My eyes,ears and fingertips are not on speaking terms.....

Whistle
1

I was here a while back, looking for help and advice, all of which I received and much appreciate still :smile:I am back, with something slightly different this time around.

I have been able to figure out enough of sheet and abc to translate it to tab, and then attempt to play it… Though I note that alot of things seem to come out a little funky, and I suppose that is also contributing to my problem.

Up until now, I’ve been puttering around with whistle tutoring sites, reading up alot, and attempting to practice what little I do know. I have also gone to a music store or two, asked about tin whistle, -sigh- And they all looked at me like I was insane, and pointed me towards the slide whistles, kazoos and sparse whistle rack.

I think I need help… lessons.. something. I know what I want something to sound like, I can see what notes are supposed to be played, but I cant get my eyes, ears and hands to speak to each other, much less work together. The result is that I am becoming extremely frustrated, and I think I need a different approach.

Here is where my question comes in. Because I dont know my area very well (I am not a native) I was hoping that perhaps someone here knew where I might look for lessons, and also if anyone knows roundabout how much this kind of thing costs. We tend to struggle paycheck to paycheck, and I’d like to get an idea of what Im looking at so Im somewhat prepared for it.

I am in Connecticut, near the Waterbury area. Currently failing at playing a standard D (I forget the brand), A Generation? Nickel B Flat (I prefer the D), and an Eastern Red Cedar native american flute in E (which I can actually play, but the flute and whistles are definatly different animals alltogether)

Any help is greatly appreciated, and I apologize for the rambling :slight_smile:

-Shay
-Who thinks her eyes, ears and fingers need to some kind of counseling.

2

i had the same problem and found the cause in playing whistle keys that don’t suite me, a while back, i could only manage a high D, low G and a low D ez, i didn’t feel like one with the other whistle keys. still i could halfhole the correct way(no alternative fingering), i had to kick of my shoes, or wear complete flat shoes, and bend a small bid through my legs, and let my upperarm rest on my chest while playing,along with stomach bhreathing(never do this in public!!)
i also stretched my muscles every day.
now i moved up a notch and can play the burke low D-pro, i moved up a half note. so maybe you’ve to look for those keys that your body likes best.

3

Nyghtshayde,
It is pretty normal when learning a new skill for the fingers, eyes and brain not to be in sync. Not having seen you play I would guess that you need to slow down and practice small chunks of tunes individually and gradually put them back together. Practice each chunk slowly for a set period of time, for example 5 minutes, and then go on to the next one. Realize that you are not going to learn this whole tune TODAY, but you will make steady progress. I have used this method for 20 years and it has worked well for me.
Mike Burns

4

I would suggest getting a metronome and practice just moving your fingers between certain notes in time with the rhythm: for example, DEDEDEDE… or DGDGDGDG…or if you are a masochist, BDBDBDBDBD…etc. Go throuh all possible combinations of notes. Also do arpeggios. This is standard when learning a musical instrument, to train the fingers to the required motions. I’m sure there must be links that people can provide for these kinds of gymnastics, or books that would be suitable. I can’t suggest anything off the bat, but I’m sure a beginning flute book would have something like that in it (although it will have different keys, sharps and flats, etc.). There must be something like this for whistle that people can suggest!

Robin

5

In your post, you didn’t mention anything about listening. Do a lot of it.

Something else that helps a lot – it probably helped me more than anything else – is slowdown software. It will take a track and slow down the tempo without changing the notes. It’s amazing when you hear all that’s going on at 1/2 or 1/4 speed. The program I use is Transcribe, which is available for Macs as well as PCs.

6

On 2003-01-29 18:21, spittin_in_the_wind wrote:
I would suggest getting a metronome and practice just moving your fingers between certain notes in time with the rhythm: for example, DEDEDEDE… or DGDGDGDG…or if you are a masochist, BDBDBDBDBD…etc. Go throuh all possible combinations of notes. Also do arpeggios. This is standard when learning a musical instrument, to train the fingers to the required motions. I’m sure there must be links that people can provide for these kinds of gymnastics, or books that would be suitable. I can’t suggest anything off the bat, but I’m sure a beginning flute book would have something like that in it (although it will have different keys, sharps and flats, etc.). There must be something like this for whistle that people can suggest!

Robin

I agree entirely but can’t think of a suitable book. Whistle tutors tend to be folksy, tune and anecdote-oriented, and not dedicted to the usual master-your-instrument routines that you get in less folksy tutors. Any jazz guitar or saxophone tutor (just to mention two examples) will contain basic scale and arpeggio exercises in major and minor keys that would carry over very well to whistle. But said tutors will also contain chromatic stuff that won’t carry over and you need to have enough theory to sift through and pick out the exercises that will work.

There is a very famous, classic tutor of ths sort, written for cornet but applicable to any instrument. (Can’t think of the name; somebody else might know.) I had it recommended to me for concertina and saxophone.

All that said, I still think that what Nyghtshayde needs right now is a patient teacher. You might only need a dozen lessons or so—just enough to set you on the right track. But, if you find that progress remains dependent on lesson-related practice, you’ll want to continue.

