I have a decent ear for music (not great), and am mostly self-taught. So, while I have a clue about music, I’m in the dark on a lot of things.
So here’s my question.
I was thinking about learning The Maids Of Mitchelstown. I found the sheet music at The Session, and have the version by The Bothy Band (excellent).
This tune is showing to be in the key of D minor. So, what whistle do I use for that? I know that if I use a C whistle and start on D, I get a minor scale. But I also know that there is more than one minor scale.
No, that can’t be right because using a C whistle would give me no sharps or flats. A C whistle would give me A minor, right?
So would I need an F whistle?
I know I can make it work on the D whistle as well, I’m just trying to figure this out. And I guess I need to figure out which note to start on with a D whistle.
You have to options: Use a C whistle and start on the “E” (xxx xxo), or use a D whistle, start on the D (xxx xxx) and half-hole the F-natural in both octaves. I prefer the latter, it sounds nicer. The first is easier.
A C whistle will give you C major + A minor, F major + D minor (by playing “c-natural” oxx ooo or oxx xox - sounds Bb on a C whistle), and related modes.
I suggest playing it on the D whistle since Molloy plays it on a D flute. The half hole on the f natural is quite easy to do and makes for a good slide up and down from the E.
The red letter is the whistle key, and the ones to the right of each in the yellow are the readily playable alternate keys for that whistle, and the ones in the green take a bit more work. I make no guarrantees as to accuracy, but I seem to be able to get it to work.
Still new to ITM and I think this tune may be beyond my skills at this point.
That said, how do I hit the C in the fourth bar on a D whistle? Or, is that note just not played?
To be honest, when I play the Bothy Band’s version of this and try to follow along with the sheet music on that site, I have a hard time because of the speed and ornamentation. I’m not good at sight reading music.
Ah… get yourself one of the ‘slow-downer’ programs … speed will no longer be a problem, and you can isolate and identify some of that ornamentation too.
I use “The Amazing Slowdowner”, but there are some free types available now too.
I never read sheet music - when it comes to playing the whistle. That’s me though, and I can only say it does the job really well for me as for learning the tune. With time you basicly feel which note is going to be heard on your whistle, and this makes easier to follow a tune just by hearing it.
About hitting a C note, I’ve never heard bothy band’s version - try quickly raising fingers from oxxxxx position to oxxoox - it sounds good splitting a C note, but might work nicely just hitting the C once. Other sofisticated whistlers might have other ideas though…
I would suggest playing an E instead. But you could get away with not playing it at all, the only real reason the note is there is so that you can go back to the starting D when you repeat the first section.
As for the sheet music; since I don’t sight-read, I generally just use it as a guide. I try to learn the tune by ear, but often use sheet music to see what the first note is, or other stuff I have a problem picking out.
On this one though, there’s just too much speed and ornamentation for me to pick up by ear. And when I try to follow along on the sheet music, it just doesn’t jive for me - too much going on for this newbie.
I think I’m getting the idea though, and will try it on the D whistle. The thought of also half-holing the Bb in the key of Dm was throwing me off too, until I noticed that the Bs are natural in this tune.
I don;t know that tune, but run into the same problem on others. Not owning one of the D+ whistles, which has a low C hole, I cheat. It depends on whether you are playing with others or not… what will sound best, but I’ve good luck going back up to the E when there is a low C I cannot get.
In some tunes, I’ve actually moved a phrase up an octave, which looks do-able in this tune. That 4th measure has you going from A down to the C. I would try (don’t know if it will work with others, as I said), going from that A up to the higer C.
Current: runs down a g e e d d (c)
Possible: a g e e g g c
I’m not that good yet at knowing what will work with others, but you have to start somewhere.
The C is a passing note leading up to a phrase, it’s not important at all in the tune. You can replace it by another approriate leading note or discard it all together. Annie’s suggestion replacing the very important ds that end the phrase, part and tune completely distort the tune and should not be followed.
Playing irish music (and any other music) it’s important to have a sense of structure, know and understand how the tune sticks together, which essential notes carry the tune and which are only filling (and can be changed or skipped or whatever). Without this understanding you’re set for disaster.
You did note the disclaimers, I hope. I make no claim whatsoever to expertise. No matter how long I’ve been playing, and no matter how impressed some seem to be, I know that I know next to nothing.
So, Peter, what would work in this instance - what to do when there is a low C that we cannot hit at the end of the phrase? You say that it is just a transition note and not important… so… would it be best to simply hold the d for that count?
Hopefully without the drones, cos they’re in D and don’t sound great at all with E minor tunes.