Well, I finally found someone that will give me a lesson or three. He’s local, and has been teaching fife for some 20+ years, plays a keyless flute in session, and has an Abell whistle that he occassionally brings to session. When I asked about instruction from Walt Sweet, he didn’t hesitate to mention this guy, who I know only from his infrequent forays to Wednesday night session. Tonight I get my first lesson, and I confess I’m nervous.
I got a wake-up call when I asked him whether he taught by ear or by sheet music, and he grinned and said ‘by exercise…scales, arrpegios, finger patterns.’ Okay. I can do this.
LOL
Tygress, I was just teasing. Practicing tone, finger excercises, scales, arpeggios, etc, seperately from tunes is in fact a great idea.
Actually, this guy sounds like a real keeper to me! The whole thing about “pick one whistle”, is the clincher for me.
What’s his name?
Chris
Paul, trust me, you can take the whistler out of the collection, but you can’t take the collector out of the whistles. And I dare you to try to supplant my {current} favorite. . .go ahead. Try. . .
Okay. . .I’ve spent the past hour playing scales and twiddling my fingers up and down to the metronome. And playing tunes (not many). I’m to practice the finger twiddling at 120 bpm on the metronome… dededededededed then efefefefefefe and so on
Scales at 100 bpm and my tunes at 80 bpm, and he would prefer I ‘mark time’ as in marching in place rather than tapping, saying that tapping often follows what your hands are doing, but marching usually keeps you in rhythm.
Other points…less tonguing, and when I do tongue, less staccato and more note.
Habits will be hard to break. But why pay if you’re not going to listen to what they say?
[snip]… and he would prefer I ‘mark time’ as in marching in place rather than tapping, saying that tapping often follows what your hands are doing, but marching usually keeps you in rhythm. …
[snip]
Fascinating! I saw Patrick Street in concert once, from the front row (!) (but alas, right in front of a huge speaker). Kevin Burke was doing a tour-de-force piece–tune after tune after tune–his arm moving effortlessly, and shifting his weight from foot to foot, almost but not quite marching in place.
Your teacher does indeed sound like a good 'un. I envy you your opportunity.
Marguerite, I got a story that can really get you going. . .
Back in 1982 or 83 I was living in Dallas, and had just found ‘old time country music’ in the form of an active hammered dulcimer group. My instructor there (Linda Lowe Thompson, if anyone is looking for a phenomenal teacher of HD!) told me of this guy Kevin Burke who was going to play ‘Sligo fiddle’ at some bar over on Greenville Ave. I hadn’t a clue as to what a ‘slide-go’ fiddle was, but heck, why not go, right?
So we toddle off to this bar, and get there for early drinks. The music was scheduled for some time…I don’t remember exactly what hour, but I think it was 8, so we were there at 7…but ALL THE ADVERTISEMENTS had said 9. It was six of us…five if you don’t count the bartender…and Kevin, who came out at 7:30 and said what the heck, and started playing.
Of course he didn’t get up on the little stage, but sat at our table and played and talked and played some more. It was probably the first real Irish music I’d ever heard, but it took another fifteen years before I got to playing and such. But I will NEVER forget him sliding into the chair and apologizing, asking if we minded if he got comfortable.
Tyghress - I’d say you’ve got yourself a good teacher there. Mine gave me nothing but scales, arpeggios and exercises for 9 months, and every visit I’d say “how about a tune today?”, and in his dour Scottish way he’d say “nae laddie, when ye’re ready”. And when I did do a tune - bingo! Fingers, breathing, everything was all in the right place (plus the fact as someone said, I’d been playing the tunes all along anyway minus a phrase here and there).
I envy you, Tyghress. Around here, musical instruments seem to be limited to things you pluck or hit. Even traditional instruments seem to be limited to banjo and dulcimer.
I’ve been trying to find a teacher within reasonable driving distance for three years. I thought I’d found one last year, a flute teacher at the local JC. Then they closed their music program and he had to move away.
On 2002-12-09 19:21, ChrisLaughlin wrote:
What’s his name?
Chris
I think Tyg has overlooked this question. The teacher is Walter Sweet, Ralph Sweet’s son. Great guy, and the guy who seems to be responsible for reworking the Sweet whistles to their present wonderful incarnation. I know Tyg has on, I almost bought one after playing four of five of them at the session. Great whistles, much improved in the high a, b, and seemed beautifully in tune, gorgeous amount of character & chiff, and easy players.
In my first year of playing whistle, I had one lesson from a local whistle guru. After that I didn’t touch a whistle for 4 months. I am just that way. I don’t like when people tell me what to play or how to practice. I do it my own way and I get there anyway, slowly, imperfectly, but self-motivated(ly) and inspired(ly). That goes for long-term lessons, I guess. I love workshops. I learned a lot from Joanie Madden and Cathal McConnell. I don’t know…maybe all the other instrument teachers I had weren’t good teachers. I took piano and guitar lessons for short stints as a kid. I hated practicing. But I always loved fooling around musically. I had two great voice teachers, and I took voice lessons for about 6 years. The voice was easy, though. My vocal chords have always done what I wanted them to do…not so much with my fingers.
On 2002-12-09 19:21, ChrisLaughlin wrote:
What’s his name?
Chris
I think Tyg has overlooked this question. The teacher is Walter Sweet, Ralph Sweet’s son.
No, Bloo! Walt recommended Bill Hart, who is here in New Britain. He’s the fellow with the salt and pepper hair back in the pony tail, glasses, who typically plays a flute over on the Ox side of session when he can make it.
On 2002-12-10 12:36, tyghress wrote:
No, Bloo! Walt recommended Bill Hart, who is here in New Britain. He’s the fellow with the salt and pepper hair back in the pony tail, glasses, who typically plays a flute over on the Ox side of session when he can make it.
Ha! Sorry about that. But that is cool! I know him from the sessions, of course. Good for you, Tyg!
On 2002-12-10 11:37, JessieK wrote:
In my first year of playing whistle, I had one lesson from a local whistle guru. After that I didn’t touch a whistle for 4 months. I am just that way. I don’t like when people tell me what to play or how to practice. I do it my own way and I get there anyway, slowly, imperfectly, but self-motivated(ly) and inspired(ly). That goes for long-term lessons, I guess. I love workshops. I learned a lot from Joanie Madden and Cathal McConnell. I don’t know…maybe all the other instrument teachers I had weren’t good teachers. I took piano and guitar lessons for short stints as a kid. I hated practicing. But I always loved fooling around musically. I had two great voice teachers, and I took voice lessons for about 6 years. The voice was easy, though. My vocal chords have always done what I wanted them to do…not so much with my fingers.
> Jessie
Seems to me that you have natural muscial talent. I on the other hand, have none. I learn best by seeing it done, so a teacher would be helpful to me.
It’s really down to whatever works for you, but I find the whole scales thing dreadfully offputting and not necessary with the whistle.
There are some threads on tunes for beginners where people have identified tunes such as the songs “dawning of the day” or “the sally gardens” which allow you to practise bits of scales painlessly by incorporating them into the tunes.