[ This Message was edited by: Wombat on 2003-01-29 23:28 ]

7

Nyghtshade, get in touch with Tyghress here on chiff and fipple, drop her a private message. Also, can you make it up to Hartford on a Wednesday night? If so, come to the session at the City Steam Brewery (Main Street off State Square) and me Tygh & me in person (I am not there that often, sadly). We’ll let you try all our whistles and Tyghress might actually have something useful to say…

8

Firstly, thank you for your kind replies. I am feeling a little sheepish, I know you all get bombarded with constant questions from people like me, I hope I diddnt offend anyone. I have re-written this post quite a few times, it might be a bit long, and I apologize in advance :slight_smile:

In response to a few of the things that came up in the answers…

Im not so sure that the key of the flute is really my problem. I think that most of my problem is really in trying to do most tutorials I have found, as they are usually in sheet music, and I have trouble figuring out exactly what they are telling me to do.

I do try to look at the sheet music, figure out the notes, and then draw it all out in tablature so I can try it out, but in alot of cases it hasnt been working too well for me. I swear Im not being lazy :slight_smile:

I will however, definatly try to keep an eye on my posture when I am trying to play, and will also take that advice on just trying to practice one part of a tune until I have it down well enough to peice other parts together into a whole. That has definatly been part of my problem, one part will sound fine, but if I move on past that part, it turns into mud and I dont recognize the peice anymore.

Robin, That is definatly something I think that will help me, doing basic things over and over again in drills. I will certainly try that :slight_smile: (especially the BDBD -grins-)

On the listening :slight_smile: That is one thing I picked up from lurking here… And when my husband isnt home, Im constantly doing just that. I was pretty much raised on quite a bit of Irish music, though now my listening is more keyed into the whistles than lyrics and fiddles as it used to be :slight_smile: It has helped quite a bit, and helped me get out of the mode I was in where everything I played sounded like it should be on my flute. I’ll definatly look for that slowdown software :slight_smile:

Overall, the reason I wanted lessons is mostly so that someone is physically there to see what it is I may be doing wrong, and correct it. I definatly want to be able to play, and am willing to work towards that, I know it wont happen overnight.

I think if I keep trying to just teach myself, that I will eventually quit because while the whistle feels like it is a part of my hands, I think the rest of me is slightly defective at the moment :slight_smile:

Thank you again for all the advice, I will definatly try a bit more before I go looking for lessons. Maybe I will be struck with an epiphany and things will start to gel together a bit more :slight_smile:

9

don’t be to hard on yourself either, just imagine a few steps further than you are now in your playing.i have to work hard on whistling to but if want it to much, it won’t come either.so many happy whistling hours aswell!!

10

On 2003-01-30 17:19, Nyghtshayde wrote:
Overall, the reason I wanted lessons is mostly so that someone is physically there to see what it is I may be doing wrong, and correct it. I definatly want to be able to play, and am willing to work towards that, I know it wont happen overnight.

lixnac is right. Think about what you are doing right! You are holding the whistle, your producing sounds, and you are covering the holes most of the time. Go from there. There rest will come. Oh: and go slow. Really slow. :wink:

11

On 2003-01-29 11:09, Nyghtshayde wrote:

Hi Nyghtshayde…I’m a Waterbury native, now in New Britain, and can hook you up with all sorts of people…including me…I can get you the bare bones basic how to play…

Tyghress@aol.com


My lesson fee is cheap…good company, glass or two of beer. . .maybe a really really good oatmeal cookie.

Also, if you know how to check Private Messages, I left you my phone number…give me a call…

\

Tyghress
…And I go on, pursuing through the hours,
Another tiger, the one not found in verse.
Jorge Luis Borges

[ This Message was edited by: tyghress on 2003-01-30 18:16 ]

[ This Message was edited by: tyghress on 2003-01-30 18:23 ]

12

Well, I wish I could get together with you guys, being in New England and all. Maybe someday a miracle will happen!

At any rate, I was wondering if some of your problems could be the whistle. I had a recent spate of WhOA and picked up some cheapie whistles, and I must say I think a couple of them are completely hopeless :imp:. I got a Dixon D tunable and a Sweetone D for my first ones (from the WhistleShop), and they are doing great. The others I’m thinking of melting down, using as an ice chopper, or giving away–all except the Generation F which my little daughter has co-opted, since it fits her fingerspan better than the Sweetone (and it’s the only new one I got that’s worth its weight in brass)!

Robin

13

And for anyone who’s looking for an exercise book, such as the scales, twiddles, arpeggios and such, Bill Hart’s Better, Stronger Faster, which is “meant” for fife, but utterly appropriate for whistle. But I have NO intention of doing the third register stuff! This isn’t something I’d recommend a newbie…too dry for someone whose goal is to play a tune credibly. Its much more designed for those of us who want to well, get better, stronger and faster :laughing:

I don’t know how Bill normally sells his book, but I’d be happy to pick up a copy for anyone who’s interested and mail it out…I forget if its $10 or $12…and of course I’d need shipping cost too.

Email me…

14

Sorry for the gratuitous bump, folks… Shay hasn’t contacted me, and there is no email or last name to try to track her down. I’m hoping she sees this and gives me a call.

15

:slight_smile: I sent you a note earlier, sometimes my email is terribly pokey…

hmmm… maybe the Crystal people are in there sifting through all the mail I send out… -shudder-

Let me know if you dont get it, and I’ll send it again :slight_smile: