I would like to play along with this tune to practice my phrasing, but it does not sound right on my D whistle. (I have tried playing the tune starting on a D or a Cnat)
Assuming the dissonance is not due entirely to my playing, I could transpose the tune in audacity to a key friendly to a D whistle, but I cant work out how far to transpose the recording. So can somebody identify the key/pitch of the recording for me?
I do hope that I am not imposing on you good folks…
I will have to transpose in audacity (with mental apologies to the artists) in order to practice my phrasing. Having only D whistles made identifying the key difficult. At least I was right that it did not start on C or D .
I always learn less slowly when inspired by a great rendition, and I find that rendition inspiring.
An Eb whistle’s an excellent investment, Dr.Phill. Great for solo playing, let’s you play along with many recordings rom the 80s when it seemed everyone was recording a semi-tone sharp of concert, and it let’s you play along with recordings of Highland bagpipes, [ if you’re so inclined ]
Yes, Kenny, I did consider whether I should buy a whistle in Eb. I am not sure where WhOAD would end though. Or is there something extra special about Eb? The thing about the '80s is interesting, but I cannot imagine myself playing along with pipes.
I guess my aim is not to play along to the originals, but to learn phrasing from them. So I need a temporary fix, which I achieve (with a little internal wincing) by changing the pitch of the recording in Audacity. I did this to the recording above, and can play along well enough to pick up some subtleties. Or what, to me, seem like subtleties. At my standard it would be inappropriate to regard playing along with such good recordings as a worthy goal.
My problem was that I could not find any of the notes in the tune that I could reliably reproduce on a D whistle to give me a clue to transposing. I guess that if I had a whistle in every key I could try them all and find what key the tune was in, but they would have to be cheapies. I am not sure that I could justify the expense even then. [When I get really desperate I have been known to use the ‘keyboard’ in AbcExplorer to identify notes… You do not want to hear the cacophony I make doing that .]
Maybe when I am more experienced I will be able to guess the key, or listen to the phrasing and play it later on a whistle in a different key. Or justify more whistles?
Anyway, many thanks for the pointer - it was just what I needed.
the Eb Generation is a special whistle (at least the one I have is) - if the D was anywhere near as good I might not have started making whistles, well maybe I would…
a special whistle
that and it makes it harder for people to play along with you…
Maybe an Eb is special, but I prefer low whistles (and tapered ones at that). My ears do not like the highest reaches of an un-muted high D. I think (or fear) I am close to tinnitus. I have three high D whistles a Parks walkabout (that I like in its quietest mode), and a solid brass Dixon which I play mostly with an ugly blob of blue tack added.
I can only imaging a Eb whistle being more shrill…
The Generation Eb is the same tubing diameter as the D which means that it is slightly more mellow.
It plays better than their D whistle in my opinion.
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