addition, flute players, flutemaking, Irish flutes, Martin Doyle Flutes, positive comments, Testimonials, Website
I am sure that it is always very encouraging for any craftsman to receive some positive feedback from his clients. After all, most instrument makers spend many hours of each week alone in their workshops labouring to create something that they hope will please the person they are making it for. So when a happy client offers a positive comment, it must be very satisfying and encouraging. Two such comments have just been added to Martin Doyle’s website from happy clients in America.
Amanda Drinsinger — flute player from the USA:
“I received the flute early last week. It sounds rich and beautiful and it is very beautiful and of excellent craftsmanship! I am extremely pleased with your work and I think you are the world’s best celtic flute craftsman! I have not played or seen in person any other instrument that matches the sound, beauty and quality put into this flute!”
Ruth Yates — flute player from Hollywood, Maryland, USA:
“Hi Martin. I just wanted to tell you that the rosewood flute I purchased from you in October [2009] is so lovely. I found it very easy to play and the tone is so mellow and nice. Don and I really liked coming to your home and seeing your workshop and picking up the flute. It was such a genuinely good experience meeting you and seeing how the instruments come together. Regards, Ruth Yates.”
These and other kind comments from owners of Martin Doyle flutes can be viewed here: Testimonials
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June 21, 2010 at 12:30 am · Filed under Baroque Flutes, Flute, Flute Making, Martin Doyle, Martin Doyle Flutes, Recently Added, Website, Wooden Flutes ·Tagged Baroque Flutes, Baroque Flutes by Martin Doyle, flute maker, Martin Doyle, Martin Doyle Flutes, new page added, Website, Wooden Flutes
A new page highlighting Martin Doyle’s Baroque Flutes has been added to Martin Doyle Flutes.
Martin Doyle completed his first set of Baroque flutes early in 2000. Originally working with African Blackwood, he modeled his Baroque flute design on an eighteenth century Rottenburgh Baroque flute. Martin has also made Baroque flutes from Irish Boxwood — one of which is featured below.
Martin Doyle Baroque Flute in Irish Boxwood
To find out more and to hear Martin playing his boxwood Baroque flute, jump to: Baroque Flutes by Martin Doyle.
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January 11, 2010 at 11:19 pm · Filed under Aikido, County Clare, Flute, Flute Making, Flute Players, Ireland, Irish flute, Irish traditional music, Liscannor, Martin Doyle, Music, Musicians, Recently Added ·Tagged Aiki Céilí Band, Aikido classes, County Clare, double bass, Eamon McCarthy, Flute, Frank Healy, Gabrielle Cappachione, guitar, Introducing, Liscannor, Martin Doyle, Music, radio documentary, The Music Tree
Double bass (Frank Healy) and flute (Martin Doyle) in action
As recently posted on this weblog, Martin Doyle featured on a radio programme called The Music Tree. As the The Music Tree is about the Mpingo (African Blackwood) tree and its popular timber that is used extensively for the production of woodwind instruments, one of the requirements for the programme was some Irish traditional music that was predominated by the Irish flute. This task fell upon Martin Doyle to organise.
Asides from making great Irish flutes, Martin is also an Aikido instructor who offers classes at the town hall in Liscannor, County Clare – the Aikido group is known as Clare Aikikai. One of the many wonderful aspects of the County Clare is that music is an integral part of the culture there – musicians, singers and story tellers abound in Clare as they do all over the west of Ireland. And so it is with Martin’s Aikido group. Four of the members are strong traditional musicians so Martin got them together after an Aikido session one evening and they recorded a very nice piece of traditional music – and The Aiki Céilí Band was born!
The Aiki Céilí Band consists of Martin Doyle (flute), Éamon McCarthy (flute), Frank Healy (double bass) and Gabrielle Cappachione (guitar). Featured on The Music Tree documentary, the piece consists of two reels and can also be listened to here.
