Hi everyone,
Just curious on your thoughts and experiences accompanying songs with flute and whistle. It’s funny since I’ve been playing forever and a day, but I’ll be darned if I’ve ever had to really accompany somebody singing before. I sure could use some help.
Suggestions of good recordings, your personal approach, anything would be brilliant. I’ve got to start somewhere and drawing on the collective experience of others seems like a good place to start.
Cheers,
Wes
The most important thing is to know who’s leading… otherwise the timing goes all screwy.
Some singers feel they -have- to follow the instrument, and some feel they should lead the instrument. With a little practice of the same piece with the same singer, it may become moot anyway, if you get into a good synch.
You should also learn how to sing each song yourself. I don’t think an air sounds the same when played without knowing the words. From just the notes there are temptations to put breaks in places that seem to make sense melodically, but might be in the middle of a word
when the air becomes a song.
For recordings that include songs, I listen to Altan, Danu, Slainte, and Lothlorien.
The Dubliners and Planxty.
No flutes but superlative whistle accompaniments abound.
Slan,
D.
Second that. Start with Planxty and such tracks as Follow Me Down to Carlow, P Stands for Paddy, Sweet Thames Flow Softy, West Coast of Clare… almost any song, really.
The Little Drummer Boy and Christys version of As I Roved Out are two of my favourites but John Sheehans whistle part of The Springhill Disaster is an absolute masterclass in “Less is More”.
Slan,
D.
The Little Drummer Boy on Planxty’s Cold Blow and the Rainy Night is accompanied on a high G whistle. “Less is More” is exactly right. I bought a high G Generation after hearing that. I never play the thing, of course.
Tony
I will use both whistle and flute in the same piece
My personal approach is to learn to sing the song myself, to know the song line on the flute and whistle and to identify the mode. I encourage the singer to be the lead. When she is singing I softly support her with riffs in the mode of the piece. In responding to her call I will play the song line and if another instrument is responding I will play an appropriate arpeggio.
During the instrumental break I will explore the mode using the song line as a springboard. At end of improvisation I will sneak back to the song line and singer will come in again.
I am sorry if I sound sexist but I do prefer to accompany female vocalists.
Its just how it is …
My answer here is not premised on Irish music although I play that a little and love it very much.
I hope this helps you.
I find that my best accompaniment is when I follow the melody and embellish on it, making departures but always returning to the main theme. If I go for harmonizing with the singer, I keep it very brief indeed.
I’m over at kerrywhistles.com listing to Kate Rusby singing, accompanied by two whistles among other instruments. Good stuff.
Tony