Oh yeah, I forgot those . I actually get a mixture of people who are amazed that I taught myself and then I sometimes get other musicians who aren’t so impressed. For example, a guitar player once told me that the whistle wasn’t a “serious instrument” and that I should try playing “something that requires talent” like the guitar… he said as he played simple backup chords in the key of G to “Wild Rover”. I said “okay here’s a reel in Bm, if it’s so easy then you should be able to play right along”.
I generally keep a slide whistle in my bag to oblige people who request Danny Boy or “Titanic.” This is fairly effective in preventing repeat offenses.
I wish I were so lucky, when I play in the house my wife shuts the door, leaves the room and turns up the TV in the next room.
Before the jokes start flying, it’s not because my playing is unlistenable, she just has very sensitive hearing and doesn’t care for the high pitch. She groans when I play tracks with whistle, pipes, fiddle, or accordian in the car. I often put my iPod on shuffle when driving and she’s pretty much got me trained to automatically skip the track when most Irish music comes on
Having a couple of times a stand at a German Folk Festival some years ago this was THE number one question we heard, followed by “I wonder why this recorder is missing two holes?”
Mine runs from the room and spends the rest of the day sobbing in her room (such that you can hear it anywhere in the house). Valid from 8.00 am.
Despite this I have been complemented on my playing. Not by members of my family, of course. They’re making rumblings about the guitar now. Maybe I should be making plans to move out.
. I actually get a mixture of people who are amazed that I taught myself and then I sometimes get other musicians who aren’t so impressed. For example, a guitar player once told me that the whistle wasn’t a “serious instrument” and that I should try playing “something that requires talent” like the guitar… he said as he played simple backup chords in the key of G to “Wild Rover”. I said “okay here’s a reel in Bm, if it’s so easy then you should be able to play right along”.
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