you ask for help, then you disappear. we miss you. how is it going? what have you learned? is your family still speaking to you? have you played in public yet? with others?
we want to know.
Betcha don’t miss me. 
I’ve acquired 9 whistles (one a Walton’s C) the rest high D and one Low D combo flute whistle. Acquired two simple system flutes, sold one and am considering selling the second one as I just have to much to explore whistle-wise to focus much on the flute, but will keep the combo in any case.
I guess I’ve been at this for about three months now. And have a few tunes (okay S1mon?) pretty much “learned” but still not perfected:
Down By the Sallie Gardens
Boys of BlueHill
Harvest Home
Inisheer
Amazing Grace
Off to California
I hope to be ready to record/post a few of them in the next few weeks.
Still learning the ornamentation.
Generally practicing an hour or two a day, sometimes more.
Whistles I’ve bought and tried - Clarke original, Oak, Acorn, Generation, Sweetone, Susato and Dixon Trad. Favored whistle currently is the Dixon Trad, followed by the Clark original, followed by the Acorn Brass and Generation which I’m just now seeming to “get” the breath control needed to play it without squeaks. Waiting on the arrival of a Tweaked Generation for Jerry Freeman.
Okay, let’s here it from the rest of you newbies. 
I have also been playing seriously for about three months. I still love the whistle and have a small collection: Burke DAN, tweaked Feadog, non-tweaked Feadog, Thornton, and Nickel Dixon Trad. I find the untweaked Feadog difficult, the tweaked better, the Thornton is one that I am having to work with and get used to - I can tell the rewards are there. The Burke DAN is great, but not as easy to play as my Dixon Trad, which seems like a very good deal. However, do not take any of my opinions seriously, as I am only a beginner and don’t know any better.
As for tunes:
- Leitrim Fancy - much improved, but the opening phrase of the second section still sounds squeaky. The ornamentations as recommended by Jemtheflute are very straightforward. And when I spent a while concentrating on breathing and shortening some notes to allow for breaths, greatly improved my ability to get through the piece while still remaining in tempo.
- Boys Of Ballisodare - this seemed tricky at first, but it is easier (for me) than the Leitrim Fancy. I love playing this piece and can keep it going over-and-over - what a great lilt!
- The Butterfly - I have it memorized and can get through it at a slow tempo, although my rolls sound better when played faster.
- Si Bearg Si Mhor - I have this memorized. It makes a change from the “faster” tunes. I still need to add ornamentation and am trying to find decent examples to emulate. However, I think that I would feel better with this piece if I played it on a lower-keyed whistle - again an indication of my poor ability thus far, as I expect that played well, this piece would sound great on a high D.
With any luck, I’ll take formal lessons at the Irish Cultural Center, Phoenix later this summer or in the Fall.
Later this week, we (wife, 16 month-old son, two corgis and I) drive up to northern Colorado for a break from the heat - it was 115 here on Sunday (that’s 46C for other folk) it’s the kind of heat that makes grown men cry! We’ll spend a week camping just to the North of Rocky Mountain National Park (at around 8,000ft maybe the whistle playing will be tricky). This will be followed by a week with my in-laws in north Denver, so they’ll be inflicted by the Leitrim Fancy and the “Boys”, but as both are retired music teachers with no pretentions, they’ll probably not mind too much.
Regards,
Charlie
well mute,
There’s two that the neighbors haven’t shot yet…
Are ya thinking of sending yer cousin Vinnie?
Nah, the altitude just make the whistle sound sweeter.
Enjoy our great state while you’re here! I may head up to RMNP this weekend for some photography.
BTW sounds like you’re doing great, keep it up!
Hey, first of all, Vinnie was never convicted.
And second, Charlie has enough problems with kids and 2 corgis. We had a mixed breed corgi for 10 years and he was never satisfied until he herded my wife and I onto the couch. On the other hand, he was very good at spotting snakes when we hiked in the woods. He always had to be first and he was at eye level with snakes.
there’s a lot to be said for a good trail dog 
We certainly get herded on a regular basis. And they’re good at spotting snakes, we have a four foot king snake that lives under our house. They have cornered him a few times but we’ve told them the king snake can stay as he’ll eat scorpions and chase off rattlers.
I love the Rockies. We’ll also hike at a quieter place nearer to Denver called Brainard (spelling?). The sad thing is that our holiday will be over too soon and we’ll have to head back down to the stinking heat of summertime Phoenix.
So, playing the whistle at altitude makes it sweeter? More like it’ll be harder to hear it over my rasping, air-starved lungs. Do whistles attract bears?
