Hello all!
I am putting together a whistle tutorial book and C.D. to use for my students and to make available with my whistles.
What tunes do you think would be important to include?
I have a list of ones that I like, but would like to have your input.
I am also thinking of including a section of new tunes, written by people today. The purpose of this would be to give writers exposure, not so much for financial gain.
Any ideas?
Thanks ahead of time for your suggestions!
Sandy
I really enjoy Brian Finnegan’s “Donegal Lass”. It is jig of traditional construction. It’s one of the those tunes that works well slow and fast.
Erik
I love “Fill, Fill, A Run O.” It’s a beautiful, wistful air, and not at all difficult…it deserves to be out there more!
Will this tutorial be something you’ll have available for sale separately as well?
Redwolf
Coupla others:
“Slane” and “The Water Is Wide/O Waly Waly”…both nice airs that just about everyone seems to like (but that I don’t often see in tunebooks)
If it doesn’t specifically have to be Irish, “Wayfaring Stranger” sounds great on the whistle, and is very easy to learn.
As far as dance tunes go, “Swallowtail” is one of my favorite double jigs, and I had to dig in a student’s fiddle book to find the notation for it. “O’ Keefe’s Slide” is an oldie but a goodie. And “Fairy Dance/Old Molly Hare” makes a nice introductory reel.
Redwolf
it seeems you are trying to improve on existing whistle tutors. why not include tunes from pipe tutors? the NPU tutorial has some nice stuff.
meir
How about Sally Gardens it’s a nice slow one and easy to learn. Just DON’T put Brenda Stubbart’s on it OK?
I’m not suggesting any specific songs. However, one idea would be to include some form of accompaniment with the music scores. If the people are able to have someone play along with them on piano or guitar, or any other instrument, it helps to give the “feel” of the song. The CD is a good idea, but it is often difficult for a beginner to keep up with faster songs. Maybe include the songs at a slower tempo on the CD. Also, footnotes on how to handle tough passages would help.
Scott
I agree, it is more fun and easier to play along with others. I plan to put guitar chords above the music and to have a guitar playing along on the C.D., if not on all the tracks, quite a few of them. I plan to have the songs played slow & fast with Med if needed. For slow songs, without ornamentation and with.
Redwolf, yes, the Book and C.D. will be sold seperatly from the whistles.
Thanks for the ideas so far! I am enjoying your input.
Best Wishes,
Sandy
If you put accompaniments on the CD, would it be possible to have them on one track and the whistle on another? Then, you could pan all left to hear just the whistle to learn the tune and then pan all right to hear just the accompaniment sans whistle to play with back-up.
Just a thought,
-Derek-
While many on this board are focused on using the whistle for Irish music, it is worth remembering that it is a versatile instrument.
In that vein, how about some traditional hymns? We all learn Amazing Grace pretty early on, but what about Holy, Holy, Holy? Any decent hymnal will yield plenty of good sacred music.
Or, how about some English country dance tunes? Or contra dance? American folk songs are also fairly easy with the whistle. As a tutorial, these can be included without much difficulty.
My thought is that if you give the aspiring whistler tunes and styles that can be used in venues other than a session, he will practice and play more.
Also, in order to encourage the use of other instruments, how about including harmonies when you can? It could make a difference to two people!
And, if possible, include all of your written tunes on the CD, as well. That is the one complaint I have with the Bill Ochs tutorial for the Clarke whistle. He doesn’t have all of the tunes on the tape. For a beginner, it is easier to learn a tune if you know what it shoudl sound like in the first place.
-Patrick
I have the Bill Ochs tutor w/ CD and it has all of the tunes that are in the book on it. Perhaps the audio tape is different?
-Derek-
I like the idea of panning the accompanyment to one side and the whistle to the other, it makes mixing the C.D. easier too, you don’t have to guess what the listener wants. Great idea!
I am now struggling with the tableture, no tableture issue. I know it is faster and easier to learn the whistle with tableture, but then the learner becomes dependent on it. Sort of the devils advocate thing. I am thinking of a compromise, each song printed with and without. Any thoughts?
Thanks again for your feedback,
Sandy
On 2003-01-13 03:09, Sandy Jasper wrote:
[snip]
I am now struggling with the tableture, no tableture issue. I know it is faster and easier to learn the whistle with tableture, but then the learner becomes dependent on it. Sort of the devils advocate thing. I am thinking of a compromise, each song printed with and without. Any thoughts?Thanks again for your feedback,
Sandy
Well, I read music and would ignore tabulature–at least for D whistles. But my guitar-playing, whistle-learning friend doesn’t read music and would probably find tabulature helpful.
Using both may help a wider assortment of beginners because they don’t have to learn to read music at the same time they’re trying to learn a new instrument.
How many of your students already read music?
M
I think it is easier for a beginner to learn melodies that are already familiar. So, I suggest songs like Go Tell Aunt Rodie, Hot Cross Buns, Frere Jacques, etc. This way the beginner only needs to think about where to put the fingers and how to blow. Sort-of Suzuki whistle. Ah, so!
Mike
Hi Sandy,
Are you thinking (specifically?) of Irish Tunes for your book? If so, one suggestion is that you include jigs, reels etc arranged in sets (of 3 usually). I think it’s important to get used to playing a full set, and not just stopping after each individual tune.
Also, are you planning to introduce students to local sessions? If so, learning some tunes played in those sessions would be nice, to give the students a way in. I learnt about 40 or so tunes through a class and various tutors, and then on attending a session, recognised only a couple of the tunes I knew - and those played at 78rpm when I was still playing at 45rpm. Being able to play along with even a couple of sets would have made me feel slightly less small and out of my depth.
Regarding tablature, my teacher used it because he couldn’t read music - sheetmusic is better for me, though listenign to the tunes on a CD and following along is better still.