Do you think it is a good or not good idea to listen to an instrument different than the one you play in order to get melodic and embellishment ideas? For example learning a tune, or expanding on a known tune on the whistle by listening to a recording of a fiddler.
An excellent idea, particularly if borrowing ideas from core instruments: flute, fiddle, pipes, voice. Lots of players have done it to great effect (Matt Molloy, Tommy Peoples come to mind).
I’m not sure about right or wrong, but I’ve certainly gained alot of insight by doing it. Well, I guess it helped that I had a great teacher and learned a good foundation in the typical ornaments and style of my own instrument, then, when I heard others I could compare and contrast easier. My best example might be, my whistle teacher and I dissected an Oisin MacDiarmada fiddle tune one day, it was an eye opener for me for a new whistle style. Oisin has a style in that he approaches things ‘indirectly’ I guess you might say, coming up to notes from sluring notes underneath them, it’s extraordinarily beautiful. And it makes for a great style on some tunes on the whistle as well. Now I play Michael Dwyers jig along with him along with the CD, and I can certainly tell the difference between it and if I had put in the standard ormenmentation straight on. Well, I wouldn’t have ever known that if I hadn’t listened to another instrument. I find some easier than others to transfer though. Tunes on the pipes are easiest, and of course other whistle tunes, and then concertina or box and finally fiddle and other strings.
Yes. 
Yes. I think you can learn a lot from GOOD musicians,regardless of the instrument that they play.At the moment,I feel that I’m learning a lot by listening to fiddle players (Paddy Canny,John Docherty,Peadar O’loughlin)and Concertina players,Noel Hill,Mary McNamara and ACCORDION player( 
) Tony McMahon-I think that he’s a real master at interpreting slow airs.
Obviously, certain techniques are probably best learnt by listening to certain instruments (crans on u.pipes for instance?-though of course,Matt Malloy,for one,successfully transferred this technique to the flute)),but in terms of general musicality,I think that the player is more important than the instrument being played.
I picked this up and tried to connect it to a few other ideas in various threads with a post at:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?p=125305#125305
Carol
Lets not forget concertinas and boxes, both of them can be good to learn tunes from.
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Bill
Lets not forget concertinas and boxes, both of them can be good to learn tunes from.
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Bill[/quote]
A lot has been said about Micho Russell’s whistle style being influenced by listening to the concertina music of his native County Clare.
I say an emphatic yes. All instruments have limitations that favor development of an instrument-specific musical vocabulary. Listening to other instruments helps keep the ears open for new opportunities.
Mike