Charlie
Well yeah, you’ll definitely notice the altitude. Actually one of the “rules” is to make noise, sing or whistle to alert the bears so you don’t surprise them - that’s the most dangerous thing to do - surprise them. I’ve never seen one on the trails in all my years of hiking here though…ymmv
Well of those, Down by the Sally Gardens and Amazing Grace are actually songs, not tunes. Can’t you get anything right? 
Jason
Not when I play them. 
KAC
Stupid fingers still won’t do what I want them to do…
I gottcha there. My only advantage is that I had many years of clarinet playing (many years ago) so it is coming back, but still lots of coordination and learning to do.
After three months I’ve managed to learn these tunes. I’m currently learning one new tune every week or so…
Inisheer
Amhran a Leabhair
The Swallowtail Jig
Haste to the Wedding
The road to Lisdoonvarna
Mna na hEireann
Si Beag Si Mhor
Palm Sunday
Planxty Fanny Power
Return From Fingal
The Sailors Wife
The Silverspear
Inion Ni Scannláin
Hector The Hero
Lord Mayo
And a Swedish tune…
Ljugaren
I would say that my progress have been rather fast both on the Low D as well as on the regular D whistle. I haven’t played any woodwind instruments before though I’ve played the Bass Guitar for many years and am quite used to playing by ear. Learning new tunes isn’t really a problem; -Notes and written music is though… 
The main problem is that we’re very few playing ITM where I live and there are no sessions nearby. I would definitely like to play with others…
Cheers,
Anders
Congrats on the progress! We’re kinda opposite in that I have no trouble with the written music and playing from it, (just practice) but more of an issue in playing by ear and playing from memory.
So far I have a Feadog in D (painted metal version), a Burke DBSBT and a Reyburn Wide Bore Low D.
I play a bunch of different instruments and have a music degree, so the reading music and associating it with the fingerings is fine and dandy. I’m mostly having issues with ornamentation.
In July I’ll be starting private lessons though the Irish Cultural Center in Phoenix. I’m looking forward to getting some specific help in ornamentation/style. I can play songs by ear or memory (and like reading music-- so off the page is fine), I just haven’t really worked on polishing any specific repertoire yet. I’m eagerly awaiting input from the lessons.
I’ve been getting to know the instruments. The Reyburn and I took some time to get aquainted, but I’ve finally figured that one out. I will say I’m very glad I got the off-set holes as I have tiny hands. I’ve had the Feadog for years, so I already had a good idea how that whistle responds. The Burke was probably the easiest for me to play out of the bag. The octave shifts are a breeze.
My main hope is to be polished enough to record some whistle to add to my next harp CD, which I’ll be recording in early fall.
Very cool!
I have taken my Acorn whistle on my Pacific Crest Trail hike (I’m not quite done yet, but I’m enjoying a little time off from the trail). It’s the perfect backpacking instrument. My trail name is Piper, too. People have told me they enjoy hearing me play. I can’t say that I’ve improved much lately. I play with lots of mistakes and plenty of squeaks. But I no longer really care. Is that an improvement? I just play to enjoy myself and to get ear worms out of my head.
Probably the only thing that’s better is that with no sheet music and really nobody at all around I’m free to try to play what I think I remember hearing. I’m better at connecting my memory and my fingers.
Oddly I forgot part of a favorite tune and nothing I’ve tried can jar my memory back. Not even trying to sing the tune to myself. I’m going to have to look at the sheet music when I get a chance.
At high altitude breath control is very hard. And I gave up trying to play and hike at the same time. Even if I could breathe well enough, the rhythm of walking and the rhythm of the tunes just don’t match. So I stick to playing when I take a rest or before I go to sleep.
I’ve only been playing for 2 days now, and one thing I’ve discovered is the lowest note is one of the hardest to hit - it’s more like a breath and not a blow.
After playing for over an hour straight I notice my control isn’t as good - but - I - just - can’t - stop!
my other challenges are octave shifts (or going from B to C# to D - it’s the fingering that gets me usually) …and playing all open (I’ve been using my rt pinky to help hold the whistle at that time).
I’ve been using ‘bends’ (a 1/2 hole that resolves up or down) and ‘slurs’ pretty easily, just started working on cuts and (taps?) last night. They really help the music come alive.
Most of what I’ve been playing is coming from memory, and a few from you-tube instructions. I’ve also just ‘played’ - a tune last night - it sounds kinda familiar but I’m not sure where it came from - to me - just making tunes up is very rewarding (something I really enjoy doing on piano).
I think I’ll take the Feadog and Clarke Original tonight to music practice for kicks. I have a long ways to go for speed and ‘constant accuracy’ yet.
Here’s what I want to know, What is it with these Oldsters posting messages asking us newbies how we’re doing and then they just disappear? Were you really interested or just upping your post count??
