I’m a beginner to the tinwhistle and a big fan of the C&F forums. I appreciate all the effort everybody puts in to make this the best resource on the net for learning about the tinwhistle. Learning on my own I don’t get any real feedback on my playing (except from my wife…). I would really like it if any of you guys would give me some constructive criticism on my efforts.
I bought two whistles two years ago for me and my wife to play together. I’ve been playing on and off without any tuition. The only musical eduction I ever got was on the djembe
In both examples you show that you have an appreciation for rhythm that, sadly, some players of many years don’t achieve. I think you need to listen to a few more jigs though, because the first was much better than the second (the jig) and I think that, with the good ear that you appear to have, you’d pick up the jig rhythm if you listen to enough. Try the session recordings on the Comhaltas site:
Click through and you’ll get not only sheet music but audio of how the tunes sound in practice. They’re not too quick either, which CDs of top musicians can sometimes be.
Contrary to Ben’s advice I would suggest you listen to good solo players, whistle or otherwise, rather than the nuance-free monolithic sound of a session recording.
I felt the jig showed promise actually. Yes it could be more jiggy, but I liked the articulation, and I felt that if you could pick up the speed a bit it might sound really quite presentable.
You kept a reasonably consistent beat all the way through, a little erratic here and there though. I felt you needed a very secure and confident foot-tap to play to. Particularly towards the end when you picked up the tempo (sort of like a tired horse that could smell the stable).
Also some of your phrase endings seemed to veer off from any known or imaginable setting of the tune into some parallel musical universe unconstrained by the usual conventions of Irish dance melodies.
Sure listening to more jigs cannot hurt but I’d be intrigued to hear you play this at a less dirge-like pace, so that we aren’t waiting for the next note to drop like the upstairs neighbour’s other shoe. Keep it up!
Exactly! It would be tempting to thing of them as mistakes, but they are probably flashes of another dimension of whistling seeping through the cracks in time/space.
^^ I had to look up that expression in the wiktionary.
Thanks for the encouragement (and eloquent suggestion) StevieJ! I’ll go practice some more and pick up the tempo. I’m confident any hint of funerary horses or falling footwear will soon be a thing of the past.
I’ve tried to pick up the pace a little bit on these two. Any suggestions would be very welcome (even if they would temporarily make me less smug with myself).
In Banish Misfortune, it could be a variation or a conscious choice on your part, but I’ve always heard the C’s at the end of the phrases as C#'s, where it sounds like you’re playing them C naturals. I also know the C’s at the beginning of the second part as C#'s, so the tune is not in straight mixolydian mode but hangs somewhere between mix and ionian. Not a criticism, it sounds good either way, but an observation.
I’m not in much of a position to give advice being a pretty novice player myself, but to my ears you sound quite good.
OK, Jorden, so I asked to hear it again. Now I don’t want to hear it again At least not until you’ve developed a bit more.
Banish Misfortune (haven’t listened to G Barry’s and only a third of Banish in fact): I think what your playing needs to exude is more confidence. Confidence to stick your neck out a bit, to let go and make the thing sound like a jig. As though you were actually trying to banish misfortune and express a sense of fun and joy. Right now it’s bland - you’re playing the right notes, mostly (I agree about the C#s), and it still has a lot of potential. There are a lot of wrong things you are NOT doing - so take encouragement from that - but it’s all so careful as to be, forgive me for being brutal, lifeless.
What I would recommend would be less focus on asking for feedback from others and heaps more on listening to good traditional players - solo. Develop your ear so that you can a) get inspiration and try things that other players are doing and b) judge your own playing. Recording yourself has its place but 99% of great players in the history of Irish traditional music have not learned by listening to recordings of themselves
Thanks for the encouragement guys. StevieJ, I’ll have to go and chew on that for a bit, but I’ll take it to heart. I appreciate your willingness to help me improve with this whole joyfulness-thing
I think the best way to learn is by going to pub sessions and listening to other players. More experienced players are usually pleased to help. If you are able to come to Bath for the Folk Festival Summer School in August you would learn loads of new tunes and techniques from really experienced tutors and have a chance to play with all the other musicians who are learning different instruments in the other classes. Have a look on the website if you’re interested. www.bathfolkfestival.org
It is open to players of all abilities and you are put in a group suitable for your experience so it is a lovely relaxed week. That’s how I got into folk music (I’m really a classical musician) so I thoroughly recommend it.
Keep up the good work. You’re sounding great.
