R$40
Wrong Foot Forward – Part 2
Artist / Group: Flook
Album: Haven (2005)
Tune credit: Sarah Allen and Brian Finnegan
Written mode: A Dorian
Original live-performance sounding mode: E Dorian
Time signature: 7/8
Tempo marking: ♩ = 155
Arrangement: Tin Whistle / Low Whistle Melody + Chords
Edition: Maiko Thomé de Araujo
Whistle setup: written for standard D-whistle fingering; play the same fingerings on an A Low Whistle to sound a perfect fourth lower in E Dorian
Style / Character: Contemporary Celtic Folk / Irish-British Folk / Modern Folk
Type: Instrumental tune – Part 2 / second half
Special features: chord symbols, note names, whistle fingering diagrams, ornamentation markings, practical D-whistle / A-low-whistle transposition concept
Format: Digital download (PDF) — 1 file (717.2KB)
Musical material: 2 useful pages
“Wrong Foot Forward” is a modern instrumental tune associated with Flook, one of the influential contemporary groups known for combining Irish and British folk roots with virtuosic flute and whistle playing, acoustic grooves and adventurous rhythmic writing.
The tune appears on Flook’s 2005 album Haven and is associated with Sarah Allen and Brian Finnegan.
One of its defining characteristics is the unusual 7/8 meter. Rather than using the regular pulse of a reel or a standard jig, Wrong Foot Forward moves through an asymmetrical seven-eighth-note cycle, creating the slightly displaced rhythmic feeling suggested by the title.
This makes the tune particularly interesting for whistle players who want to move beyond standard traditional meters into a more contemporary Celtic-folk language.
This product contains Part 2 — the second half of Wrong Foot Forward, not the complete tune.
The division is especially practical because the second section is technically and rhythmically demanding, combining:
The two-page layout allows the player to study this section in detail without having to navigate the complete composition at once.
This edition is written in A Dorian.
The score uses the pitch collection associated with A Dorian — including F-sharp — and the harmony prominently uses chords such as A minor, C major, E minor and D major.
The presence of D major, with its F-sharp, is especially characteristic of the Dorian color.
For a player using a standard D Tin Whistle, the written score sounds in A Dorian.
However, this edition was prepared from a live performance in which the whistle part sounds in E Dorian.
To reproduce that same sounding pitch and modal character, simply play the same fingering patterns on an A Low Whistle.
Because an A whistle sounds a perfect fourth below a D whistle, the written A Dorian fingering pattern is heard as:
A Dorian → E Dorian
This allows the player to use the exact same visual fingering system while reproducing the lower pitch and darker sonority of the live-performance reference.
This edition therefore offers two very practical performance possibilities.
On a standard D Tin Whistle:
The music sounds in A Dorian, exactly as written.
This is useful because the D whistle is the most common instrument and allows most players to use the score immediately.
On an A Low Whistle:
Use the same fingerings shown in the score and the music sounds in E Dorian, matching the pitch level of the live performance used as the reference for this edition.
No relearning of the fingering pattern is necessary.
The player simply changes instrument.
This makes the score especially useful for musicians who own more than one whistle and want either:
The modal identity of this section is an important part of its musical character.
A Dorian has a minor tonic but differs from the natural minor scale through its raised sixth degree.
In this edition, that means:
A – B – C – D – E – F-sharp – G
The F-sharp allows the use of D major rather than D minor, creating the characteristic brighter lift within an otherwise minor-modal environment.
When the same fingering relationships are transferred to A Low Whistle, the sounding mode becomes:
E – F-sharp – G – A – B – C-sharp – D
or E Dorian.
That modal color is particularly effective in contemporary Celtic music because it combines a dark minor foundation with a more open and energetic harmonic character.
This edition by Maiko Thomé de Araujo presents Part 2 in a detailed whistle-oriented format.
The score includes:
This makes the material useful not only as a transcription, but also as a practical performance and study edition.
The fingering diagrams appear directly beneath the corresponding notes.
They allow the player to connect:
notation → note name → fingering → sound
without repeatedly consulting a separate whistle chart.
This is especially useful in Wrong Foot Forward, where the fast tempo and irregular meter leave very little time for hesitation.
The diagrams are also what make the D-whistle / A-low-whistle concept particularly practical: the player can reproduce exactly the same fingering sequence on either instrument.
The score also includes note names below the melody.
These provide another reference for players who are still developing fluent reading skills or who want to identify melodic patterns more quickly.
The note names correspond to the written D-whistle pitch system, while the fingering patterns can be transferred directly to an A Low Whistle when the goal is to reproduce the live-performance E Dorian sound.
The edition includes selected ornamentation markings directly within the melody.
These indicate places where whistle-specific expressive gestures can be introduced, including cuts and other basic ornaments.
Ornamentation in whistle playing is not merely decorative.
It can help:
The ornament suggestions can be introduced gradually after the basic melody and rhythm are secure.
Chord symbols are included throughout the arrangement.
This makes the edition much more flexible than a melody-only transcription.
The written harmony can be used with:
When playing the score on a D whistle, the written chords correspond to the A Dorian version.
If reproducing the sounding pitch on an A Low Whistle, an accompanying musician should transpose the harmony down a perfect fourth to match the sounding E Dorian version.
The 7/8 meter is one of the defining elements of Wrong Foot Forward.
The goal should not be to think of seven isolated eighth notes.
Instead, the player should internalize the larger asymmetric pulse until the rhythm feels natural and physical.
Slow practice is particularly important.
First establish:
Only then increase the tempo.
Once the 7/8 pulse becomes internalized, the melody begins to flow much more naturally and the unusual meter becomes part of the tune's expressive identity rather than an obstacle.
Begin by learning the basic melody without ornaments.
Because the tune is in 7/8, rhythmic stability is more important than speed at first.
Once the notes and fingering sequence are comfortable, focus on the asymmetric pulse and avoid consciously counting every eighth note indefinitely.
Gradually add the ornaments marked in the score.
They should reinforce the rhythmic character rather than disturb it.
If using a D Tin Whistle, the version will sound in A Dorian.
If using an A Low Whistle, follow the same fingering diagrams and allow the instrument to transpose the line naturally down a perfect fourth into E Dorian.
On the A Low Whistle, take advantage of the broader, darker tone, but keep finger movements economical so the fast passages remain clear.
Flook are known for an approach that combines traditional-rooted flute and whistle language with sophisticated acoustic arrangements, rhythmic experimentation and highly developed ensemble interaction.
Sarah Allen has specifically identified Wrong Foot Forward as a 7/8 tune, and has discussed the role of countermelodic writing in its second part.
The piece is therefore a strong example of how contemporary Celtic music can expand traditional instrumental vocabulary through unusual meter, modern arranging and virtuosic whistle technique.