How one feels while playing

Whistle
1

About a year ago, after playing whistles for two years, I noticed that I was having a different sensation while playing. I could pay attention to things besides where my fingers were going. All the sudden, I could watch TV, listen to my spouse, daydream, and still music came out of the whistle. It felt so odd that I commented on it to my life-long musician husband and he smiled knowingly, then told me that was one of the signs of mastery - that disconnect between the mind and the fingers.

The other sensation I have fairly regulary is of singing into or through the whistle.

I thought of this again reading the Things I like about Tin Whistle thread.

Does anybody else get sensations like these while playing whistles?

Cheers, Nancy

2

Strangely, I go in the opposite direction. I tune out my surroundings and focus entirely on the melody, rhythm, overall structure, and the connection between what my mind hears, heart feels, and concentrate on getting my fingers in line with that. It’s kind of like thinking about a big idea and gathering all the elements together to explain it to someone. Physically, I feel very calm and focused w/ an edge of excitement at the same time.

I do space out and pay less attention sometimes, but I work on maintaining a conscious focus, critiquing myself as I go along, working toward getting smoother and more expressive. Sounds like a lot of work, but it feels great. When I manage to get totally focused on the tune, I think I do lose my sense of physical self and, for a brief time, feel like I am the music.
Tony

3

Well,

I wonder if this is a matter of left brain vs. right brain thinking. I tend to play better if I don’t concentrate on what my fingers are doing but on what’s in the refrigerator for afterwards. Sometimes, during a perfomance, I’ll be thinking about why my fingers are hitting the correct notes without making any mistakes, while all the time daydreaming. Yet, on the other hand, I’ll have a performance where I am making mistakes AND thinking about where and how my fingers should be, but without the daydreaming. I think it’s a brain thing that only Dale could solve. (But I’m not going to pay $100 a session to find out the answer. I know what he would say…“You need to practice more.”)

JP

My left brain screwed up, that’s why I am editing. Actually it had too much pinot noir, before dinner.

[ This Message was edited by: JohnPalmer on 2002-03-23 00:38 ]

4

Isn’t this a girls v boys thing? My wife can do intricate quilting, watch telly, supervise kids (and me) and carry on a conversation all at the same time without even blinking. If I’m, say, reading the newspaper, you’ve got to ask a question at least twice before getting any attention. Women are multi-tasking, men can only do one thing at a time (but properly!).

For me, the only external thought when whistling is towards the end of the ‘B’ part in a session when the eyebrows go up and the ears twitch to see/hear who’s got the next tune. But I do find a ‘second wind’ after a while when fingers do much more of their own accord - but that’s easily ruined by letting your brain stray. Like ‘I can’t hear myself think for that #@~$ bodhran/guitar!’.

5

Nancy,
in a way,just as an experienced driver can switch to auto pilot on a comfortable routine journey,whistling invites the same mindless approach on familiar tunes.I find however a laser beam of concentration and focus is necessary to tackle a new tune especially if I,m learning a tune by ear.Then again,most men are incapaple of doing many things at once anyway!Are women more mindful whistlers then men?Could be an interesting topic. :slight_smile: Peace, Mike

6

Tony - I think you’ve about captured and articulated how I feel when playing as well. You are hereby nominated whistle feeling spokesperson! PhilO

7

What this sound to me is the distinction between “muscle memory” and created habit vs. mental focus.
For myself, when I want to learn a skill, it starts with intense focus on my actions and in some cases focused repetition. That habit (e.g. like learning how to ride a bike) becomes second nature - an acquired trait or semi-automatic response. Once acquired, it can be done without much given thought or it can be done with total sensory awareness of your actions.

8

Thanks, Phil, but I’d better pass on that. I’ve tried my hand at poetry and realized I’d better stick to music. Part of what I was trying to say is that I try to maintain a focused concentration even with tunes I’m very familiar with. (with which I’m familiar…was that topic in this board?) I set my sights on playing like the greats and mournfully realize I’ve got eons to go. Every repetition of a tune needs to teach me an improvement- in rhythm, phrasing, etc.

