Hey… I’m new to the sight. I’ve been playing the whistle, crystal flute & standard flute for a little over a year… now getting into the mountain dulcimer… just for kicks. I find it hard to figure out new music (especially Irish) that i’ve nevre heard b4… any good hints??
I think the best advice I can offer is to listen to as much as you can. Not only can you acquire a lot of tunes that way, it makes it easier to figure out new sheet music (even if you haven’t heard that particular tune before) because you develop a “feel” for the music.
Redwolf
Emphasize the beat DAHdahdah DAHdahdah for jigs, DAHdedahdah DAHdedahdah for reels
Hey… I’m new to the sight
So, you were blind until recently? Or are you using it in a metaphorical sense, where The Sight stands for seeing the way and the light of the whistle?
Sorry, my smartass side can’t resist sometimes.
hey… give me a break! I was tired. I know it is a site…just thought I’d start a conversation & maybe het some help. Geesh
Hey Tygress, I have a question on the beat of jigs and reels. I’ll try to keep it simple. You wrote:
Jigs, DAHdahdah DAHdahdah
Reels:DAHdedahdah DAHdedahdah
What you describe is what I do. But I play slowly, being a newbee. Someone once told me that once one gets up to speed it should be:
Jigs, DAHdahdah dahdahdah
Reels:DAHdedahdah dahdedahdah
In other words, just on strong beat per bar, not two.
Any thoughts?
Tom
[ This Message was edited by: Whitmores75087 on 2003-02-01 10:53 ]
Message to Red:
If you are reading from sheet music, it’s a matter of experience. My reading improved greatly using JC’s tune finder. I pulled up tunes, tried to play from the sheet music, then listed to the midi to see where I got the timing wrong.
To improve learning by ear I pick up the whistle and try to play tunes that I know in my head, but have not yet “learned”. As has been said on this site many times, you have to know the tune well “in your head” before you can get it from the whistle.
Tom
does anyone know where I can find a helpful webSITE to get my celtic mo jo? All I play so far is hymns & praise & worship songs… because that’s what I know. I want to learn more celtic & older american folk songs. I’m picking up playing by ear faster on my dulcimer than the whistle… I have found a site called whistletutor.com that is helpful. It has video instruction on celtic finger movements.
On 2003-02-01 13:13, Red-headed_Irish_Lad wrote:
does anyone know where I can find a helpful webSITE to get my celtic mo jo? All I play so far is hymns & praise & worship songs… because that’s what I know. I want to learn more celtic & older american folk songs. I’m picking up playing by ear faster on my dulcimer than the whistle… I have found a site called whistletutor.com that is helpful. It has video instruction on celtic finger movements.
Hi Red and Welcome.
There are a few tutorial sites on the web, A few people on C&F have mentioned using them. One of the sites is: http://www.scoiltrad.com./about_lessons/instrument.asp?instrument=Whistle
Another mentioned often is Brother Steves, the link for it is: http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/brosteve/
I hope these help some. If you do a “search” on tutorials by clicking on the word “search” on the right hand top of every C&F page, you might find some more mentioned in the past posts.
Good luck and Welcome again. C&F is a really great site and there are some really terrific, kind, and helpful people here. It takes all kinds to make a community and there sure are all kinds here!
Cheers,
Kathy
And let’s not forget Brother](http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/brosteve/%22%3EBrother) Steve’s Site, which I’ve found tremendously helpful.
Redwolf
On 2003-02-01 10:52, Whitmores75087 wrote:
Hey Tygress, I have a question on the beat of jigs and reels. I’ll try to keep it simple. You wrote:
Jigs, DAHdahdah DAHdahdah
Reels:DAHdedahdah DAHdedahdah
What you describe is what I do. But I play slowly, being a newbee. Someone once told me that once one gets up to speed it should be:Jigs, DAHdahdah dahdahdah
Reels:DAHdedahdah dahdedahdahIn other words, just on strong beat per bar, not two.
Any thoughts?
Tom
[ This Message was edited by: Whitmores75087 on 2003-02-01 10:53 ]
To be honest, it seems to vary according to the player. I’ve heard more experienced musicians play jigs and reels as you describe, but I’ve also heard many emphasize the two beats to the bar.
Redwolf
Tom, in all honesty I’m not so experienced as to know if the one or two beats to the bar is the way to go, or even what I do as I come up to speed. I know I first learn the notes, with very little attention to emphasis but paying close attention to tempo, then after I’m familiar with where the tune goes I go for a heavy emphasis. then I start picking up the tempo.
I’m absolutely pickled tink that I have two reels under my belt that I feel I play WELL, not just adequately, at 160 bpm, since starting with lessons. Maybe I should record them and listen to them ‘from the other side of the whistle’ to see what sort of emphasis I’m doing.
Quoting Whitmore, “As has been said on this site many times, you have to know the tune well in your head before you can get it from the whistle.” (This should be carved in a tablet of stone.)
So how do you get your Irish (or Scottish) mojo? It’s so simple. Download an ABC format player that allows you to add some backing and a few collections of tunes and songs. Slow the tunes down and burn a few good ones into your head. Songs are easier to remember initially and you can quickly sound pretty good playing along with the melody and some added acoustic guitar. You should not need to slow most songs down. You want things that are tunefull and catchy to get your mojo working. Here’s a basic selection - some not too easy.
Songs (mostly Irish/Scottish bluesy):
(sing along a while to get phrasing right)
Cliffs of Doneen (play in G on a breathy D)
The Hawk and the Crow (Susato C),
The Locke Hospital (trans to F, play Sus C)
The Baron O’Brackley (Susato C),
Highland Mary (play in F on Susato C),
The Piper O’Dundee (Susato C),
The Banks of Inverary (play in F on Sus C),
Hornpipes and a jig played on any D whistle:
The Sweeps hornpipe (Belfast hornpipe),
The Derry hornpipe,
The Galway hornpipe,
Harvest home, (hornpipe),
Bonapart’s march, (hornpipe),
The Irish washerwoman, (jig).
Played with little or no ornamentation these songs and tunes will build you a stunning mojo. Forget reels initially. Remember too much reel playing sounds idiotic, called in N.I. and Scotland “making a reel of yourself ;~).” Once you have your mojo reels will come naturally to you.
Get your shareware player and free tunes from:
http://home.swipnet.se/~w-11382/abc.htm#abc
It works well with Creative Music synth selected for the midi player (assuming an AWE64 soundcard), whistle for the melody pitched 1 octave up, and acoustic guitar (nylon) for backing chords. With the unregistered version you cannot save transposed tunes but this is no big deal.
Follow the links to pick up additional free collections (never pay for traditional music). Then practice, and practice, and practice. It’s much better to play a dozen tunes really well rather than a hundred badly. If you need incentive think, “I never want to have to pay for another beer, ever, in an Irish bar!”
Derryman,
Thank you so much for your help. I have been practicing ornimentation more with songs that I already know. That has helped. I think that someday I will get my mojo. Does having Irish blood help to “get it” sooner? he he I hope so…
Other helpful sites include http://www.blackflute.com (also known as Wild Dismay tunes)
and
Sessioneer
Happy toons!
On 2003-02-03 17:40, Red-headed_Irish_Lad wrote:
Does having Irish blood help to “get it” sooner? he he I hope so…
I hope not: performing a human sacrifice is a real pain in the keisteroo.
Caj
Well, CAJ, I was hoping that it would… NO SILLY I’m just trying to understand ornimentation & when & where to and not to do it and I was hoping (in vain) that because my family is irish that it would help…