Hey, My names Matt
I picked up the whistle a little bit ago but recently fell in love with it. I’ve begun running my major scale (two registers) as many times a day as I can. I have a Clarke original D, Clarke sweet Tone D, Clarke original C, and a Faedog D. I know 3 simple tunes (Amazing Grace, We thank the O God, and one I made up) which I also play everyday. I’m using the Tin Whistle Toolbox by Grey Larsen to guide me along slowly (But I find learning from a book daunting and boring).
I became interested in the whistle by listening to Celtic Rock. But I just messed with it then. I fell in love with it after I was exploring Itunes and downloaded a Micco Russel album (forgive me if I spelt his name wrong). Then I began to understand the oral tradition of the music. Since then I’ve also found Sean Ryan and Matt Malloy. I listen to Micco and other whistle music almost all day when I’m working. I hum the tunes I hear often and am trying to put them in that special part of my brain where I wont loose them.
I didn’t find a general help section for beginners. I’d appreciate any tips on what to do, what I’m doing right and what I’m doing wrong. I have nobody to play with here, right now, so I’m on my own for the time being. Thanks
Hello MattE, welcome to the forum.
Seems like you’re well on the road.
Listen, practice, lather, rinse, and repeat.
Oh, yeah. One more thing, read as many n00b threads here as possible.
Welcome. The Larsen book is great, although it gets pretty academic at places.
You might also enjoy L.E. McCullough’s book. I think it moves a bit quicker and has a little more fun built into it. They’re both good mind, and having both is a good thing. I just found the McCullough book more fun. I’m referring to his tutor book, not the 121 Sessions Tunes, although it’s a must have also.
Welcome!
Your idea of putting the tunes into your brain is a terrific one. Once you get more proficient with the fingering of the whistle, you’ll find that tunes already lodged in your brain will come out pretty easily.
welcome, Matt. Paul is absolutely right. i often tell new musicians that knowing a tune well enough to hum, “sing” or whistle (lips only) is almost magical… as you gain familiarity with the notes on your whistle (or flute or fife) the tunes almost pop out all by themselves… i spend hours just “noodling” with the whistle… sometimes as i noodle along, a snippet of a tune in my memory bank pops out… in no time at all, the tune seems to fall together of its own accord…
a lot of the people here are incredibly knowledgeable… others (like me) not so much… you’ll figure out who is which as you spend time reading through the threads…
Thanks, everyone, for the kind welcome. I wish I could take credit for the idea to imbed the tunes in my brain, but I got the idea from Larsen’s book (which can be too academic for me at times). His views on playing tin whistle inspired me. I’m excited to learn tunes in this fashion and make them my own by putting my own style into them (when I get the hang of ornamentation).
It works though. I listened to one of Micco’s simpler children’s tunes over and over and began humming it. When I tried to play it (without ornamentation yet), I almost pulled it off…but not quite
I also own Mel Bay’s “complete Irish tin whistle book”, and Mel Bay’s “You can teach yourself tin whistle.” But I really haven’t delved to far into either. The Irish Tin Whistle Book will probably be used a lot later on, as it is full of tunes." Thanks again, God Bless.
Hi Matt. Welcome. Whistles are good for all kinds of music. If you have other songs already in your brain, you might be able to pick out the tune on your whistle. I was surprised that I was able to do this.
Don’t feel special about not knowing other folks who whislte. I am the best whistler that I know too.
Matt, Keep a whistle at your bedside. I often wake up with a tune Im practicing the day before clearly in my head. I grab the whistle and almost always nail the tune down that moment… Bob.
That might not work so well for many of us. If I did that, the significant other would jump up from her restful slumber, take the whistle, whack me on the head with it (or worse) then render it into two pieces (not the two it was made to have) and then chuck it out the nearest window. It wouldn’t just be the tune that got nailed.
Hi,
I am Martin … and I am also new.
I started two weeks ago, I bought Clarke’s Sweetone, the only one tin whistle which that shop have. I bought it just for fun, because I never played on any wind instrument and this was a cheap toy for this kind of entertainment.
After few days I found that I quite like it. So I started trying to play tin whistle (tones above higher(middle?) G are still too uncertain … and notes, notes are my nightmare).
Osage, I like your name. I’m a big traditional archery enthusiast. Osage orange makes a good bow (so I’ve heard, never used one myself).
I get to play quite a bit. I work out in the desert alone. I like to take a few minutes here and there to play my scales, and the few tunes I know. It’s great, but I need to get out of this comfort zone I’m in and learn more, like ornamentation and harder tunes. I’m afraid I’m in a comfortable rut.
If I tried to play my whistle right when I got out of bed, I’d be making a quick trip to a proctologist.
I like it, but it is a bit louder than I thought .
Some quieter whistle will be appreciated, because I’m living in a flat and all my neighbours listens my “playing” (fortunately some of them are almost deaf - but other surely suffering).
