Has anyone tried the whistle tutorials from Scoiltrad or Madfortrad? I’m new to this forum, and I would greatly appreciate any opinions.
Cheers,
Greg
Hey Greg, I got the MadforTrad tutorial for whistle and on the whole I find it okay. It basically gives a start-from-scratch approach, even with note reading classes.
Tunes and ornamentations are covered like in any other whistle tutorial, with the exception of video clips of Brian Finnegan playing all the session tunes. You get to see his fingers and all, which is an added plus. He also introduces a couple of his invented ornamentations and that is cool.
Otherwise, I feel that this is almost like any other tutorial in content and style, learn ornaments, learn easy tunes, advanced tunes. Not very spectacular (which I imagined it would be since Brian Finnegan is doing the tutoring).
There is a clip of him playing two reels (which he doesn’t teach) at performance pace at the end though. That is real nice.
p.s. I’d second the request for feedback of Scoiltrad classes!
[ This Message was edited by: Eldarion on 2001-10-27 08:58 ]
There was some discussion of the MadForTrad whistle CD-ROM a while back: Click here
Jamie loaned me his CD-ROM and like him I think it’s extremely well done. It works using your web browser, so navigating couldn’t be easier. There are plenty of tunes to learn and with the movie clips you can see exactly what the tutor is doing.
You get a lot of tunes and movie clips for your $39, so I think it’s great value. I haven’t seen the Scoiltrad lessons but it seems you get only one tune for each $30 lesson.
OTOH perhaps the Scoiltrad lessons are more detailed: On the MadforTrad CD-ROM, Brian Finnegan shows you all the ornaments he uses in the tunes, but doesn’t spend a great deal of time analyzing them and how to play them (or how not to play them).
And of course, Brian’s teaching is based on his own style of playing. If you like his style, as I do, you’ll love these lessons. For example, he demonstrates and uses loads of tongued triplets, but no crans (at least none that I could find). So if you want to learn crans, and if you are one of those that think tonguing has no part in traditional whistle playing, be warned.
The other thing you get with Scoiltrad that you don’t get with MfT is the chance to have the tutor assess your playing.
Edited because the URL didn’t work. Also note that Eldarion was penning his thoughts at the same time as I was. (Hi, Eld!)
[ This Message was edited by: StevieJ on 2001-10-27 09:10 ]
Eldarion and StevieJ,
Many thanks for the advice. I think I’ll have a go with Finnegan’s CD-ROM. Maybe I’ll try Scoiltrad later on when (if) I improve. I’ve got a long way to go. (sigh)
Regards,
Greg
My 2 cents -
Earlier this year I got the MadforTrad tutorial based on reviews here, but I was less than impressed. I don’t care for the web-based interface. There aren’t many beginner tunes, but the video clips are nice. Though sometimes his fingers are in the way and I can’t really see whether a hole is open or not. I had hoped for more info on ornamentation and the like.
I can’t read music yet which is why I went for the video tutorial. But it seems to me to be mainly a video recording of several tunes, and the sheet music of them as well. If I had had a chance to play with it before buying, I don’t think I would have spent $42 on it. That’s a lot for me, and I would rather have had another whistle and collected sound clips from online.
Sorry to make your choice harder, but that’s my experience with it. Good luck!
I’m very happy with the Madfortrad instructional. I found the video clips very helpful. I’m finally getting into ornaments. I was so impressed I ordered, and just received, the instructional for flute.
It seems to me to be mainly a video recording of several tunes, and the sheet music of them as well… I would rather have had another whistle and collected sound clips from online.
Avanutria, if you feel the money was ill spent, why not offer the tutor for sale here? I’m sure someone would take it off your hands for not much less than you paid for it… or swap it for a whistle!
I’d think that with the videos, if you really spend time with them, learning the tunes by ear and by eye, the fact that you can’t read music or see whether the odd hole is covered or not will soon become a non-issue. If you put the time in and listen to and watch Brian playing (ad infinitum), you’ve got a fair bit of what you need to become a decent player of Irish traditional music - no mean achievement.
People often don’t realize that the average tutor represents at least 5 or even 10 years of very sustained learning and practising, and a CD-ROM is no different.
Listening carefully and critically to good players is so important. I’d caution you against assuming that sound clips collected on-line are of the same value. No disrespect to posters on Clips and Snips and other such sites (after all, I’ve posted there myself), but you’re better off with Brian Finnegan.
Thanks for the thoughts, Stevie. I think I’ll give it another shot and then, maybe, I will post it for sale here.
Hey Stevie,
Brian Finnegan’s version of crans are taught under Advanced Jigs>The Mug of Brown Ale, after short rolls. They are the
XXX XXX
XXX XOX
XXX OXX
XXX XOX
XXX XXX
type.
With all that said…is there anybody out there willing to sell their MadForTrad whistle CD at cost??
My wife and I decided to stop all credit card spending a couple of months ago until EVERYTHING was paid off. That makes it pretty much impossible to order a new copy!