I wrote a song this morning and it is a sad one. I have a hard time finding the melody line on my key of C and D whistles to fit the lyrics. What key might be better suited for a sad song? And the opposite question, what key for a happy song? I’m talking high whistles and songs with lyrics, but other experiences and comments are welcome.
Bill
The curious can see the first draft of lyrics below with a basic, basic ABC at the very end:
I Wish You Well
I’m standing at the fountain, where our love took form,
The shadows start to lengthen, my heart becomes forlorn,
I heard that you were laughing at another’s charms
I heard that you were dancing in another’s arms
I heard that you were deep in love, happy as can be.
I stand here softly crying with all these memories.
I look up to the fountain and toss three coins for thee:
I wish you well, I wish you well
and I know that you wish the same of me
If you are writing music that has an emotional side to things the Bflat is perfectly suitable for just that!
Whenever you write music on the high or Low Whistle try not to concentrate so much on the rigid side of writing formally.This is good at times.Only at times! Let it come naturally.Expression really comes from what you blow into the whistle itself! Let this be your guide and this way you are training your ear more than anything else! A good thing.
When you play your whistle’s focus on the whistle’s mood! Let it guide you to creativity! Every whistle has a mood. Some moods we create and others come very naturally. Example:The B-flat naturally lends itself to a very lonely feeling. You’ll find these various moods through playing them!
My overall advice is, try writing through playing!! Record yourself and you’ll be surprised what you can create with practice. feel it.
I personally cannot read music. I play what I feel and this for me brings the most success and satisfaction.
I’m sure the other board members have some great advice to pass along as well. - Talbert
I know that major keys are usually associated with upbeat songs, and minor keys with sad songs; however, it can be quite the opposite (e.g. “Early Morning Rain” and “An Gabhar Ban”).
Talbert is right. The Bb is probably the best “high” whistle for emotional songs. To me, such tunes sound best with breath ornamentation, which is most easily done on lower whistle.
Your Lyrics seem a mix of regret, nostalgia, and resigned loss (as opposed to mourning or painful sadness). E Dorian seems to fit that well.
Eminor or Bminor also seem to work. On the C whistle and A or D minor. A lot of folk tunes that I remember about love lost are in D minor.
Wow, thanks for all the replies. It is an honor and a privilege to be able to get input from so many accomplished musicians and songwriters. I highlighted the parts of Talbert’s excellent post that I want to reinforce for any aspiring or veteran songwriters, especially those that compose on the whistle.
Reading these explanations doesn’t make it that much clearer in my theory challenged mind, but I may sleep on it and give it a go. Basic fingering charts for E Dorian or a D minor scale on a D or C whistle might be useful, because I wince when I read the website explanations.
Thanks again for all the suggestions, information, and advice. Looks like my next whistle may be a Bb.
Actually, I have never been interested in reading music. Early on I understood clearly that in order for me to find myself I needed to focus on my inner-feelings with the whistle! I practiced atleast 7-hrs a day.
For some folks reading is fine. For myself I’m just not into being tied down to dots and lines. Not that It’s wrong. But I am strickly speaking from my own personal experience!
Playing what you feel is also a great way to capture improvisational stuff!!
When I teach whistle to my students there is no sheet music anywhere to be found because I want to hear them play not whats on paper, but what’s ultimately coming from the heart, through inner-feeling!
I hope the best for you in your musical journey!
Since you should have my “Tears Of The Forest” cd by now through the Jerry Raffle and you have expressed your fondness for mood type music.
As a suggession:Why not Try to teach yourself some of those pieces!
But remember, all the performances came from an inner-feeling, not through notations. Best, Talbert St.Claire
Again, some great ideas for everyone interested in expanding his/her musical horizons. Thank you.
Talbert, on composing, I believe you and I have more in common than we have differences. Talent wise, and practice hours wise there is a wide gap (Seven hours a day!), but I think we have similar approaches to creativity. Most of what I do is by ear. I believe the songs that I write coming from a greater consciousness, not my own. Sometimes this comes while playing the instrument, sometimes while walking, or doing something else. Often times it is a melody, sometimes lyrics, on rare occasions a complete song.
