In a recent topic (“How many tunes do you know?”) a number of folks included tunes that were not IRtrad. It got me thinking … (yes, I know, a rare occurance but occasionally a thought does come up)… The folks who live and grow up with IRtrad in Ireland or elsewhere pick up tunes from all around them, just as general folk tunes. My thought was that Popular American Folk songs could fill the same role in my learning whistle. So I experimented with this over lunch and came up with a list of songs that I already knew by heart and would work out on whistle.
When I was playing and singing in the coffee houses (strictly amateur) during the early 70’s, I knew and could sing probably 400-500 songs. In my experiment, I tried to remember a few and give them a quick whirl on my whistle. The following is a list of songs that I found were fairly easy to pickout and play. (I left out all IRTrad since we have a whole forum for those, I also left out Christmas and Religious song/hymns because they’ve be covered in other topics.) This is my quick list of songs from my lunch hour. Most are from Peter, Paul, and Mary early albums that were easiest to remember.
Maybe they’ll spark a rememberance for some of the other old gray far… er … folks out there and they can add to the list…
American Folk Songs
First, Non-IRTrad Songs listed in previous post.
Amazing Grace
Stairway to Heaven
When the Saints Come Marching In.
House of the Rising Sun
Sounds of Silence
The Boxer
Greensleeves
Rocky Mountain High
Some Where Over the Rainbow
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Favorite Thing (from Sound of Music)
Scarboro Fair
Joy to the World-Jeremia Was A Bull Frog
My songs from Peter, Paul, and Mary
Blowin’ in the Wind
Polly Von
I Gave my Love A Flower
Buttermilk Hill(Gone the Rainbow)
The Times They Are A-Changin’
Hush-a-bye
Freight Train
Pretty Mary
Puff the Magic Dragon
Tiny Sparrow
500 Miles
Rising of the Moon
Hangman
When the Ship Comes In
Killgara Mountain (Whiskey in the Jar)
No Other Name
Leatherwing Bat
All Through the Night
It’s Raining
Boa Constrictor
Other Folk Tunes:
Fire and Rain(James Taylor)
Blossom(James Taylor)
Sweet Baby James(James Taylor)
Susanne (JudyCollins/LennardCohen)
Winter Lady(LenardCohen)
I hope this sparks a few memories, it did for me. Please add to my list, I know there are a lot more songs, that I remember if someone mentions them but I can’t just bring them to mind out of thin air. Thin hair I got; but thin air just isn’t enough spark the old gray matter.
Thanks in advance for your additions so this senile old coot can …
Enjoy Your Music,
Lee Marsh
[ This Message was edited by: LeeMarsh on 2002-09-06 15:40 ]
I should SO NOT post this, because I don’t want to go down in the archives for this one thing. BUT…
I get home from work, brain-dead, looking for a little funny escapism, and there’s “Friends.” 2 in a row. And I’m telling you now, the annoying “I’ll Be There For You,” sits fine on the D whistle: D-D-D-E-D…A-B-Cnat, B-A-G (that’s not abc notation, obviously). It’s not so annoying when you add the whistle. Or maybe it’s SO annoying, it’s funny.
I’d add songs by Gordon Lightfoot to Lee’s list of popular tunes that can be whistlefied.
[ This Message was edited by: thurlowe on 2002-09-06 16:44 ]
On 2002-09-06 17:11, computer-mom wrote:
Who says “Kilgarra Mountain” isn’t Irish? It’s a variation of the Irish drinking song “Whiskey in the Jar.” >
I think your right about its origins. Many american folk songs are adaptations from other ethnic origins. This one falls into that group; but the PP&M version might be thought of as an Americanization of the Irish song. Either way, it became popular folk music here in the states during the 60’s and 70’s. Scarboro Faire, Buttermilk Hill, and Leatherwing Bat are also imports.
American Dream (Paul Simon. . .I’m playing it for the memory of the victims of 9/11)
Darcy Farrow
The Lone Pilgrim
Shawneetown (on the O-hi-O)
Pretty Saro
Lilac and the Apple Tree
a whole bunch of Dave Mallet and Gordon Bok stuff
Time in a Bottle
Out on the Mira
john McCutcheon songs
I play along with Joni Mitchell on her more melodic songs. She does do some less-common keys (quite a bit in E IIRC), so it helps to have quite a few keys available (if you need an excuse for that E or B whistle).
Works fine with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young! “Teach Your Children Well,” old Bob Dylan like “Blowin’ in the Wind.” I could go on and on and on, simply beause they only hting poeple PLAY around here are olf 60’s-70’s cover stuff! Sigh!
Waiting for the Mothership…
[ This Message was edited by: Anna Martinez on 2002-09-06 21:48 ]
How 'bout some of the John Denver songs
Annie’s Song
For Baby (For Bobbie)
My Sweet Lady
Back Home Again
And then there’s
Big Rock Candy Mountain
Can’t Smile Without You
King of the Road
Peaceful Easy Feeling
Tequila Sunrise
Lyin Eyes
Witchie Woman
Make a joyful noise!
[ This Message was edited by: Grannymouse on 2002-09-06 22:09 ]
Going back a tad farther to the roots of 60s and 70s folks, just about anything by Burl Ives (including Frosty the Snowman), Pete Seegar and Woody Guthrie (This Land is Your Land), as well as a whole boatload of old Weavers tunes (Goodnight Irene), are pretty easy to pick out on a whistle. Sometimes, I like to just go out in the yard, sit in a lawn chair, and fiddle around to see what shows up.
Arlo Guthrie stuff is good, too. I just now figured out Alice’s Restaurant, which can be done in G if you can half hole a D#.
