okay. . .one flat. . .what whistle do I play this on to be in tune with the fiddlers?
My brain is getting tired. I think it has to do with calculating the physics of moving the cast around. . .here is my thinking…
If I look at this music and mentally transpose down one full step, I can play it on my D. So that means its playable on an E whistle to be in tune with the fiddlers. I think. I don’t have an E whistle. . .so, maybe I can use a. . .
Normally I can do this. Really I can. But you gotta help me! I’m an invalid! (waving handicapped parking sticker)
Tyghress, you may get an actual answer from someone who knows what they’re talking about, but I’m going to take a shot at it. Someone, anyone, please, correct me if I’m wrong, because I’m still working on wrapping my brain around this:
If you mentally transpose up from F to G, and play it on a C, you’ll still be in F.
Am I right, or do I go back to the remedial class?
If you mentally transpose up from F to G, and play it on a C, you’ll still be in F.
Am I right, or do I go back to the remedial class?
You’re right that you would use a C whistle. Julia Delany is a “minor” tune though (D dorian) so the keynote is not F but D. Play is as if you were playig E dorian on a D whistle.
Okay, Julia Delaney is in D minor. I’m assuming you want to play it in E minor, instead. So, since you’re bringing it, with that transposition, up a second, you need to compensate by going back down a second, thus using a C whistle.
Incidentally, though, I don’t find playing Julia Delaney’s in Dm incredibly difficult. There are the F naturals for which you need to half hole, but, at least in the version I play, that’s all, not even a single B flat.
I play it on my C whistle,or should i say i attempt to play it.I think the answer you want is the C whistle.
Actually,when our band plays that tune,i pick up my Bodhran,the notes are much easier on there.(ha!ha!)
If you mentally transpose up from F to G, and play it on a C, you’ll still be in F.
Am I right, or do I go back to the remedial class?
You’re right that you would use a C whistle. Julia Delany is a “minor” tune though (D dorian) so the keynote is not F but D. Play is as if you were playig E dorian on a D whistle.
Steve
Thanks Steve. I’m still working on sorting out the major and minor keys, the modes are beyond me at this point! As long as I got in the ballpark, I’m happy enough with that for now.
Thanks Steve. I’m still working on sorting out the major and minor keys, the modes are beyond me at this point! As long as I got in the ballpark, I’m happy enough with that for now.
When I was young my mother insisted on piano lessons. She unsuccessfully tried to teach me herself since she played very well. I hated it but it has stood me in good stead. I strongly reccomend a small keyboard and some theory book. Probably you can find something online. Anyway the visual aspect of the keyboard has made it much easier for me to learn the relationships involved in scales and to learn theory in general. You don’t actually have to learn to play.
I agree with everything said above about playing Julia Delaney on a C whistle and fingering it as if it were in E minor (dorian).
However, if your fiddler friends are truly playing it in the key with one flat, that means they are playing it in G minor (dorian). Usually fiddle players stay away from flat keys like the plague…so maybe they’re really not…
However, if they really are playing it in G minor you can do this:
If you use an “F” whistle you can play along with them and finger it as if you were playing in E minor (like the rest of us) and it should sound okay.
The logic behind this is as follows:
Normally the reel is played in D minor so:
key: D minor use: C whistle finger: E minor
if you’re friends are playing in G minor then:
key: G minor use: F whistle finger: E minor
This may sound completely incoherent, and may not be the correct advise based on your situation, but if they are truly playing in the key with one flat (G minor) then playing on a F whistle should do the trick.
On 2002-04-10 18:34, John-N wrote:
However, if your fiddler friends are truly playing it in the key with one flat, that means they are playing it in G minor (dorian).
No, not necessarily. D minor, the relative minor of F has one flat. This is often called the Aeolian mode. The other D minor, D Dorian, would have a B natural. The version of Julia in Chris Smith’s book on accompaniment has one flat which indicats D Aeolian. However, there are no Bs in the tune, either natural of flat so the mode is indeterminate. G minor (Dorian) would also have one flat but it could also have two if it was the relative minor of Bb (G Aeolian). You can’t necessarily tell the key from the key signature alone.
Got it. . .play it on a C. Like I said, I’m a bit fuzzy right now, and between transposing the written music in my head, then trying to figure how to get it back in the key where its supposed to be played. . .
Obviously it could be done without a huge amount of half-holing (I can half hole and get a g# easily, but I’d prefer not bothering trying to do an F nat when I have a perfectly good C whistle).
In sessions I primarily play guitar. Julia Delany is a popular tune and played in D-minor. The whistlers generally use a C whistle. In part, this is because they are comfortable with E-minor ornaments on a D whistle. Moving to the C whistle, puts them in key (D minor) and also puts the comfortable ornaments in key.
Other sessions may play it differently, but the ones I’ve attended, its always been in D-minor.