Notation for When the Snow Melts

Whistle
1

I’m looking for any sort of notation for a tune called ‘When the Snow Melts’ It’s on the Windham Hill album ‘Celtic Christmas’ and is a very nice whistle tune. However, I’m either having a real hard time of it, or it’s in a key that I don’t have a whistle for. (I’m thinking maybe Eb)

I’ve done a lot of searching on this one, and have come up with naught so far.

2

If it is the same one that I have on yet another Windham Hill compilation, i.e., by Phil Cunningham and Manus Lunny, I believe the whistle is an E-Flat. This is one of those tunes you practice when the little woman has gone shopping.

Tom D.

3

Yup, sounds like the same one.

I’m really thinking it’s time for an Eb whistle. :slight_smile:

4

Pfeh -

  1. Tune your D as close as you can to Eb and wail away.
  2. Use one of those speed-changing programs or borrow a variable-speed CD or MD or cassette and end up with something in some friendly medium in Eb.
  3. Use your pause control and a keyboard program or piano or flute or recorder or trumpet or your D-whistle and write it down one or two notes at a time. I once used a guitar tuner that had a little built-in speaker.
  4. As Mr. Dowling wisely remarked, play it out of tune when everyone’s gone. Who’se to care? To which I will add: listen to the original over headphones and record yourself playing along. Then you can play along with the new recording.
5

Well, all are valid suggestions, except… they all assume that I’ve got plenty of spare time. The last time I had to transpose a tune by ear (again, Eb), it took me the better part of six hours or more to get it right, then a few hours more to practice it enough to be able to play it. As opposed to learning a piece in the key it is being played, which generally only takes me a couple of hours total. I’ve got a full-time job, and two part-time jobs, plus a heavy commitment to charitable causes. Time is not something which I have a lot to spare.

Besides, I like the sound of a low-Eb. :slight_smile: I just wish Dixon made one.