While I compose by ear, I have found notation to be a useful tool. During my time on Chiff, I have picked up the rudiments of ABC notation. It helps me share my musical ideas in progress with others via computer without having record, convert, upload and download. ABC notation is also useful to me, to jot down ideas. Often times, when inspiration comes, I find that the melody or lyrics must be put down quickly, either on paper or a sound recording, or they flutter away, sometimes never to be seen again. Paper and pen being the most convenient medium to work with.
Those reading along are hopefully learning more about theory, and creativity. I know I am. Thanks a bunch to everyone replying and reading this thread.
That page just caused an “AH HA!” moment for me. Prior to picking up the tin whistle, I had been playing around with learning GHB on a practice chanter. But it always seemed to sound so terrible when I tried to play any familiar, non-bagpipe tunes. The notes were off. I figured it was just my playing, or else I had a bad chanter.
Now, as a result of the page you referenced, plus some other hints that I’ve seen, I’ve realized the problem - when the GHB tutorials SAY C and F, what the really mean is C# and F#.
I guess that’s what I get for trying to learn on my own, without an instructor. But it sure would be sinpler if people would use a consistent naming convention.
(I hope I’m not about to be drummed out of the message board, because I’ve admitted to playing GHB, rather than Irish pipes.)
I think that it’s great that you can expand your horizons with innovative approaches and such! Keep up the good work.
I was really happy to hear that you do compose through a more RAW or lets just call it a more “natural approach!” Your notations can assist.
I think that’s its really wonderful you have that added (exposure)environment! Understanding what will get you through personally on the road to successful whistling! I say, whatever works for the individual player, use it to the full.
The “Tears Of The Forest” CD arrived today. There are some haunting, ethereal pieces perfect for the title. I’m listening to “The Mystic Burren” as I type. Ornamentation is another weakness in my repertoire, so I see a long road if I try to replicate any of these songs. However, there are many techniques that I believe I can try to adopt and adapt in part-acts without the heavy lifting of learning complete pieces. Cool stuff.
One thing I like to do is to try and replicate a song without much study, without sheet music. Usually I end up far from the original, but usually with something interesting and often pleasing. I feel that your music has an underlying complexity of texture that defies repetition. I look forward to listening more and seeing what doors it leads me to.
Thanks for being so extraordinarily generous with your time and your resources. I notice the handwritten label and the hand wrapping. It is a tremendous gift that you are giving Jerry, his wife Arleen and all of us. If there is such a thing as Karma, may your generousity be paid back to you a thousand fold.
Just want to say thank you very much for the kind word’s regarding the cd! It was a very long and hard road putting down all my feelings and allowing the Low Whistle’s to capture how I felt.
It’s nice that you guys really appreciate the music. I’v been receiving lots of emails from the various one’s that also have the cd and they have shared similiar feelings as you! Again, thanks!
It’s makes me very happy that the music is out there being shared with others. Some are even picking up there Low Whistle’s after some yrs of being away after hearing the music.
You commented on the “The Mystic Burren”. When I went to Ireland I could not help but be totally fascinated by this Mystical place! Such beauty and wonder. The landscape was very much like the moon itself. It took my breath away.
I went back home and decided to put my feelings on tape. Yes, it’s very haunting. Even I can’t at times listen to some of these tracks because it’s pierces through you!! Sometimes to emotional. It’s exactly what I had intended. I’m only human and sometimes I do feel the sorrow.
I do hope that you can learn all the technical things regarding the ornamental stuff!! You’ll get it with lots of practice! I have faith in YOU!
Anyhow, enjoy it for what it’s worth and thank you dearly.-Talbert
I’ve been working on this song some more, taking some of the suggestions here.
Again, what I got stuck on was the main chorus of four notes corresponding to the lyrics:
“I wish you well”
What I find pleasing on my Clarke C original is fingering
xxxx
xxx 1/2
xxxx
xxxxx
On the C whistle the four hole is E and the half hole close to F#. Doesn’t sound as nice on my Elfsong C, but sounds good on my Susato D. I don’t see xxx 1/2 on most fingering charts, but it sounds good to my ear.
