We’ve been playing on the street the
song ‘Fishin.’ You know, ‘I’m a goin fishin,
all a the time; Mama’s going too.’
The high D whistle shines on this tune,
especially when playing it on the top
notes of the second octave (key of G).
The jug band song ‘Stealin’ goes very
well, also in G. ‘Stealin, stealin,
pretty mama don’t you tell on me…’
A low D whistle sounds enough like a
jug to be used to considerable effect.
Blues, like the St. Louis Blues, which
goes over OK here in St. Louis, continues
to improve on the whistle. If you have
a guitar accompaniment, well,…!
I continue to believe the whistle has real potential as a genuine wailin blues
instrument, maybe as good as the mouth harp.
‘Freight Train’ works very well on the
low G whistle, the guitar playing in the
key of C. Ragtime. ‘Shady Grove’ on the
high D whistle: modal stuff on the banjo combined with whistle is a marriage made in heaven.
Occasionally we lament that we aren’t able
to play like the Irish greats (I certainly
can’t). But you know, we got the blues in
our bones, ragtime in our toes, we rock,
we roll, we boogy… We know deep in our hearts what it’s like to wake up with bullfrogs on our mind. The whistle can
do it all.
Yesterday in session, at some point the viola player started in on a blues progression which we all picked up…then the accordianist broke into a VERY funked up version of Danny Boy. It was hysterical.
Mike Seeger recorded an album called Fresh Old-Time Music or something like that. There was a whistle on one of the tracks. I’ve forgotten which one but it was pretty nice. A friend and I recorded some tunes in a sort of semi-professional studio. We did Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine, Over the Waterfall and Silver Spear in a medley. I played 5-string banjo and she played whistle. It worked well. I particularly like Bonaparte. I’m not sure where it comes from but is standardly played in old time sessions.
Jim, your mention of “Shady Grove” reminds me of the time I drove my wife crazy playing it for over 12 hours trying to make my guitar sound like a banjo! She never lets me forget that one! I finally gave up and bought a five-string banjo!
Although traditional Irish music remains my favorite for whistle, I also love playing American folk music and Sea Shanties. And if you want something to rival an Irish Air try playing “Black is the Color” with some slides and some nice vibrato! I like the modal version collected by Cecil Sharp rather than the Niles version. “Lowlands” is another great mournful song to play on the back porch on a misty night!
If I could remember who first mentioned http://www.contemplator.com on C & F I would thank them personally. It’s a great source for words and midi files of folk music, Child ballads and sea shanties as well as Carolan tunes. I recommend it to everyone. The songs “Henry Martin” and “The Coasts of High Barbary” sound great on a whistle. The second one should be played with rolls replacing the repeated notes. Every time I play either song I have visions of pirates and old sailing ships!
Saint James Infirmry also is a great tune to play in Em on a D whistle as is Summertime. We sometimes swing into some blues and alot of Old Timey American in the session that I play in here in Lynchburg Virginia. I usually play the blues stuff with a couple of acoustic guitar players who play the club scene around here. It’s all great fun!!
Thanks for all the suggestions and tips.
O Shenandoah works well–I believe
we play it on the G whistle in the
key of C. You know, blue grass musicians,
Doc Watson, et al–they didn’t have
whistles or they didn’t think about em.
But the fact is that whistle is a natural
for that sort of music, it’s just perfect.
You can follow the notes played on the
mandolin, also guitar riffs, etc.
Lots of improvisation possible.
Also one can use Celtic ornamentation
to great effect playing that stuff.
Now I gotta go try St. James Infirmary!
There’s an acoustic CD with Jerry Garcia and DavidGrisman (on mandolin) called ‘Shady Grove,’
which is a knock out and a musical education
for this whistle player. Mucho recommended.
It even has a great sea shanty, collected by
Ewan McCall, originally, that begins:
When first I came to Liverpool I went upon a spree.
My money at last I spent too fast,
Got drunk as drunk could be.
