This has been bugging me for quite awhile. I recently starting playing Tin Whistle about a week ago. I’m actually pretty hooked into it now. I currently have a Clarke Sweetone Key of D and Clarke Key of C tin whistle. I have a Key of Bb on the way that I bought from Sweetheart. I’ve learned a few songs so far. Though they weren’t hard songs. I would love to be able to play some jigs. I understand that you can play any song on any key of whistle, the same exact way and it would still be right just a different key. Though I would really love to know the correct key of this song.
The Titanic theme. I’ve googled this over and over and can’t find a confirmation. Is it played on a low D whistle?
That one sounds really close to the Tin Whistle on the track. But it seems like it’s a Key of D? But I don’t think it’s low D because they are bigger…aren’t they?
Ok…so I’m going to assume it’s B then like he said.
But um…doesn’t “From the horse’s mouth” mean that you heard it directly from the source itself? That would mean that you were confirming that it is in the Key of D?
Referring to “My Heart Will Go On” with Céline Dion from the Titanic Soundtrack (Track 14) …
Yes, Tony the Horse remembers it right. Played on a B whistle in G fingering, giving a concert key of E Major. No D whistle in earshot. Around 3/4-way through the song there’s a trucker’s gear change up 2 steps from E to G#/Ab, and the whistle drops out from there on.
The first video linked by the OP is clearly in E major. Playing in E major on a D whistle is better left to the …ummm …errr …why the hell would anyone do that???
Yes, you’re right, it’s the same basic melody. But in a different key.
Hymn to the Sea starts in E Major … but changes to G Major when the pipes come in.
And that can be played on a D whistle, in G fingering. The first time through, the pipes are doubled on a low D whistle; and the second time through on a high D whistle.
Later, it changes back to E Major, with Eric Rigler playing the theme on low-pitched set of B pipes.
Only because I know what happened to the last guy that tried it. You’ll sometimes see him around town, selling pencils from a cigar box or busking on his tabor pipe.
Actually, Jim, that looks very much like Scottish whistler Alex Green. He lost some of his finger ends in a work accident. I’m not always a big fan of his playing style, but he manages quite well.
As I set about transcribing the basic “My Heart Will Go On” theme for MKuhl, I realized that it’s not a B whistle after all. The clue is the melody dipping down to a concert A - one note below the range of the B whistle.
Now I’m positive it’s an A whistle in A fingering, which also gives E Major, accounts for the range, and falls just as nicely under the fingers. Listening carefully for the register breaks also tells me it’s an A whistle.
So it’s possible Tony the Horse remembers reaching for a B whistle, but ended up using an A because of that low note.
In any case, here’s the transcription. MKuhl, you can plug this into the [u]ABC converter[/u] for the sheet music.
There’s a live version by Celine Dion of the song on youtube that is in E flat major, while the whistle played is a Bb Generation. You may recognise the whistle player.
Oho, I think this video has been discussed before on the board.
Yes, Andrea is holding a Bb whistle. But she’s not playing. The whistle you hear is a recording.
How can you tell? Well, she “plays” that low note, exactly as on the soundtrack. Except it’s impossible. In this key, that note is an Ab … one note below the lowest pitch of the Gen Bb.
Also, if you look closely, Andrea misses fingering the first few notes with her left hand, and a few later. And at one point (around 0:36) the whistle continues playing, even though it’s actually away from her lips. Magic!
So the whistle you hear is a recording of an Ab whistle.
It’s too bad. Andrea is not a super whistle player, but she could have managed this fine with the right whistle - or just skipping that bottom note on the Bb Gen - and (obviously) more rehearsal.
At what elapsed time in the video does the Ab occur? I’m just learning whistle now in my ancient ageness, and would like to learn to recognise these things.
well ya gotta click Titanic to get to that movie
