So, having read a number of the dots vs. ears threads, I’m starting out to learn tunes by ear, after years of playing various types of music, all from notation (although on GHB, my main instrument, we learn from notation but memorize right away).
I managed to puzzle my way through the slow air ‘casadh ant sugain’ from the first chieftans album. Here’s my questions:
I got the notes, by stopping the tape over and over and much rewinding (and yes, I will be getting slower-downer software soon), Wasn’t quite memorizing as I went, so I jotted them down in a shorthand sort-of ABC notation; is this defeating the purpose of ear training if I refer to it to help me memorize the tune? I got the notes by ear, fair and square…
How exacting do I need to be about ornaments? Coming from GHB, I have a pretty good ear for hearing where ornaments are taking place, and the general rhythm of them, but the specific ornament in question is often a bit of a mystery for me, since I’m pretty new to whistle. Should I try to get the exact ornaments played and stick to them for now, since I’m a beginner, or ornament the notes they ornament, in whatever way I can, or simply use my own discretion and do more or less what I would on pipes?
Seems like, once I get the notes, playing along with the tape would be the best way to get the phrasing,with all its subtleties and fine points, alternated with just listening. Is this right, or is there something else I should be doing in addition or instead of?
a couple of observations:
They play the tune on the album three times through, first just whistle, then whistle and flute, then whistle and uilleann pipes. I notice that the phrasing is rather different on flute, even though its being played together with the whistle, as are the ornaments. Ditto for the UP’s. I guess I should try to learn all three versions to really get a better sense of it…Any feedback on this?
I happened to be listening over and over to this album, was just messing around on the whistle, and realized I was playing the first 2 phrases, just kind of seeped in. This definitely helped, esp. in terms of encouragement. I wasn’t quite to the point where I could sing the whole thing before I started transcribing, but it got me in the ballpark.
i was really confused when the UP started as to why all of a sudden I sounded so out of tune, until the light bulb went on and I grabbed a C whistle, and all was once again copacetic. Those who are good at learning by ear will probably have a baffled look on their face right now as to why I’m bothering to type this, and almost certainly will not understand the delirious joy being able to figure this out and adapt to it provided me =)
any other feedback now that I’ve started on the path of ear training is appreciated. I realize that picking a slow air might have been not the easiest way to go, phrasing-wise, but those are some of my favorite things to listen to and play, plus, haven’t got the slow-down software yet, and well, they are slow .
Hi Hummingbird,
Good to see another GHB player taking up the whistle. You have way too many questions that I have no answer for. But I don’t think it is cheating to do the abc thing to help memorise a tune. You will find no doubt that the more familiar you become with the whistles fingering, the more intuitive it becomes. You are more than half way there, as the GHB fingering is not that far off. I find tho that if I pick up my chanter after playing my whistle, I need to get my head sorted, as I tend to leave my bottom hand off and wonder why it does’nt sound right.
My observation is that the fingering is far less technical on whistle than GHB. (now don’t shoot me down here) There is only one way to play a doubling (okay maybe 2 on the D throw) on the GHB! The whistle on the other hand seems to be a case of whatever works for you. It often depends on the make of whistle as to how you will finger certain notes. This also translates into what sounds good to your ear. The pipes however need to be tuned well to sound good and you tune them to play in one way only. The whistle may sound better with a roll rather than a tap but maybe a cut sounds better on another whistle due to its responsiveness. I feel like I am not making sense - hope you get the drift.
I have found that I just play to try and sound good and not to try and play technically well. The technical aspects however can be mastered by visiting brother steve’s web site and others. Listening is the key, and it seems as if you have the ear to do that. No problem, just keep on going and soon you will manage to pick up tunes quickly. The biggest thing I have found is that YOU control the whistle and make it do what you want it to. Some whistles are easier to control - a bit like a reliable car as apposed to high performance models that require loads of practice to get the best out of them. With the GHB I have found that if you follow the rules, you get good results, but you need to be really zoned in to play really well and that all comes from fingering and timing. The whistle however has loads of space for expression with tounging, dynamics, stopping and starting, bending of notes, breath control to name a few that the GHB does not.
For slow airs, the low D is my favorite. I too love the slow airs.
I have found that learning tunes by ear is an acquired skill just like sightreading. It will take some practice, but the learning curve is steep adn you will be picking out tunes by ear in no time. Violin is my primary instrument followed by whistle, then flute. I think the main thing is to get the tune into your head so you can “sing” it to yourself first. Listen over and over. This is how children learn to talk…by listening and trying to repeat after hearing the same stuff over and over for a couple of years. It won’t take you a couple of years, though to start to pick out some tunes.
I refer to the dots when I get stuck on a phrase, but a lot of phrases will repeat themselves throughout the tune…for instance the 2 a parts may each have the same opening phrase, but a different second phrase…same for teh b parts.
Sit down and tell yourself that it is tune learning by ear practice time and devote some time each day to doing this and you’ll be picking up tunes in a session in no time.
As to the ornamentation, some people will say that a tune is not a tune without all the ornaments…you will figure out a way to amke the tune your own. I typically will start with the skeleton of the tune and add rolls, triplets, cuts, etc as I become more familiar with it and the tune is in my fingers, so to speak.
Thanks for the replies so far. Ian, my experience comparing whistle to GHB is very similar to yours. I find I can play simple stuff like scotland the brave, rowan, etc. but trying to play GHB jigs and 2/4 marches on whistle messes me up when I go back to pipes. Maybe I’ll eventually reoncile it…
Here’s the main thing that I’m still wondering about though…I notice a lot of people talk about ITM on this forum similar to the way GHB players talk about piobaireachd; can’t be learned from written notation, have to hear subtle nuances unique to the tune, etc. What exactly is it in music such as reels, jigs, etc. that is unique? The ornamentation, types of variations, phrasing? With slow airs I could understand it a little better, esp. when you read about the sean nos tradition and knowing the lyrics..but in dance music? What is it that’s unique? I’ve seen people say here that even for experienced players who know the style and idiom, if a tune goes out of the repetoire, playing it from a book is at best a reconstruction. Again, I’m used to hearing this about piob., but its easier to understand there.
thanks,
and happy holidays everyone!
Someone answered this well. Unlike GHB there is little or no need technically to ornament on the whistle. And unlike Scottish music, the ornaments are not laid out on paper. It’s more like jazz that way.
The idea of the “feel” of Irish music boils down to the fact that the note values are not always accurately written on paper, and you have to insert them yourself, especially on jigs and hornpipes. You are right, no comparison with a piobaireacht. Not in the same league.
As for learning exclusively by ear, there are those who learn best by ear and then there are the others. Most people find it hard to START from ear. Dots are invaluable to me to get me off on the right foot. Then I commit it to memory, putting aside the paper ASAP. There’s no sin in that. I don’t spend a lot of time honing the skill of learning by ear. It would be nice to sit in on a session and start playing a tune on the second round, but I’ll be dead before I develop to that point even if I practiced hours a day.
You’re doing well to learn primarily by ear, and there is no sin in referring back to your notes. I found that I memorize a lot easier if I write them down myself and play it phrase by phrase as I go.
The one suggestion I have for you is to seek out different recordings of the music you’re playing. You’ll be able to hear how different players interpret a tune, embellish it and throw in variations. Unlike the GHP, as has been mentioned above, there is no set way to play a tune.
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