Well I have got to 50 years old without learning an instrument
So after browsing the web and talking to a friend the decision has been made and a Clarke Sweetone has been ordered and is on it’s way to me.
I thought that I would pop in here and ask for recommendations for a beginners book, I do not mind starting slowly and I do want to get the basics right.
I have a friend who plays whistle and whom I can lean on occaisionally (he is not geographically very close)
Any tip are welcome and of course I shall investigate here fully
Long term I would like to grow into a Low Whistle and play airs(spelling?)
Bill Ochs’ Tin Whistle Tutor, which is sometimes sold bundled with a Clark whistle & a CD is well regarded, and has taught a lot of people to play the whistle over the years.
The Clarke Tin Whistle: Deluxe Edition (Book & CD) by Bill Ochs
That’s the full title of the book that Simon mentioned. I second his statement and suggest that you get it with the CD. You can get it from Bill Ochs, but I think it’s cheaper to buy it from Amazon.
You can also take a look at Ryan Duns lessons on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0Xf1Ume0zA
I think it’s a great way to get you started. A learning book is a wonderfull thing, but I think it’s easier to learn the very first basics if you can see someone doing it. The whistle isn’t a difficult instrument to learn to play. I just got started about a week or 2 ago, never played an instrument before, and by now I’m allready able to play a few simple songs.
My main plan was also to learn a while on a small whistle and then move over to the low whistle. I like the sound of these much better. A high whistle is just… well high… This afternoon, I was at a friend and I saw a Low D whistle hanging at the wall. He told me the went to see a show called Riverdance a couple of months ago, and afterwarts he told his wife that he also wanted to learn a low whistle. His wife got him one as a present, but he never started learning it and just putted it on a shelf on the wall in his hobbyroom. I took the whistle to see if I could get some sound out of it, and I was surprised that it wasn’t much harder then playing a small whistle. I could play it right away. My friend was impressed (although it didn’t sound that good ) and suggested I should take the whistle home with me. He didn’t had to say that twice offcourse, so now I’m the proud owner of a Chieftan Low D. To celebrate I started learning a more difficult tune that I’ve allways loved (Cooley’s reel) and I’m really surprised that after prackticing for about an hour later this afternoon, I’m allready able to play it slowly.
So I think that if you like the Low whistle more then a high whistle, you can also start now with a low whistle. It’s a little harder to play fast, but just playing isn’t much harder once you get used at it.
Anyway, enjoy your whistle and reading here! There is a lot to read about if you go looking in some older topics!
Thank you, I do spend a lot of time out in the car and was planning to take the whistleand book with me. But I will try these online tutorials as well.
That is good to hear
Exactly my plan, I love the sound of the low whistle.
The odd lucky break does make life fun
Cost is a factor hence starting with the Clarke, also I need some confidence that I can actually play something.
Hey, and welcome to the Chiff and Fipple! The whistle really is pretty easy to learn to play… when I got started about a year and a half ago the most difficult thing for me was blowing steady tones… once you master that though it’s pretty easy. Of course I had already played piano for a few years before that so I knew about notes and tempo and stuff like that. But even learning the whistle without having any knowledge of music shouldn’t be too hard. Just don’t rush it and make sure you’ve mastered the basics before you try anything fancy. Oh, yeah, and don’t be discouraged if your notes come out REALLY (and I mean REALLY) squeaky at first… everyone had to start there once.
Wow. What took you so long to finally learn to play an instrument? Have you always wanted to play an instrument?
I spend a lot of time in my car too. Keep a whistle in your car. You will start loving traffic jams and road crews and drive-thru’s. I’ll even play a whistle pumping gas and if the gas pump isn’t a hands free model, I’ll play a harmonica.
Hey,
Age got nothing to do with it! We only feel our age in the morning and if you are going on strong to be 105 you’ve still got a lot to play. Welcome among us and keep on playing the little instrument! The best,
Ron
Life got in the way, a short career in the forces, a family, running a business etc
I have always loved listening to music, I recently discovered Nigel Shaw’s “River” and was blown away. http://www.seventhwavemusic.co.uk/home.html
Talking to a friend later he suggested that I could start for not much money with a whistle and maybe grow into a low whistle .
This afternoon, I was at a friend and I saw a Low D whistle hanging at the wall. He told me the went to see a show called Riverdance a couple of months ago, and afterwarts he told his wife that he also wanted to learn a low whistle. His wife got him one as a present, but he never started learning it and just putted it on a shelf on the wall in his hobbyroom. I took the whistle to see if I could get some sound out of it, and I was surprised that it wasn’t much harder then playing a small whistle. I could play it right away. My friend was impressed (although it didn’t sound that good 
) and suggested I should take the whistle home with me. He didn’t had to say that twice offcourse, so now I’m the proud owner of a Chieftan Low D. To celebrate I started learning a more difficult tune that I’ve allways loved (Cooley’s reel) and I’m really surprised that after prackticing for about an hour later this afternoon, I’m allready able to play it slowly.
