Hi there,
I’m looking for free advice. I go to a pretty demanding university in Canada called RMC. We don’t have a lot of spare time, but I think I can fit in a hobby. I recently discovered the “Tinwhistle” or “Pennywhistle” while watching, what has now become, one of my favourite episodes of Star Trek. In this episode “The Inner Light”, Capt. Picard uses this instrument to play one of the most moving songs I have EVER heard. I want to learn to play this instrument, but I neither have the time or money for lessons. My Questions are:
Is it possible to learn this on my own? (I do not have much knowledge of music)
How?
What kind should I buy for myself so as to learn…I was thinking a D but I don’t know if that is right.
I would appreciate any advice you could give me, thanks,
CF
Hello and welcome. I am new here as well and have been playing the tin whistle for about 2 months now. That flute you are referring to was actually a prop and an Oak in D was used. Go to the “Unsolved Mysteries” section of Chiff and Fipple to read more about that.
pennywhistle.com has a book for starters called “NEW DELUXE CLARKE TIN WHISTLE HANDBOOK WITH 74-MINUTE CD” and comes with a couple different whistles. The author and many others here would probably recommend you go with the Clarke Sweettone D as I did. It is very forgiving when it comes to errors.
Practice and maybe take lessons. I personally have been teaching myself at the moment.
Welcome to the Board. Seems to me that whistle is a good choice for a hobby.
I recently discovered the “Tinwhistle” or “Pennywhistle” while watching, what has now become, one of my favourite episodes of Star Trek. In this episode “The Inner Light”, Capt. Picard uses this instrument to play one of the most moving songs I have EVER heard.
Yes, more than a few folks were lead into whistledom by this episode.
I want to learn to play this instrument, but I neither have the time or money for lessons. My Questions are:
Is it possible to learn this on my own? (I do not have much knowledge of music)
Yes, most of us are probably self-taught, more or less.
What kind should I buy for myself so as to learn…I was thinking a D but I don’t know if that is right.
I started on the whistle now known as Walton’s Brass D (not “mellow D”). It was inexpensive, and easy to make a pleasant tone on.
I would appreciate any advice you could give me, thanks,
CF
You’ll get a lot of conflicting advice, more than likely. But Mel Bay publishes the Irish Tinwhistle Music Pocket Book, which sells for US95 cents. It contains information on how to play, and beginners instructions in ornamentation, as well as a selection of tunes. I found this booklet to be helpful.
I recently discovered the “Tinwhistle” or “Pennywhistle” while watching, what has now become, one of my favourite episodes of Star Trek. In this episode “The Inner Light”, Capt. Picard uses this instrument to play one of the most moving songs I have EVER heard.
Yes, more than a few folks were lead into whistledom by this episode.
It’s weird, because I’ve never heard of that until I came here, and I don’t know what Riverdance is, and the only Titanic song I ever heard was the Celine one. An effect of living in the middle of the woods, no doubt.
CF welcome. I was introduced to the tin whistle the same way. I’ve only been playing it for a couple of months now. Prior to the whistle, the only instruments I was able to play were the record player (remember those), cassette player, CD player, and the radio. I have absolutely no background in music.
When I ordered my first whistle, I also got the book “You Can Teach Yourself Tinwhistle” which contained little information that I found useful. The songs in the book were like Grandfathers Clock, Yankee Doodle Boy, Buffalo Gals and other similar type songs. I got real bored real fast playing those things so I put down the book after about a week. I just started learning the songs I liked by using sheet music to get the notes and listening to recordings or midis to get the timings. And no, I could not read sheet music before picking the whistle. I still can’t read it well, but the more songs I learn from it, the easier it gets.
As far as other books go, Bill Ochs has a book called “The Tinwhistle Tutor” that is held in very high regard by many people on this board. I haven’t seen it myself so I can’t recommend it from personal experience.
My tastes in music run more toward American rock ‘n’ roll, pop and country rather than Irish trad. I find that a lot of the music I like and be played quite nicely on the whistle. It’s definitely not limited to Irish music.
I can definitely recommend the Sweetone D as a good first whistle (I’ve got about eight of them). I don’t care for the Sweetone C though. For about US$5 each, you can’t go too wrong.
Welcome to the board! Nice to see another whistler in Kingston.
I’d have to add another vote to getting Bill Ochs’ book. It was enough to give me a decent start on my own. I also had next to no musical experience when I began.
Best of luck to you and maybe I’ll see you around!