We’re all in this for our own reasons. I’m looking for some transcendental experience that I catch glimpses of when I get into a groove and realize a moment of fineness in a phrase or whole runthrough. I want to preserve it and expand it. When I catch myself daydreaming, I wordlessly scold myself for wasting a turn. Part of it is also impatience to reach my goals soon. (And I know that will never happen; my goals are a fixed distance ahead of me.) Of course, I realize the journey is the thing and I’m loving it. (I’ve been practicing the jig, Bank of Turf, a lot lately. I recorded it on Clips a few months ago. Now, the recording sounds rushed and clumsy to me. Also, I was in an experimental stage regarding phrasing that tune. It’s cool to go back to an earlier rendition and compare it to your present status.) Well, I’m off to teach a couple of youngsters whistle. As long as they seem to enjoy it, I’ll feel like I’m on the right track. They always ask me to play a tune before I leave. I’ve been dazzling thm with fast tunes. The 9yr old always says, “I’ll never be able to play like that.” I always respond with, “You’ll be playing a lot better than that. Just practice.” Today, I’m going to try a slow air on them. See what they think.
Tony

9

I knew I had memorized a tune by heart when I could play it and read C&F threads at the same time.

I practice both ways–muscle and mindful. After I have committed a tune to muscle memory, I try to find the “voice” of the tune by experimenting with breath and fingering techniques. I confess that I’m still seeking the “voice” of the vast majority of tunes I “know”.
Lisa

10

Listening to spouse while playing the whistle? That’s a good one!! I tried it…once.

I go in streaks. Sometimes I play satisfactorily doing other things, other times I cant even play the simplest tune while fully concentrating, and wonder if I need to go back to square one…

However, the feeling of playing while I am occupied elsewhere too has to rate as one of the most self-satisfying feelings in the whistle experience.

11

I like multi-tasking, too. Usually I like to play tunes when I’m chatting or reading C&F. But I really concentrate on my playing when I try to improve a tune (“nearer to thee, my flute-god Matt Molloy”). Sessions are a different affair, I like to look at certain musicians when playing. :blush:

12

It’s like when you’re in church and you’re listening to a sermon and think about something else, and then about half hour later you find yourself kneeling through one of the prayers and not remembering kneeling or standing or not doing any of the things you were supposed to.

13

Thank you everyone for your insightful comments. A couple of things I’d like to add now that I’ve read some of your thoughts:

  1. When I practice, I am more in the “focus on the music” mode, but when I’m playing for others or for fun, I need to get into “automatic pilot” mode to play well and play through outside distractions.

  2. I think the tune instead of thinking about my fingers when I’m playing well. I think this is related to the feeling of singing through the whistle.

  3. When I’m in the goove, no matter how fast I’m playing I seem to have plenty of time to plan and execute ornaments, not the case when I’m in the more technical mode.

14

Nancy,
you mentioned on another thread that you utilize a C nat thumb hole due to a left hand disabillity.Would you mind commenting on this.I,ve known a few musicians in the past with handicaps who through sheer determination and hard work achieved a level of mastery many of us only dream about.This is a very interesting and original topic. Peace,Mike :slight_smile:

15

Mike, I am happy to talk about continuing with music come what may.

Some of the longer term board members and a number of chatters know that I have young-onset Parkinson’s disease. This is what Michael J Fox has as well. I’m not that young (about Micheal J Fox’s age), but average age at diagnosis is 70. This disorder is characterised by movement problems, stiffness and shaking in particular. As is typical, my case has started on one side of my body, in my case the left. I’m right dominant, so this is a blessing. I also have balance trouble and difficulty initiating movement on the left, and manual dexterity is deteriorating.

Parkinsons is an unusual decline in the neurotransmitter dopamine in one particular area of the brain. It is progressive and although there are some drugs that help the symptomes, there is no cure.

Fighting the decline helps you cope. Music is one of the recommended therapies for hands. Usually they talk about the piano, but I like whistles. When I go to my specialist annually, he always asks why my dexterity is so good compared to others at this stage. Then when I tell him, he always says, “I should get all my patients playing whistles.”

