I am a rank newbie trying to learn from Phil Hardy’s tutorials at the Kerry Whistles site. I’ve done ok up to the point of the Arpeggios Crossing The Octaves tutorial, at which I am unable to follow which notes I am to play, particularly in the second half (following E). I would appreciate anyone willing to identify them for me, and/or another arpeggio pattern for a similar exercise across the octaves. His is particularly pleasing.
Thank you!
Hi there Hakai,
I’ve bookmarked this excellent resource, thank you for bringing my attention to the free lesson on KERRYWHISTLE.COM these lesson are really well produced and useful for any beginning whistler. The addition of Low D lessons is a great bonus and should interest a lot of beginners new to the low D whistle, looking to see Low D playing technique and hearing how wonderful the Low D whistle can be even during in practice. 
Your query regarding the arpeggio’s used in “Lesson 6” I’ll do my best to cast some light on this for you. Below I have listed the arpeggio’s with the higher note (octave) encased in the upright beams.
1st arpeggio D G B G |D| G B G
2nd Arpeggio E G C G |E| G C G
1st arpeggio D G B G |D| B G
2nd Arpeggio E G C G |E|C G
(before corrections, thanks Mike)
Additional Note
The 1st arpeggio is based on a G Major triad (G-B-D) and the 2nd is based on a C Major triad (C-E-G)
Some other arpeggio’s you could practice with?
F Major triad F-A-C
A major triad A-C#-E
That’s only two there are many more, as practice take any triad and mix the notes up just as Phil has done. Create your own melodic pieces this is what Phil’s intention is to get you experimenting on your own it is good fun and a great multi faceted practice routine. I can only hope this has helped a little. Have fun and keep whistling.
90
Just a slight correction.
The argeggios Phil plays go:
1st arpeggio D G B G |D| G B G
2nd Arpeggio E G C G |E| G C G
Thank you for the correction Mike, I’ve edited my post.
Thanks for posting the notes. Can any of you help with the notes used in this one?!
He’s just playing the “B c d triplet” using the fingerings
xoo oox B
oxx oox c
oxx xxx d
yes he’s keeping the ring finger of the lower hand down for B and c.
Later he goes up to g in the 2nd octave using these fingerings
xoo oox B
oxx oox c
oxx xxx d
xxx ooo g
Note for g in the 2nd octave he keeps that lower-hand ring finger off.
I find myself doing the same thing on Low Whistles, tending to do the old-school partially-closed fingering in the low octave but keeping everything open in the 2nd octave.
Why? With high whistles it doesn’t have much effect, but with Low Whistles high b can be finicky.
So with high whistles I can finger B and b
xoo oox B, b
and it’s fine.
But with Low Whistles high b might have difficulty sounding and/or sound harsh if that lower-hand ring finger is left down, so that it’s better to play b open
xoo ooo b
BTW many whistle players, flute players, and uilleann pipers always or generally play the B c d triplet with c#
xoo oox B
ooo oox c#
oxx xxx d
even if the tune is in, say, G Major where a c natural would normally be called for.
In other words there are players to rarely, or never, play the B c d triplet the way Phil demonstrates.