Yeah, I had that old Mel Bay book once (not the new Grey Larsen one). I gave it away to someone who I didn’t want to learn Irish music. Even worse is the old Mel Bay flute book, which, as I discovered upon receiving it as a gift, is aimed at silver-flute players (though it doesn’t mention it on the cover). Buy Grey’s book.
Chris
The one I refer to above http://www.thewhistleshop.com/catalog/tutorials/tutorialsets/thecomplete/thecompl.htm is by L.E. McCullough. I thought he was a respected person in Whistle circles?
There is another book there called The complete Tin Whistle Book by Mizzy McCaskill & Dona Gilliam http://www.thewhistleshop.com/catalog/tutorials/tutorialsets/complete/complete.htm.
Which one are you referring to StevieJ and Chris?
Oh. LE’s book is quite good. McCaskill’s is not as good (the one I thought you were referring to).
Chris
Aha! But you said “Mel Bay already has…” so I thought you must have meant the McCaskill & Gillam yoke. I haven’t given the LE book more than a passing glance either so I can’t help you on that one. About all I know about LE is that he is given to writing purple prose about himself and that people who have his book seem to become obsessed with executing rolls on C-natural. 
Mind you Grey Larsen’s bio of himself on his website is mauve around the edges too, hehe.
Steve
I beg to differ on the McCaskill tin whistle tutor. I found this a good book to begin learning ornamentation. There are also a bunch of tunes that are transcribed straight and then again with variation. Now I would say that some of these other, ornamented versions are a bit odd, but a good number are very instructive. When I was starting out I used this book as well as McCullough’s. I think McCullough has much better and more common versions of tunes (his C#/Cnat pecularities aside); but isn’t very helpful learning ornamentation. As always you can’t treat any one source as gospel and must supliment with lots of listening.
Clark
If you have not yet gotten to the point where you know and understand ornamentation, or if you think you may have but aren’t sure, then Grey’s book (either of them…he has two coming out) will definitely help with getting cuts, strikes, and rolls down pat. Grey’s method of explaining and teaching ornamentation is very logical and clear. This might not be as good for right-brained people, but works great for my left-brainish slant.
In fact, I would say that if you “get” Grey’s explanation, you’ll probably look back at the instructions in most whistle tutor books and think they are being purposely vague and/or misleading (I’m sure they’re not, but it seems that way sometimes).
However, I’ve heard well know whistle players play their ornaments (especially rolls) in different ways, so there are certainly different opinions on the matter.
-Brett
Hmmm…transcription of great whistle players…
Anyway, what does the accompanyin CDs have? Mr. Larson’s word-perfect reproduction of, say, a tune originally played by Breda Smyth ?
Just a few words from a totaly new begginer. I have been searching the web trying to learn about these fantabulous inexpensive instruments. And I have yet to find a tut for begginers. Oh do not get me wrong. I have found dozens that say they are for begginers and then start talking like us beggingers already know what everything is all about.
If any of you are writers, try doing a book for begginers without all the tech. talk. I bought a book on eBay about making tin whistles for begginers, (figuring the best way to learn is to find out how and why whistles are made) and what do I find. It says “if K equals Y and the speed of sound is 700mph and you have a bore ratio of 24 to 26 then your first tone hole will be 33% of the total sum”. Or some garbage like that.
I had the same problem trying to learn HTML. I must have went through 1000s of tuts picking pieces up here and there. What we need is a “Tin Whistles For Dummies” book…
The McCullough Tin Whistle Tutor is pretty good at some things, not so good at others. It explains what the ornaments are in a pretty straight forward manner, but it sounds as if the recording were made on budget quality Memorex tape, with a Radio Shack microphone in a totally accoustically dead room, that and the quacky sounding whistle he’s playing on make for some fairly annoying listening. Still the man is obviously master of the instrument.
One other interesting bit, he admonishes critics of the “over ornamenting whistle player” as probably not being able to keep up, and indeed he goes on to play some truly incredibly ornamented tunes, so incredibly ornamented that it’s nearly impossible for me to tell what’s going on. I would personally like to hear less complicated examples, giving my ears a chance to catch on. Combine that with the above mentioned tonal characteristics and I am inclined to not listen very far into his example tunes, stop L.E. you’re giving me a headache! 
Sorry for hijacking the thread to McCullogh bashing, I probably need more intermediate type material like the new Grey Larsen book is said to provide, yes another book! Hopefully this one won’t have to spend most of it’s life stashed away in a closet, banished as 75% useless 25% ok.
For anyone who has seen Grey’s book already: Gary told me he thinks that one of my wooden whistles may be on the cover. Can anyone verify this? I have never sold one to Grey, but whistles do tend to make the rounds, and you never know… thanks. This is not a sales pitch, but you can see details of the whistle heads at my web site. Note the double raised ring on the head ferrule, which I don’t think any other maker has.
