Here is a rendering of the Monk’s Jig, played on my B whistle.
I think it goes also under the name of The Reverend Brother’s.
I’d like to please hear your comments regards style and what I could improve on etc.
Thanks!
http://www.box.net/shared/hm5523qkj9
edit: changed file to box.net
Any way you can make that downloadable, for those of us who don’t do Flash?
Not a diss, just constructive critisism - perhaps more emphasis on the rhytm, which gets a little lost. Nothing wrong with the sound 
(mind you, i am primarily a bodhrán player, hence my rhytm ..fetish/thing )
ok, I enabled downloads. Does that work now?
Otherwise I have to switch to box.net
Yes, that works, Hans. Thank you.
I’d say the main thing is that those double trills you’ve got everywhere are just not an ornament that’s used in trad style, at least not like this. So the overall effect is both odd and fussy and very un-trad-like, and it’s hard to get beyond that. I’d much rather hear it played straight, with no attempt at ornament. And faster, around 110, with phrasing to give it some rhythm and lift. The better to hear the characteristics of the whistle, too.
For a stab at trad ornamentation, try substituting simple cuts for each of those trill thingies. 'Twould be much better, a good start.
The main thing for me is the thing that I think Mr_Blackwood was picking up on. I can’t hear the pulse. I found it impossible to tell what sort of tune it was. I also found that, although it’s a tune I know well, I had to look it up because I just didn’t recognise it. I’ve listened to it three times.
The double trill thingies may be getting in the way and stopping you achieving a nice pulse, hans, but I’m not convinced that they’re the root cause. All the same, I’d do what MTGuru is suggesting and strip everything out. Play a simpler version, but, I’d add, one with, if anything, _over_emphasised pulse. As it is, it isn’t a jig in any style. There are places where the quavers in a bar seem to add up to 8, rather than 6, and I counted at least one ‘bar’ of 5 quavers and one of 7.
Now, I don’t like The Monk’s Jig as slow as a lot of people seem to want to play it - I prefer it as a normal double jig - but it has to start with being a jig of some sort, which means that its basic rhythm has to be two groups of three quavers in a bar. Once those are established, you can ‘muck about’ with the rhythm, but not before, and only within the context of that basic pulse driving forward through the tune.
I listened to your other two tunes while I was there, hans. They both have the same issues as the jig: it’s impossible to hear any pulse, and it’s therefore not possible either to identify the type of tune or to hear the tune itself.
Nice sounding whistle, by the way. And kudos for putting yourself ‘out there’ to be ripped apart. 
thanks, very helpful!
Here I try again, I hope with better rhythm (pulse?), and less ornamentation:
http://www.box.net/shared/m95k9rim1i
Hmm, I notice I drag the last note of the B part. Rhythm is tough, lots more to practise!
I also realised that I’ve chosen this jig because I was wondering about the use of tonguing. I am aware that my tongue is doing a lot. And I find it difficult to analyse articulation/ornamentation in my own playing. Changing it is even harder, but I like to try at least.
The good news first, Hans, I had no trouble recognising the tune, or the fact that it is a jig, in the first version.
I agree with MTG’s comment about the funny twiddly things you are doing - eliminate them before you do anything else. This is a must. Then come back to us with another version.
The other thing that jumps out at me is that you play everything the same way, or pretty much so, every time. You need a bit of variation in there. And by that I don’t mean you need to change lots of notes, but introduce micro-differences. Take the first couple of bars the second part which go something like eaa aba | gef g2 z … These bars are repeated several times in the B part. You play them the same way every time, with a rest or a breath after the g2 and very very soon we know that you are going to play it exactly that way in just a second, and this is death to the tune. Don’t breathe there every time. Make the g2 into a g3, decorate it, or make it a short g and add a couple of other short notes after it to lead you into the next phrase.
