I am trying to learn a tune by ear alone. I have chosen one that I like and cannot find dots for. Please could someone confirm if I am correct in using a D whistle for this: Joannie Maddens ‘The Immigront’ (sic).
It seems almost sacrilegious playing along to this - I am sure Joannie would be wincing.
Yep, D whistle is allright.
However, I think there could be simpler tunes to learn maybe…but if you like it, go for it 
Thanks Pyroh.
It may be out of my league, but I can hope to get some of the way there… trying to copy Joannie is daunting, though.
nahhh, start on somthing next to impossible!
when i was re-starting whistle after a 10 year leave of absence the frst tune i went for was ‘The Cats Meow’, also by joennnie Madden. Damn trickey!
Lovely tune. Am I right in assuming her subtle vibrato is fingers ?
Jean Lewis compiled a book a few years back of Joanie Madden’s recordings and teaching sessions, among others. Many of us here have it, I’m sure as it’s a nice book to have particularly if you have the CD’s and can listen along. Included in the book, by the way, are the tunes mentioned here - The Immigrant and Cat’s Meow.
Go here.
The book shows Jean Lewis’ email address as jeanlewis (at) aol.com
Reg
No way do I expect to get to sound anything like as good as Joannie Madden this or even next decade. If ever. It seems, however, a mellifluous way to try learning a tune by ear (instead of by dots); and maybe I will learn some other techniques along the way. I am ever the optimist.
Yup. You can watch her do it (on a different tune) in this video:
It’s not a tune for a complete beginner but I found the basic tune relatively easy to learn. I’d listened to Joanie’s CD about a bazillion times before I started and that helped. The tune is a great work out on the second register.
Beautiful tune, indeed. One of the first that I started trying to learn when I focused back on whistle a few years ago. Still don’t have it ‘right’, but it sounds pretty good, none the less. It’s a good one to keep working away at while you get on with other tunes as well.
I hesitate to mention this, since you’re learning by ear. But since it’s already done:
https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/new-member-seeks-music/44135/2
BTW, on the recording Joanie plays this on a C whistle, using D fingering as transcribed.
I am not going to look yet, just in case I cheat.
What do you mean played on a C whistle using D fingering. Do you mean played (very cleverly) on a C whistle using the notes available to a D whistle?
Damn, my question does not make sense even to me.
Please elucidate, MTGuru, sir.
[[I will take a swing at an answer for practice - and so y’all can laugh at me. On a D whistle I can play E minor. So on a C whistle I can play D minor. But if the tune is in D minor I will have the wrong set of notes/pitches on my D whistle. So she is only using those notes common to D and D minor? Which means the dread ‘mode’ word is going to appear? Oh heck. Or I cant play the tune on a D whistle. Or I have got entirely the wrong end of the stick cos the heat here has addled my brain. Or perm any three from five…]]
Well, learned Doctor Phill, sir …
The recorded tune is in the key of C major. And Joanie plays it on a C whistle. You can figure out the rest from there …
But MTGuru, sir… Pyroh said I could play it on a D whistle.
But I cant play C major on a D whistle can I?
{{Edit - maybe Pyroh misunderstood my my question. I meant to ask if I could play along on a D whistle, and I assumed that that was the question she answered. }}
You left out the possibility that Pyroh was wrong.
Mistakes are always a possibility to keep in mind.
For example, I don’t think Pyroh is a “she”.
Doh, My profuse apologies to Pyroh. I did not look too closely at the avatar picture… (hangs head in shame).
But yes it is possible that Pyroh was wrong. Although, where music is concerned, I always assume the fault is mine until proven otherwise.
Nope, you’re still with us, Doc. Basically what you’re saying about playing in Em on a D whistle and Dm on a C whistle is true. But I think where you’re getting a little confused is the key in which The Immigrant is being played. This tune as played is in the key of C major, played on a C whistle. It can be played on a D whistle using a c-nat, but you won’t be able to hit the low C note that Joanie hits on her C whsitle, which is an important part of this tune. In fact, this tune sounds beautiful in the key of C on my Abell D…but with no low C note. So in the band, we do it in the key of D major on the D whistle so I have that low note.
Playing it in C major on a D whistle, you’d begin with a c-nat position… 0XX000 or whatever works best on your whistle. On a C whistle you’d begin with the second octave C note, 0XXXXX or XXXXXX.
BTW, yes you can play a full C major scale on a D whistle starting with c-nat and playing an f-nat but it’s only one octave. You can play C major scale notes below the 0XX000 c-nat but only down to the D note. You won’t have the low C note you’d have on a C whistle (obviously). But by jumping the c-nat and improvising, one can do quite well playing in the key of C major on a D whsitle…as long as the c-nat is accurate and doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.
OK, thanks Ballyshannon, thats what I had started to do.
I did think it odd to start the tune on a c nat, but the first notes I have picked out worked so well that I was fooled. I just tried half-holing f nat but I do not reckon I could do that convincingly if it is used in the tune. And the low C note missing is a clincher. I will have to pick another tune to learn by ear.
My solid brass dixon D with oxxooo was spot on (to my ear, anyway) for the C nat.
But I am glad I asked, or my inability to get all the notes would have been frustrating.
Thanks to all for their help and patience…
Yep, in this case it’s strict C major pentatonic: C D E G A. There’s no F-nat or B in the tune. So it can be navigated on a D whistle if you don’t mind losing the bottom C.
Why? Just play it in D on a D whistle. Go ahead and peek at my transcription for a hint. Use the Slow Downer / Transcribe / Audacity to transpose the recording up to D, and you’re golden.
In the CD ‘‘Song of the irish whistle’’ (where is ‘‘The Immigrant’’) there are other great tunes to learn using your D whistle.
‘‘The Level Plain’’ is my favorite, and I always play it on my D flute (you can play along the recording with your D whistle)
You also can play ‘‘The South Wind’’, ‘‘Down By The Sally Gardens’’ or ‘‘Lord Mayo’’, all relatively easy tunes for beginners.