What are the two metal whistles near the bottom with the very pronounced “wings” beside the fipple? They appear to be conical and look almost like a Copeland – except that the finish looks a bit rough and my Copeland doesn’t have nearly so pronounced sidewalls…
[quote=“bearbro”]Just a few words from a totaly new begginer. I have been searching the web trying to learn about these fantabulous inexpensive instruments. And I have yet to find a tut for begginers. Oh do not get me wrong. I have found dozens that say they are for begginers and then start talking like us beggingers already know what everything is all about.
My favorite for total beginners, as well as people who already play some instrument but want to “cross over” to whistle is Bill Ochs’ “The Clarke Tinwhistle”. Starts at absolute zero, teaching simple tunes with tablature ( pictures of the fingering of the notes, not musical notes) but quickly moves you into reading real music. The CD which comes along with it plays each and every example and tune from the book at a nice slow pace. If you start at page one and work through the book lesson by lesson, you WILL be a pretty fair whistle player by the end of the book, with a good selection of ornamented tunes under your belt.
LE McCullough’s book is invaluable too, but perhaps not for a total newbie. Eventually, get it too.
Well, after seeing the good clear photo of the cover that Jerry posted, it looks as though it’s a Thin Weasel after all… I never thought to check the Mel Bay website for a photo.
Brewerpaul said…
"My favorite for total beginners, as well as people who already play some instrument but want to “cross over” to whistle is Bill Ochs’ “The Clarke Tinwhistle”.
This is just the opinion of a total newbee. I bought the complete set on eBay, only mine includs a cassette instead of a CD. I have read through it from cover to cover just to see what I was getting into. And so far I will have to agree with Mr. Brewerpaul, this seems to be a tut that even us non-musical dummies can understand.
So I would say this would be the first step. Then maybe one of the other books.
I also would like to make a comment on the Clark whistles and maybe get a little feedback from some of you experts. Keep in mind that I’mt a muscian, as a matter of fact I dont know one note from the other. But I do know what sounds good to me.
The Clark tutorial set came with an Clark one piece whistle that has a wood plug in the mouth piece. I understand this is their standard whistle. I have also bought a couple of Clarks MEG whistles (with a plastice mouth piece) that is a lot cheaper then the standard Clark whistle. In my opinion the standard whistle from Clark is not very good as its sound is crapy. The MEG’s on the other hand sound pretty good to me.
I have also bought a couple of other whistles and one I have herd a lot of good things about is the Walton. The Walton I have sounds really bad. Not impressed with it at all. I have a couple of Generations that sound pretty good.
They look like Copelands to me.
Don’t have a clue about the rest of them.
Just ordered four copies; one each for myself and a friend, and two for the library system. I’m sucker for tune books, self instruction music materials,I have more than I can get through in a life time, but I have been waiting for this one. Not having a tin whistle or flute teacher anything that explains the great mysteries of playing to me is worth purchasing.
MarkB
Hi,
1st off, I’m not an expert but I know where you’re coming from regarding Clarkes and Waltons. I think the Original Clarke (wooden plug) is a whistle that you either like or you don’t, it’s quite soft sounding and I actually like it for some stuff, the Meg/Sweetone I find is a little clearer sound wise and I like it too. I’ve never played a Waltons that I liked, brass or LBW (black painted), I found them to be screetchy, but maybe I didn’t play it properly. The other cheapie whistle is the Feadog, I prefer the painted versions rather than the brass or nickle. Generations, I find that I seem to get on better with the brass/red top versions. My favourite d whistle so far is my Dixon tuneable with brass slide even though 2nd 8ve A is a bit flat. All this IMHO, No doubt someone else will have a different take on it.
Cheers, Mac
Mac, I thank you for the feed back. I do agree with you about the Clarks. The original Clarke (with the wooden plug) does have a breathy sound to it. I did some tweeking on mine (fellowing a couple of tuts I read) I evened out the tone edge of the sound hole. Mine looked like someone bent it down with a hammer & nail, then I mashed down the wind channel a bit and flared the end up a touch which made it sound a lot better. Although still quite breathy. There are a few songs I think would sound nice on it. But I still like a pure sounding tone myself. As for the Waltons, I have a brass D and the LBW, they both sound squeeky, more so on the lower notes. Me thinks I’ll be trying my hand at making a couple of mouth pieces myself… LOL
I have not tried any of the Feadogs or Generations yet (except a little Generations G) but will. As for the Dixon? Since you bragged on it I’ll be trying that to…
Mommy is WhoA real? Yup… He He
I guess that’s what they must be, I can just make out the Copeland stamp on the nickel one. Maybe they’re Copeland low whistles, I understand that those have a much more pronounced sidewall than my Soprano D – I should have thought of that.