…and download a free slow downer program, buy a whistle (if you don’t already have one) and get into those tunes. I’ve just started to make use of my slow downer and whistle and man!!! I’ve learned more tunes in a couple of days than I could have from a book, plus improved my whistle technique dramatically. Once it’s in my head and I can play it on the whistle freely, it’s simply a matter of transferring it to the chanter - a tad difficult at first, but soooo much more effective than trying to learn a tune from a book. Good for your hearing skills too.
I think if you combine both listening and reading skills, then you get perhaps, a better balance in your playing. For instance if you add listening to reading, then you might develop a better ability to both interpret and experiment with style. Whereas if you add reading to listening, then you’ll probably understand a lot more of what you’re doing. This to me is what music is about in any field but hey, we’re all different… each to his own way
Yes..quite true actually. Don’t get rid of yer books!!! Just the other day I dragged out my copy of Pat Mitchell’s The Dance Music of Willie Clancy and listened to his (Clancy’s) CD whilst reading along at the same time. Some of the settings on the CD were the ones Pat Mitchell had transcribed and it was great to see what Clancy was doing as well as listen to what he was doing, if you know what I mean.
Just the other day I dragged out my copy of Pat Mitchell’s The Dance Music of Willie Clancy and listened to his (Clancy’s) CD whilst reading along at the same time. Some of the settings on the CD were the ones Pat Mitchell had transcribed and it was great to see what Clancy was doing as well as listen to what he was doing, if you know what I mean.