Another place is the beginning of the tune, where you invariably lead in with a high e thus: e | cAB c2… Again this soon becomes deadly predictable. Miss out that leading high e - most of the time I would say. Then sometimes vary the first three notes by playing, for example: EAB c2 or ABA c2. Tiny little changes like this, even if only introduced from time to time, are absolutely vital if you don’t want an experienced listener - particularly, but not necessarily, one who knows the tune - to start screaming silently inside and wanting to run away or bonk you over the head with your whistle.
You learned this from sheet music and it shows… oder?
Re. twiddly bits - stop ornamenting, cutting, trilling or whatever - inside the groups of three quavers/eighth notes. You do this all over the place, but here is one example from towards the end of the second part:
aba ged cAG A.
You tend to decorate the third note, shown in bold, with a legato grace. Stop it. You are drawing attention to a less important note than the g that follows, and this could be contributing to the lack of pulse that Ben and Mr B complain of. The g needs to come through clearly as the strong note and with this trilly thing you are somehow glossing over it, not giving it its proper weight and value.
Restrict yourself, for now, to gracing or cutting the downbeats and everything will immediately sound a lot cleaner.
You did ask…
Yes, I did ask…
Thanks for your precise observations and helpful suggestions!
I’ll try to unlearn some habits and make things simpler.
I just wanted to thank Hans for sharing his playing and allowing others to give feedback. I found the feedback very helpful. I have a real problem getting the rhythm of songs to come out. I listen to the Bill Ochs CD and I just can’t figure out how he does it but I keep studying playing it slow to emphasize the beats. Thanks everyone for your comments.
Have had a quick listen to the second take. No time to listen more fully now. Maybe later. However, the pulse issue is still there. This time, there is a significant improvement, in that there is a discernible pulse, but it’s very unsteady. It speeds up and slows down, and the quavers vary hugely in tempo within that overall unsteady pulse. Part of the good news is that, because the pulse was more audible, it was easier to hear the problems you are giving yourself with those odd trill-like thingies. They are definitely getting in the way of your rhythm.
I wonder if you would be able to repeat the exercise, still concentrating on the rhythm and the ongoing pulse, but without those trills?
I agree that it’s wise to start learning a tune without using any ornaments, rolls, trills, etc. Get the timing and rhythm down perfect before adding anything else. The example tune being a jig, concentrate on getting a good triplet feel, i.e. playing three evenly divided notes in the space of a quarter-note (one beat). Practice counting the rhythm out loud. A double jig (6/8 time) would be counted out loud as: one-and-ah two-and-ah. A slip jig (9/8 time) is counted: one-and-ah two-and-ah three-and-ah. Do these counts out loud while you clap your hands in quarter-notes. In other words, one hand-clap (one beat or pulse) for three evenly divided eigth-notes (triplets). Do this until you can keep a steady beat with the hand-claps while counting out loud a steady stream of triplet eigth-notes. When you can do this you’ll be feeling and hearing the time and rhythm. Then you should be able to transfer this from your voice to notes on the whistle. This is pretty much how I was taught learning music in the U.S. public schools system.
That would be fine if three evenly divided notes was what we wanted. But it’s not.
concentrate on getting a good triplet feel, i.e. playing three evenly divided notes in the space of a quarter-note (one beat).
I’d strongly disagree with that. Good jig playing is all about NOT evenly spacing those notes.
[edit : crossposted with Steve]
Here is another attempt, trying to fall more into the rhythm:
That’s marginally better, Hans. But can’t you play it straight? You have to believe us, those Baroque-ish twiddles are literally ruining the tune and the rhythm. They’re not Irish, they’re not trad, they’re not anything. They sound like Bach drunk on Jameson, totally out of place. Not trying to give you a hard time …
Well that’s the best for today
I tried to eliminate what you called double trill thingies or such.
I believe I only used cuts on some beat notes.
So I am at a loss about what you consider Baroque-ish twiddles.
I am aware I repeat things, as Stevie so kindly pointed out.
Will continue to work on this.
Can I play the tune plain, as without any ornamentation?
Apparently not, at least for today.
I try afresh tomorrow.
Pretty straight, just a few cuts, on C whistle (I don’t have a B):