Hi all,
I haven’t been active on the board lately because (a) I’m not a cutie-pie, (b) Santa didn’t get me any instruments (I was a bad boy), (c) The new house/land is taking up most of my time and (d) I’m alergic to fights.
Anyway, I have been continuing to blow the old whistle and I’m having fun. As I play around more and more I’m messing with (up) chromatics, and having a blast. So…any recommendations out there for inspirational music to listen to/play (I’m a bad player, but I try) which might get me thinking beyond the modal trad music (much as I like ‘diddley-diddley’ music, as it is known in the Veg household).
So, any pointers? I have worn out my copy of Positively Testcard Kwela, so what next?
Yo, Fatty,
don’t make yourself too scarce! I don’t quite know what you mean by “inspirational”. If you’ll pick up a hymnal you’ll find much D major. But… why not learn a few more diddly-diddly tunes? There’s plenty of them. And if that seems trite, there is always The Flight of the Bumble Bee…
As far as ‘inspirational’ is concerned, I meant music that would inspire me to stick with the whistle for use outside of the modal trad genres – that is why the Kwela was great, it opened my eyes up a bit to where the whistle can be taken. I guess I’m looking for another example, like the kwela, that makes me sit up and go “wow – you can play that on a whistle!”
That said, this jaded old Buddhist isn’t averse to playing a few hymn choons now and then…
And thanks for the abc link – there’s quite a variety there.
When you want to learn and pronounce a language, you got tongue-twisters.
This is worse! Just reading it, my right hand aches!
edited to ad I’ll nonetheless attempt it on my Big Alba C. Nioo challenge big enough to a beginner :roll: Hell, I’ve almost managed to clear my way through Ravel’s Bolero (which shamefully doesn’t include the whistle!). Then the oy!sters caught upon me…
[ This Message was edited by: Zubivka on 2002-12-31 19:30 ]
the South African kwela records, as opposed to the white British version;
the two records by Guy Van Duser and Billy Novick, “Pennywhistles From Heaven” and something else, which were mentioned in a recent post that will be in the archives. Prepare to be blown away by “Scrapple From The Apple” and “Rhapsody in Blue”;
the many recordings of Orchestra Aragon from Cuba and their phenomenal piccolo player.
Let’s face it - we’re talking about a little diatonic thingie of limited range and no dynamics. It’s superb at playing Irish stuff and terrible at almost everything else. Why else are people buying 20, 30, 50 whistles of every conceivable material, if not to eek out small variations on a simple sound?
Thus, two more suggestions:
expand your horizons by forming / joining a group; and / or
learn another instrument - the recorder, the clarinet, the trumpet, the ukelele, whatever.
