to justify my new whistle (a Generation brass) to my mom. I know The Parting Glass and two others in Bb, but I don’t have any more in my books. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Kaitlin
There are probably enough Bb tunes in O’Neill’s Music of Ireland (1850 Melodies) to keep you busy for awhile.
For a change, check out http://breizhpartitions.free.fr/
Breizh=Brittany, often abbreviated BZH, but you could just as well call it BbZH…
The site is in French, and the scores are classified by instruments. Check out the Bombarde and Cornemuse (bagpipe) tunes, traditionnally in Bb.
Just as well, many Scottish bagpipes tunes may be noted in A, but played in Bb…
ZooBb
…whilst many others are notated in A and played in a strange misty Scottish netherworld somewhere between Bb and A.
Try “Heather Island” and “Mist Covered Mountain”, two beautiful Highland airs for bagpipe. The latter is played on a Bb whistle in the ceili scene in the movie “Local Hero”, while the former can be found on “Tannahill Weavers Greatest Hits” CD.
Or higher! I’ve seen references for A=480 Hz !
Is this why they call them Highlands?
I just got a Generation Bb a couple of weeks ago. Kaitlin, how do you like yours? I really like the key for slow tunes. I prefer the Susato Bb but it’s, of course, quite loud.
big finn furey sing the anniversary song in Bb
Bb is one of my favourite keys (from my harp playing days), and I’ve been on the hunt for a Bb whistle for a while. I have a Gen (yuk!), I’m thinking of a Dixon or a Susato - would you have any comments? (Already tried Sindt and Elfsong, but not quite there)
My Vietnamese friends say :“a good pepper makes you curse the one who offered it to you”.
So should I consider you for providing me my first wooden whistle, and starting me up on W-square-hOA
Come to Mesquer beginning of summer, before you hit for Oz. If you don’t like my Sindt Bb either (and you might not, reckoning you like pure sound more than chiff), you should have a chance to try my Abell (this hoping it arrives in time).
Anyway, when it comes to this tone, come to Brittany, the home of Bb.
You’re so right Zub. Those of us with a substantial highland background call it gael-force A.
Similar advice to Zub and for much the same reason, Nick. I currently play Sindt and Overton Bbs and love both. But knowing your love of purity, I couldn’t recommend either. I know opinion is about equally divided here about whether or not Sindts should count as pure and I think both of us come down on the not-pure side. I think I don’t quite understand what those, like JessieK and Dale mean by pure. Maybe what you like is sweetness of tone. My Overton has the typical Overton breathy low-whistle sound. My Sindt has a quality I’d describe as cloudy—some might call that pure but sweet it definitely is not. I think of the sound as what a good Generation might sound like if only I could find one. I have an Abell Bb only days away from arrival so I’ll comment when I’ve played it.
The whistle I think you should seriously consider is a Burke Bb. I have a C and I have a strong hunch that you’d like it—we’ll probably find out in a few months. I know some board regulars have Bbs so maybe someone would like to comment—as Burkes’s get lower they get less pure, although not dramatically so, but I’d guess a Bb might well suit you.
My Burke Bb is just about my favorite whistle. It does have that purity of tone, with the added darkness of the lower register. It is beautiful, substantial and round, in my opinion.
Carol
Nickt: Interesting…I wholeheartedly agree with the Burke Bb suggestion. Until a year or so ago, I did not ‘need’ a Bb…When the need arose, one of the two I ordered was the Burke. I love Burkes, but this Bb is a Burke on steroids. It has an ease of playing, mixed with the dark, pure sound, that is simply marvelous.
There is a Shaker tune my band does in G minor, entitled ‘The Ancients’ Song of Mourning’, on which I use the Bb, along with a violin in descant. We segue into another Shaker tune, entitled ‘The Burning Day.’ The Burke Bb is used for the first tune… Our engineer has stated, categorically, that it is his favorite part of our concerts…Reason? The sound of that whistle…
Best to all.
Byll
Bb is one of my favourite keys (from my harp playing days), and I’ve been on the hunt for a Bb whistle for a while. I have a Gen (yuk!), I’m thinking of a Dixon or a Susato - would you have any comments? (Already tried Sindt and Elfsong, but not quite there)
-
Stick a Sweetone C mouthpc on your Gen Bb tube (you’ll need to tape the barrel to get a snug fit). Sounds pretty good, in a Sweetone kind of way. [if you don’t like the Sweetone sound, ignore this suggestion]
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Mack made me a Whitecap mouthpc specially designed to fit the Gen Bb tube. It’s pretty pure in tone (getting purer and sweeter as it goes higher up its range), with medium volume. However, it’s an experimental model, as well as being handmade, so sound, tone and volume may vary from piece to piece.
Byll,
Any chance you could post a clip of that? Sounds great.
Carol
Thank you for the song suggestions-hopefully they will appease my mom once I have learnt them!
geek4music-I really do like my Generation. The sound is not as nice as a Clarke in my opinion, but I still do love it.
Again, many thanks,
Kaitlin
Carol: There is an e-mail coming your way concerning the sound clip.
Best.
Byll
Byll,
Thanks! Got it and replied.
Carol
As it happens with this brand, three of you agreed to advice Burke’s Bb…
But these could be three different whistles:
Burke Bb “composite” ?
Aluminium?
Brass?
(good thing this tone strangely sparing us the choice plethora of narrow bore, standard bore, nary a bore, session bore, Morris bore, bagad bore… 
)