As if you haven't...

Whistle
1

Hi gang,
As if you haven’t had enough of me, I decided to start a new topic!

Can anyone tell me, how do you play O’Carolian’s Favorite when you don’t have the C in the low octave? I tried breathing during those notes, but there are too many of them. I am learning from Joanie Madden’s tunebook. Thanks!

2

I’m not sure to which tune you refer. Google brought
up one possibility… the tune “Give Me Your Hand” was
once mistakenly attributed to O’Carolan as “O’Carolan’s
Favorite”. But the tune I know by that name doesn’t
have any C’s below the staff. Does the tune you’re
trying to play look like this:

http://ncfolk.net/sessions/pinecone1/Give.pdf

If not, what key is it in? Maybe you’re using the
“wrong” whistle for that key and would benifit from
transposing…

3

I’m no expert but I’ll offer some obvious suggestions.

  1. Get a D whistle with a “C hole.” Several whistle makers offer this as an option for just such situations.

  2. Transpose the tune to G and play it on your D whistle. I don’t have the tune in front of me, but as long as the highest note stays within your whistle’s range, this will work.

  3. Play the tune in D on an A whistle. The fingering for the A whistle will be the same as on the D whistle with the tune transposed to G.

  4. Substitute a higher note for the low C. Going up an octave is one option but this might sound funny. Other notes might work; others more versed in music theory might have some suggestions. I’d start by trying F# and G (the third and fourth notes of the D scale) and see how that sounds.

4

Or you could play an E when those notes come…

5

Hmmmmmm… on the subject of favorite, why did the red X become so many avatar favorites?

6

It’s the Fairness Doctrine. The government mandated equal time to political avatars.

7

Thanks for the tips, guys! I think I’ll try moving the song up the scale as some of you suggested…start on a higher note. I wouldn’t want to try this on the D whistle, but the Bb could work…

Further note: The fabled “red X” is used by those who used to be in espionage and are now “retired,” and have to hide their avatar identity. Really! I heard this and I know it’s a fact!!

8

There should be some caution in clicking on the red X

9

Please post some info. on Joannie Madden’s tunebook – title, where to purchase, etc.

10

You know, I have to look it up–it’s been so long since I ordered mine. There’s an address of one of Joanie’s friends to sent $25 to. It’s well worth it. If anyone else can beat me to the draw on this, feel free! I take great joy in playing some of the songs on the first Irish whistle tape I ever purchased.