hi,
I’m new to this Chiff and Fipple scene, and just found it today. It has alot of funny comments everywhere, and I just started playing the irish whistle… yesterday. Don’t worry, I’m actually not THAT bad at it. I regularly play the flute for Concert Band, and have picked up the irish whistle no problem. I can play almost all of the beginner songs, and have no problem with tone. I even learned a few techniques. I’ve never tried any kind of Celtic/Scottish/Irish music in my life. My questions are where do I go from here? Any tips? Suggestions for Beginner-Intermediate songs perhaps? I also wanted to make some friends on this site… if possible… puppy dog eyes Any help would be greatly appreciated!
(this is my first post, so i’m sorry if my word choices seem odd…)
Okay so your first assignment is to play this exactly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNI0Mun2qYo
Well maybe not. This is where I started:
http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/brosteve/
And it changed my life. I assume you’re past basic fingerings and all, since you say you can play some tunes. Well, Brother Steve’s got more essential Irish technique past all that, and a lot of nice tunes to illustrate his point too (he often only includes the A part- if you want the rest go to thesession.org and search the name, I’m sure you can find most of them). And remember to LISTEN to every soundfile he’s got! Don’t just read the music. Won’t teach you nothing, ESPECIALLY if you’re coming from a classical/band background.
As for tunes to learn… try polkas and waltzes for a start. On thesession.org you can seach by tune type and key- I’m sure you’ll find stuff you like. tradlessons.com is great for learning by ear- which everyone will till you you need to do. They’re right, but nothing wrong with using sheet music as well.
BUT ALWAYS LISTEN WHEN YOU CAN. I don’t think it’s necessary to buy a cd and hear a recording of EVERY tune you ever learn (there are some tunes I’ve never heard from someone else in my life that I’ve got compliments from experienced players on), but that’s definately ideal, so at least type the name into youtube and see what pops up. And if something different pops up instead, listen to it anyway, and either learn it or at least try to incorporate stuff from it into your playing. How Seamus Tansey played the new Coppetplate changed how I play the Flogging Reel, and I don’t play Cooley’s the same after hearing how Ryan Dunn plays the Musical Priest. You know?
Listen to yourself, too. Record yourself playing. I notice when I listen to myself on recording, I always sound either a lot better or a lot worse than I thought I was. It’s good to hear either way.
So yeah. Good luck!
I heartily endorse the above Spoonerism. You can also do a search with the word “new” and you’ll get lots of threads from other beginners with advice from more seasoned members. Good luck, a cheapo tin whistle must be the best musical value there is after the human voice.
For someone with a musical background, the problem isn’t mastering the instrument anymore. It’s about mastering the music. This is more difficult. Irish music sounds simple but it is not. You will be scoffed at if you play it in a classical style.
If you can find an Irish session near you, go to it (if you are old enough). Bring your instrument. You may be allowed to play with the others there, or else you can just listen. Ask them first. Irish music is more than just the music, too, it’s also the community. This is why as a beginner I bring my instrument. I don’t want to get stuck only being able to play by myself my own way.
Good luck!
i play all kinds of music on my irish whistle and flute, all kinds except itm.