I have been playing through the lessons on the Online Academy of Irish Music for a few weeks now. Trying to practice every day. Sometimes just exercises, 3rds, arpeggios, scales, cuts, etc on some days.
I like the lessons. I often view the included sheet music and then listen to the teacher’s style and ornaments. I am a classical player, so I’m finding the sheet music and what she plays doesn’t always match up. In that case I ignore what is written and try to listen and watch how she plays and match it. But I’m learning.
I am currently trying to work out finger vibrato. Is it proper to vibrato the second hole below what the main note is?
“Proper” may not be the right concept. This is folk music, not classical. Depending on the tune, the context, the whistle, and your mood, what sounds best is best. Try various options and see.
You get the feel for the music (not that I have it) by, if lucky, being raised with it but for most of us by listening assiduously to trad music.
Steve is spot on. ‘Proper’ is perhaps not the best way of looking at it. Perhaps be guided by that is/seems ‘appropriate’ in a particular situation.
Obviously not all notes leave you with options, playing for example E, d’, F you are obviously limited in what you can do to play vibrato. But if you play for example B there is a range of options. The second hole below B, using the left ring finger, is an option but it is a strong thick vibrato that may or may not be appropriate all the time and using a finger or a combination of them, of the lower hand could be considered, depending on the effect you are aiming for. Also take degrees of shading, speed of the vibrato etc into consideration. Try build a sense of aesthetic, ideally an informed one, by listening to good players and by experimenting with your options.
Vibrato on a hole or holes more than one hole down from the note being played is often done. I think of it as more of a wave in the air above my whistle than actually closing the hole and opening it again. If I find myself using two fingers it is the third and fourth of the right hand since the math doesn’t work out for the left, and I’ve never used two hands at once, though someone likely has somewhere. The next note hole will give you the “dreaded” trill, which most folks in trad avoid. Though in practice there are many folks who avoid vibrato period and other players who love it. As well, there are those who think tonguing blasphemy. While others use it creatively. It is a balance.
The next note hole will give you the “dreaded” trill, which most folks in trad avoid.
I recall a conversation with Seán Potts during which he lamented fewer people using little trills*. He did, and I think a lot of people do in some way or form. Pipers certainly use them, or at least some of them do and I don’t just mean Séamus Ennis’ ‘shiver’ like he used when playing the Bucks. Old recordings of pipers show them using trills on most notes and there has been a resurgence of that (and other) technique(s) in the recent decade, listen to Seán McKeon for example.
Most people won’t probably remember Dinny McMahon who used to be at the entrance to the Cliffs of Moher with a donkey and a dog, selling whistles and playing them. But Eugene Lambe uses a few bit Dinny had, like playing the start of ‘Dublin Porter’ with a long deliberate trill on B. Great.
When used with a degree of discernment there’s no reason to dread them.
* note these are perhaps not exactly the trills of classical music so please read ‘trill like ornaments’.
What is everyone’s opinion on Tin Whistle lessons from the Online Academy of Irish Music or Blayne Chastain’s lessons?
Weighing in on Blayne Chastain’s online lessons. I’ve been using them periodically since he started the site 8 or 9 years ago.
A number of things I like about the site:
Blayne is a highly qualified teacher with Masters in IRIsh Trad Flute from U. Of Limerick. He’s also a videographer and filmmaker and experienced in sound production so the lessons are developed and presented consistently with high quality production, are well organized and easy to use.
I started playing the whistle in 1972, then flute, and I still find value in re-visiting the Intermedite Lessons to focus on various aspects of technique, vibrato, phrasing, articulation. Blayne is a technician of ornamentation in his playing so it’s great practice for helping refine those basic and advanced skills.
The lesson library is expansive and I occasionally visit to pick up a new tune or play along with the guitar backing (available on many lessons), which can be isolated, so I can work on variations and improv in a tune with backing. The tracks can be downloaded as MP3 files and played through slow-downer app. also.
For learning a new tune, the lessons provide phrase by phrase ear learning or PDF sheet music. I use both and appreciate having the dots for reference later after learning by ear.
Anyone else have experience with Blayne’s site. I think it’s well worth it.