Tunes for an A whistle

Whistle
1

Most tunes that I know on whistle are in D, Emin, and G, and I learned them on a D whistle. If I try them on my sweet, sweet brass A whistle, without changing the fingering, well… that’s fine for me practicing by myself, but obviously, not appropriate for a session as that would be the wrong key as far as everyone else is concerned.

So, what tunes to folks tend to play, at session, on an A whistle?

Or do you tend to not take your A whistle to a session, as it’s just not loud enough for that setting?

Here are some tunes that I’ve found fit nicely on my A whistle, in the correct key even. If anyone else has a similar list I’d like to see what tunes you’ve come up with. Or, if there’s some simple methodology for “how to find good tunes for an A whistle” I’d love to hear it (but, bear in mind, my music theory is weak).


My favorite tunes for an A whistle:

Stool of Repentance (A) – perfect. I think this one must have been written on/for an A whistle.

Humors of Glendart (D)

Calliope House (D) – unfortunately, around here, when this comes up at session folks tend to play it in E, but I think some people play it in D

Dan Collins’ Father’s Favorite (D)

Kilavil (Emin) – well, except for that one high note, but I can fudge that


And, just to prove I do occasionally play non-jigs:

The Hut on Staffin Island (D) – a nice slower tune off an Alasdair Fraser/Natalie Haas CD

Eagle’s Whistle

Glass of Beer (Bmin)


Anyone else have any choice tunes well suited for A whistles?

2

We sometimes play Ashoken Farewell in A.

3

Farrell O’Gara
Silver Spire
Bear Island
Loftus Jones
Hut on Staffin Island
Mountain Road
Lady Anne Montgomery

4

I always have an A whistle at session. The key of A is the primary key it plays in, however with only one cross finger the A whistle plays in the key D. So no need to say fingers are to short for a low
D whistle.

Also by playing in the key of D on an A whistle there are some lower notes that can be reached. We play ‘‘Oro Se Do Bheatha Bhaile’’ with an A whistle because this version dips down to the bell note of A. The whistle I use is loud enough.

5

here’s a good one…

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4597

6

Yes, that’s right, but not because of volume. For ITM sessions you want a D whistle and a C whistle to cover the keys, and that’s it. Maybe a low D for variety. In my experience, anything else is regarded as more a specialty or modern novelty, or if you want to solo while others sit out, or accompany a singer in an odd key.

That’s not to say that it can’t be fun and instructive to work out tunes on A and G whistle in standard session keys. :wink:

7

I don’t know–sometimes the fiddles play in A (in the hopes of excluding whistle players???) and I like whipping out the A and joining them when I can.

8

The Mason’s Apron in A on an ‘A’ whistle, but for a bit of fun play it on a D whistle in the key of A then switch to Bm and watch the fiddle players faces!!

9

This works well for dance tunes that have low notes too, provided they don’t go too high. Examples are Mountain Road (play it in “G fingering” on your A whistle - it sounds a lot stronger in that register, and gives you the low B), Lafferty’s Reel (play it as though it were in Am, ditto) and doubtless quite a few others.

10

I’m playing an A fife in an Old Time session.
Gets me A and also D, the latter is
very helpful.

11

And I just noticed that Tom Billy’s jig works pretty well on an A whistle. There are a couple of low G’s that I can’t reach, but that’s not that big a deal to work around.

And it’s so much easier on my ears, playing Tom Billy’s on my A, instead of on a high D. Though I suppose that in a noisy session, my A would just get drowned out…

12

Niel Gow’s Lament for the Death of his Second Wife can be played in its original key of D on the A whistle without any octave jumps.

I usually play it in G on a D flute because I think it works very well on the flute and the key suits the instrument, but if you want to play it with a fiddler, you just have to be able to play it in D :angry:

Geoff

13

Other recent discoveries re: tunes that fit easily on an A whistle:

Big John McNeill’s (reel)

Neilly O’Boyle (highland fling? not the reel) off Altan’s first recording.

http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/2461

And it sounds like Neilly O’Boyle’s reel will work just as well, but I haven’t worked my way through it yet.

14

Which note do you start on, and which do you have to cross finger and how??
Please excuse my limited intelligence)

Riverman

15

Contentment is Wealth sounds great with an A.

16

Just on the Emin thing - what do you mean Emin? Are you talking strictly Emin key signature or do you mean pieces that a chordal accompanist resolves with E min. In ITM the latter could cover both fully Aeolian mode pieces (rare) and Dorian Mode (and gapped mode) pieces. If the latter you can do that as E Dorian from XXO OOO on your A pipe.

For example, just quickly skimming through a music book I have at hand I can see the polka Pat Horgan’s (both versions) and O’keefe’s Slide. Of course you are going to have to “mark down” some of the passages if you want full advantage of the lower notes of your A pipe for these pieces.

17

I’m not sure I can even answer your question accurately, as I am weak on the music theory. Never did learn about modes.

But, “pieces that a chordal accompanist resolves with Eminor” sounds like what I was going for.

18

Just this afternoon at session I pulled out the A whistle for Bear Reel.
And Mason’s Apron.

19

In ITM that will usually happen with
E Dorian - melodies with notes E F# G A B C# D E+
and
E Aeolian - melodies with notes E F# G A B C D E+
or in melodies that take NOT all those notes (so called “gapped mode” melodies).

I have put in bold the main note difference between the two modes. You can see its the sixth note, in this case the C. All the other intervals are common to both and thats why the E min chord is applicable to both because the root note E, its perfect 5th the B and the median the minor 3rd - the G are thore in both of the scales to form the basic traid.

But simply saying this is an Emin tune, as guitarists say wont help you becuase they aren’t speaking accurate KEY SIGNATURE speak but inhouse guitar speak meaning that the tune is amenable to Emin CHORD resolution. THIS REALLY DOESN’T MATTER MOST OF THE TIME BECAUSE THEY ARE WORKING IN THE SET TRADITION AND THE PIPE YOU’D NORMALLY PLAY IS A D PIPE AND ON THAT YOU CAN GET BOTH C AND C# EASILY.

However if you’re using an A pipe you need to know, is this an Emin tune which has a C (Aeolian 6th) or an Emin tune with a C# (Dorian 6th). On an A pipe it is difficult to half hole or cross finger the C# which is at XXX XOO for to get the C. Thats why I am saying that on an A pipe you should only try Emin tunes that don’t need a C. This will be the case if the piece is E Dorian or in a gapped (note missing) mode.

20

Riverman,

Playing the key of D on an A whistle requires the same half-holing or cross-fingering (at the whistler’s preference) as playing the key of G on a D whistle. That is to say, you need to flat the note typically played with all six holes open. Instead of ooooo, some people cross-finger oxxooo to get the flatted note. I prefer the half-hole vooooo.

You start on whatever note the song starts on, but of course, it will be in a different place on an A whistle. D will be xxxooo, which is the fingering for G on a D whistle.

Mark

love the signature line, btw… have you checked out www.praisewhistlers.org ?