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September 10, 2009 at 9:36 pm · Filed under Flute, Flute Making, Flute Players, Ireland, Irish flute, Martin Doyle Flutes, Recently Added, Testimonials, Website
Tomás MacUileagóid, a flute player, fiddler and harp player/maker from Dublin, Ireland, has kindly added a testimonial to Martin Doyle Flutes. Tomás recently purchased a keyed flute from Martin Doyle.
“Hi Martin, I have thought a lot about writing to you since I got my keyed flute from you. I wanted to really feel my way into it and explore what it has to offer. I am astounded by the range of colour available, just waiting for me to exploit it. The tones available far exceed what I could get on the flute I got off you 10 years ago. I wanted the keys because I have a particular interest in the music of east Galway, Paddy Kelly and Paddy Fahey in particular, and you can’t really manage that without the F natural. Obviously since I have a keyed flute I notice other flutes much more, and I am continuously impressed by your standard of craftsmanship, and I understand how difficult it is to maintain such a high standard. Well done!! I don’t know what motivates you as an instrument maker, but I enjoy being able to create something that is unique with its own voice, that will hopefully live long after me and in some small way contribute to making the world a better place. I think you have already achieved this. Thank you. Regards, Tomás.”
Very thoughtful and insightful words from a fellow instrument maker — thank you for your kind and encouraging comments Tomás.
This and other testimonials from owners of Martin Doyle flutes can be viewed here: Testimonials
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August 13, 2009 at 4:27 am · Filed under Flute Players, Irish flute, Irish traditional music, Music, Musicians, Recently Added, Testimonials, Website, Wooden Flutes ·Tagged band, County Kerry, Danu, Flute, Ireland, Irish traditional music, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, music sample, musician, player, Testimonial
Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh
is an accomplished flute and whistle player and singer from
Dún Chaoin in County Kerry, Ireland. She is the lead singer and flute player with the traditional Irish music group
Danú, and is a tutor at the
Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick.
Muireann plays a Martin Doyle flute and has been kind enough to offer a testimonial for Martin Doyle Flutes and a sample of her flute playing from the album Dual — a collaboration with Julie Fowlis, Éamon Doorley and Ross Martin that was released in November of 2008.
Muireann’s testimonial reads:
“I have been playing a Martin Doyle African Blackwood ‘D’ flute since 2001. As a touring musician I am delighted with its reliability and consistensy of tone, no matter where I am in the world. The flute is perfectly in tune which is very important when playing in a band context. I also love the fact that it can produce a variety of sounds from a powerful bark to a sweeter, clearer tone, making it a very expressive instrument and suitable for all kinds of music from wild Kerry Polkas to more subtle slow airs. I always recommend Martin’s flutes to my flute students.”
More testimonials from owners of Martin Doyle flutes may be viewed here: Testimonials — and Muireann’s music sample can be heard here: Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh
Our thanks to Muireann for her kindness. We have posted a video clip of Muireann playing her Martin Doyle flute after the fold — a lovely example of Irish traditional music…
Read the rest of this entry »
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Born in Dublin, Ireland, Martin Doyle grew up in the seaside town of Bray in County Wicklow. One of four children in a family with music in their blood, Martin was influenced and inspired by his mothers melodious singing from a very early age – learning songs that have stayed with him to this day.
Flute Maker Martin Doyle's Weblog is maintained on behalf of Martin Doyle by his friend 
New Testimonials Added
July 24, 2010 at 4:09 am · Filed under Flute Making, Flute Players, Irish flute, Martin Doyle Flutes, Musicians, Recently Added, Testimonials, Website ·Tagged addition, flute players, flutemaking, Irish flutes, Martin Doyle Flutes, positive comments, Testimonials, Website
Amanda Drinsinger — flute player from the USA:
Ruth Yates — flute player from Hollywood, Maryland, USA:
These and other kind comments from owners of Martin Doyle flutes can be viewed here: Testimonials
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