Because of the decline on my left side, half-holing C natural is out of the question and the cross fingerings are slow and awkward for me. When I was looking for a nice whistle a few years ago, Mike Burke offered to make me one with a C nat thumb hole.

My thumb is quite a bit more controllable than my fingers so it allows me to play C nat in tune and fast enough. I still play my other whistles, but I can only use 0xx000 and then only in slower places. I can’t really do rolls on A or B, and some days I can’t cover the holes well enough to play.

I absolutely love playing whistles. I take them with me everywhere and blunder through tunes shamelessly in front of anyone. No one here knows what they are really supposed to sound like, so my low ornament style has no negative reaction. When I’m playing for something important I take extra medication to get loose enough to play.

I’m still getting better at playing, but I really have to fight my way up the down escalator. Sometimes it doesn’t seem fair how easily others play, but I usually don’t dwell on that. I prefer to gloat on being able to learn tunes more easily than some.

MikeR, I’m not one of those great players who have not only overcome an obstacle, but blasted right past, but I am still an intermediate player who has an awful lot of fun. I don’t want any pity posts about this, I’m fine, as those of you who I’ve met in person know. Remember, we are all only temporarily abled. Life is short, play whistles!

— Nancy F

16

Nancy, sound to me like you are experiencing another kinf of creative “flow.” When I’m playing well, I am in an altered state, I lose time, it goes away. Maybe a eight hours later, I’ll come to and realize I forgot to pee and eat. Playing the whistle is a true passion. Many artists and creative people have described this as part of the nature of creativity. This happens when I’m writing, and when I’m plotting political mayhem here in Deadwood!

Let it shine! Anna “Dances with Weasels” Martinez



[ This Message was edited by: Anna Martinez on 2002-03-24 14:44 ]

17

On 2002-03-24 09:12, NancyF wrote:


Remember, we are all only temporarily abled. Life is short, play whistles!

— Nancy F

Beautiful words Nancy,and much to think about,thank you.:slight_smile: Peace,Mike

18

What a marvelous post about your disability, Nancy!

On topic about how you feel when playing the whistle: I got into a horrendous clinical depression recently and needed SOMETHING besides medication (which I hate) to pull me out of it and decided that, considering my circumstances, music was probably the best course. I have always loved Irish music and several years ago I played the whistle but dropped it. Since it is an easy-to-learn and not too expensive an instrument, I picked up a couple of Waltons on-line (a nickle “C” and a brass “D” which I love, even as unforgiving as it is). It was a GREAT decision. Instead of going to bed or staying there all day, I whistle and I get a lot of satisfaction even playing as poorly as I do (well, I think I’m doing fine, actually, and improving every day :slight_smile: ). The whistle has given me focus and this delightful board has gotten me back on-line.

I have an unbelievable handicap for a musician - I’ve lost about 80% of my hearing, but playing the whistle has actually improved it. I’d quit listening to music almost entirely because it sounded kind of “muddy” - but picking out the whistle and trying to distinguish it from flutes on my celtic CD’s has refined my hearing well enough that I can now distinguish the other instruments as well. Really fast music is still a problem, but even that is better than it was.

So how do I feel when whistling? Extremely happy and self-satisfied.

19

i hyper focus through everything when i play. I can play in a room where music is blasting and not even notice it. i think this comes from too many years of high school band and jazz band practices where you warm up with everyone else in the room playing. I tune things out whenever i’m incredubly involved. this annoys my rock climbing partners beacuse they try to talk to me while i’m on the rock and i just don’t here them.

20

Kendra, I just read about your clinical depression, and how the whistle playing helped. I’ve just hit a really bad depression myself, am frustrated at having to have medication, but it does help, eventually. I just wonder if you all have any words of wisdom. I know this isn’t really on topic, but I’ve been playing whistle about a year now, and reading the message board fairly frequently, though not posting all that much, and I see the love and support you guys have for one another, though many of us haven’t met. And please, if you don’t think this is on topic, please don’t reply and tell me not to write things like this; my little heart can’t take it right now! I am also encouraged by Dale’s subtle Christian support, and know some of you also are of that frame of mind, and I feel that connection, too. Thanks for letting me write all this.
Rosemary