I have been taking lessons for two months. So far, I have learnt approx. two traditional Irish tunes a week. (eg Lark in the Morning, Britches full of stiches, Off to California, the Kesh, Chief O’Neill’s Favourite etc…)
I would appreciate any tips to play the whistle better.
Main problems:
*occasionally breathing.
*playing very fast in a session. For example on Monday I started “An Rogaire Dubh” at my speed (at a regular pace). And then others take over, abruptly increasing the tempo and I can’t keep up without making load of mistakes.
*I have problems “hearing” the notes on the whistle that follow when playing with louder instruments especially along with wooden flutes.
I believe the whistle easy to play. But to play it well, is difficult.
In need of encouragement, here.
By the way, I cannot get the best of my D Sussato whistle (larger bore one is causing me grief on the 2nd octave), so I’m using a Walton which also is letting me down on occasions. I heard a soprano Sussato being played very nicely. What’s going on? Is it me or the instrument?
I have problems “hearing” the notes on the whistle that follow when playing with louder instruments especially along with wooden flutes.
I have the same problem when playing with my teacher. I cannot hear myself play and lose my place in the tune. C&F members have suggested wearing a wide brimmed hat to make the sound of your own whistle louder to your ear.
I believe the whistle easy to play. But to play it well, is difficult.
Very well said. The whistle is indeed, relatively to other instruments, easy to play. I recently told a friend that I have been playing the whistle. He asked if I were taking lessons and when I told him that I have been, I felt a bit embarrassed because the whistle seems to be such a simple instrument. At the same time, I was thinking that, after playing the whistle for a year and a half, I am not entirely satisfied with my ability to play any of the tunes I have learned. This morning I was working to improve the timing of a tune I have been playing for months. I always see ways to improve my playing today that I didn’t know were needed yesterday. That’s frustrating but, at the same time, I like it.
That’s not your problem, but their inability to follow the tempo you set. Or perhaps their bad manners in not wanting to play it at a slower tempo than they would like.
Well it is a problem for you of course. I think you should speak up about it, perhaps ask one of the stronger players in the session whether he/she can keep the tune at the speed you would like to play it at, just for that particular tune.
PS Your nickname and the fact that you are learning two tunes a week suggests that you are a recorder player - and perhaps learning from music? If so, I would suggest you might put more time into learning traditional technique than building up a large store of tunes at this point. Elements like suitable breathing places and the use of simple gracings in the traditional manner ought to be incorporated into tunes as you learn them.
With a name like Flauta Dolce, I suspect that you’re an impostor, and are actually a recorder player!! :roll:
Just kidding-- some of my best friends are recorder players. In fact, I came to whistle via the recorder too, and still play both.
If you’re having trouble hearing yourself with other instruments, see if you can find smaller groups of players, perhaps only one or two others.
I sometimes find that if I can’t hear myself, it means I’m doing OK-- when I’m playing badly EVERYONE can hear me!
BTW-- as a recorder player, you’re probably familiar with ornamentation. However, even though traditional music uses some of the same symbols for ornaments, they are played VERY differently . I guess that living in Dublin, you’ve already figured that out…
I guess I’d like to ask you not to get discouraged if you’re not very good, very fast. I was very impatient and couldn’t understand why I couldn’t play like Sean Potts in seven months. After all, the whistle is so easy, right?
Well, two years later I’ve finally made peace with my learning curve. I decided it’s an insult to my teacher and all the really good players to think I could do in a few months what it’s taken them a lifetime to achieve.
I start the tunes off as “moderato”, in speed, why should the rest of session players join in and play like the clappers…and they know I’m inexperienced. Frankly, I put it to the player who “up” that I can’t play as fast without making mistakes…
I also can’t hear the notes that I play sometimes when in a small session. The tin whistle that I play is a relatively timid sounding (Walton Black D whistle).
It seems to me you have made unusual progress in two months. I completely agree that it is difficult to play the whistle well-----learning how to get your whistle to sound its best and learning the music and what is happening in it and how it should be played are very challenging I think. Just keep practicing. There is no way you will not improve if you keep practicing. You are lucky to have a teacher. I wouldn’t worry about playing fast as much as playing slowly and accurately.
I’m really lucky to have received classical training, so I can sight-read music well. My whistle teacher cannot read music now. But he is one of the best flute players in Ireland…wonderful to listen to.
My ear for music is good. But it’s needs to be improved.
When I was at the Academy of Music in Dublin many moons ago, I was encourage to sight read (useful!) but especially NOT to learn by ear (and not to tap my foot to music).
My Ear for music could be improved somewhat. Suggestions are welcome.
What’s story with following a tune, I can do it if the tune is simple enough.
Because some more experienced flute players sitting beside me do not, it hinders me. But I enjoy the challenge of trying to follow music in a session, if I like the tune, no one can stop me…
What the etiquette here fr following as opposed to leading a tune ? Tips appreciated.
This website has a section that talks about learning tunes by ear. I thought it was helpful, although I have not worked on learning by ear much. It did help me think about the structures of the tunes which helped me a lot when memorizing them.
Typically, in a session, whoever starts the tune sets the pace. If the others are trying to rip when you’ve started off playing relatively slowly, either they’re being pretty rude. It may be that you’re not at the level of that particular session yet, but if so, they should say something to you…not just take off like that.
As far as hearing yourself goes, I find wearing a hat with a brim helps, as does picking a seat away from the louder instruments.
The main challenge is breath control. What helps is go outside or wear earplugs and to not be afraid of the high notes. You really need to push. I mean PUSH the top register. Also, you have to move your fingers very precisely because the Susato SB is less forgiving than other whistles. Once you learn to vary the pressure of your breath, to slide into high notes, to understand how much or how little breath you can get away with on the different notes, you’ll find yourself blowing more efficiently. To some extend you can then control the screechiness of the high notes.
The best approach (in my humble opinion) is to not play a Susato.
If you can’t hear yourself on an Oak, Generation, or Clark, try to play sideways a little bit (or to wear a wide-brim hat; works but I could ntever get into it).
I’m finding it really useful for getting in the groove of playing along with other musicians (no matter how good you are at playing on your own, this is definitely a learned skill).
As far as good-sounding vs. bad-sounding Susatos go, they’re not everyone’s cup of tea (I happen to like mine, but that’s me). If it sounds great to you when someone else plays it, though, it’s likely that you’re just not quite at the level where you can get the best sound out of that whistle. It happens. I’m amazed, when I go back to whistles I got when I first started playing, at just how much better they sound now…and trust me, it isn’t the whistles that are improving!
Bloomfield is right about not being afraid of the second octave…regardless of the whistle you’re playing. It may seem odd, but the players who tend to sound the worst in the upper register are the ones who are worried about sounding “shrill” or “loud.” Just play the notes, pushing as hard as you need to, and don’t worry about whether you’re “too loud” or “too shrill.” The more comfortable you get with them, the better they will sound. He’s also right, though, in that Susatos are especially loud in that upper register…you might want to work with a quieter, mellower whistle first until you get comfortable playing up there.
What made it even worse was that I sounded so bad anyway, and then to be so terribly loud on top of it. I closed all the windows, but I still felt they could hear me a block away. It actually made me feel very self-conscious about practicing.
My husband kept saying he didn’t mind it, but then, I guess he sort of had to. He wouldn’t want to be hearing for the rest of his life about what a great whistler I could have been if only blah, blah, blah.