And when my money was all gone, was then
I wanted more,
But a man must be blind to make up his
mind to go to sea once more…
On 2001-09-03 16:49, skendal wrote:
Mike Seeger recorded an album called Fresh Old-Time Music or something like that. There was a whistle on one of the tracks.
I searched out the LP and the tune is Boatman. Seeger plays a 19th C. fretless, gut-strung banjo and there is a fiddle and someone using a wooden box as a percussion instrument. The whistle fits right in with the “string band” and sounds great.
I’m currently working on a bluegrass fiddle tune called “Jerusalem Ridge”. It actually sounds pretty Irish, because it varies from natural minor (aeolian) to dorian. I’m also working on another fiddle tune I’ve heard bluegrass people do, “Temperance Reel”, that one comes from Ireland, I believe.
Many “American Tunes” work well on whistle. Many of the 18th and 19th century settlers (and earlier, for that matter) were from the British Isles and they brought their music with them.
In some cases old tunes got new names and lyrics, in other cases new tunes were written which carry the same flavor as the BI tunes.
As for Shenandoah, it’s beautiful in D on a D whistle except for the pickup note at the start, which is really low (A below middle C, in most renditions I’ve seen). This very low pickup note makes the range a bit wide for whistle. I usually fake the pickup note either by playing the A an octave up (first A on a D whistle) or by playing the first D on a D whistle. Either works decently if you’re solo. In fact, few vocalists who can reach the high notes in the song can really grab that low note so many of them fake it as well.
Dixie plays well on a C whistle. Dreary Black Hills plays nicely on whistle, as does Wabash Cannon Ball. Down on Penney’s Farm sounds good if you’ve got the lungs to play a fast tune mostly in the second register.
If you have a Bb whistle you can make the Battle Hymn of the Republic walk and talk. Yankee Doodle, America, and America the Beautiful are all whistle friendly.
Ah, what fun. Thanks, everyone, for some new suggestions on tunes. I do often get the urge to try something besides ITrad. I’m currently trying to learn Bach’s “Banderie,” originally for flute. It’s fun, but really, really difficult, especially the key modulation in the middle. I don’t think Johann intended it for a six-hole instrument…
On 2001-09-04 13:22, OutOfBreath wrote:
. . . If you have a Bb whistle you can make the Battle Hymn of the Republic walk and talk. . .
John
It plays nice and somber with the low end notes of the B-flat. One alternative is on the Low F. I had to play Battle Hymn of the Republic with a choir on Memorial Day. Solo with no amplification against a dozen singers. The F played it screaming loud to match the singers. I found it easy to use crans on the repeated second register F notes at the beginning of the A parts. This really ofset nice with tongued F’s so as to add some variation without throwing the singers off. Good fun. The low F really gave the tune an up-beat feeling.
I’m currently trying to learn Bach’s “Banderie,” originally for flute.
My dear Tom, you should mind your French, or your typing. The name of Bach’s piece, “Badinerie”, means banter, or jesting.
“Banderie”, if it meant anything, would suggest a group of men all in a state of visible excitement. Perhaps such a piece could follow “An Phis Fluich”.
“Banderie”, if it meant anything, would suggest a group of men all in a state of visible excitement. Perhaps such a piece could follow “An Phis Fluich”.
[quote]
Goodness, StevieJ, you’re being very naughty these days. First it’s the O rings and then.. ummm…the choice wife..or whatever.
It’s lovely! Really! But then again, I was playing rockabilly funk whistle last night in Sturgis! I’ve discovered by default, that most old timey and most Bluegrass songs are wonderfully adaptable for the whistle, considering how direct the descent from “the auld sod” the music is.
[ This Message was edited by: Anna Martinez on 2001-09-05 13:19 ]
Yes, my French is a bit rusty. Terribly sorry about that–I MEANT that jester tune. Although the other was a bit humerous, too…I guess I should stick to American tunes, afterall!
Anyway, I agree with the general idea that most bluegrass/oldtimey/American folk tunes/songs work well with whistle. Many of them descend directly from the Irish/Scottish traditions, after all.
