Chiff and Fipple Forums

Perhaps rather than simply ask a question which is sufficiently vague and maybe a bit subjective, I can add some examples of stuff I already like and am looking for more of: --This performance of An raibh tú ag an gcarraig?/The mother's delight by Martin Dowling --John McSherry playing the May Morni...

This might be perhaps an odd question, but what are some pieces of Irish (but also Scottish, particularly Scottish Gaelic/Western Isles/Highlands) music that you feel possess either a mystical or contemplative quality? I ask because I have a great interest in general esotericism and/or mysticism and...

Thanks for the reply, I've been watching Phil Hardy's tutorials on the low whistle the past few days actually. Really the piper's grip was awkward at first but I've mostly got it down now and can play the whistle fine. To give an example, I've mostly mastered playing "The Parting of Friends&quo...

Thanks, that makes sense now. But to return to a question I previously asked, how in the heck do you properly half-hole on a low whistle with piper's grip? Is it an up/down motion rather than left/right? Any tips or tricks in this area? Just seems clunky and awkward trying to half-hole so far, but t...

Thanks for the replies everyone, I will try to integrate the various pieces of advice I have received. Since the largest portion of Session friendly tunes are in the keys of D and G with a much smaller number tunes in C and A and F, I have to inquire after the source and names of the tunes you are p...

Oh and another thing...it seems I've been playing a few tunes on the whistle this past month using the wrong notes. For example, for Fs I've used F# and similarly for Cs I've used C# merely due to the convenience of those being actual holes on the whistle--in other words often I haven't been half-ho...

Thanks for the reply, looks like I will have to tinker around and practice until I get it down. Mentioning half-holing though, on a low whistle when one half-holes a note, should it be done with top/bottom halves rather than left/right halves? When I was playing my "high" whistle I halved ...

Sorry if this is a uber-noob (which I am) question, but I can't seem to find the answer I am looking for: On a Low D whistle (or D whistle in general) can one play C notes on the second octave? If so how is this done? I know all open holes is C# and covering the second two holes from the top or half...

Thanks for the replies. At least I know the name of the tune now but alas could find no ABC notation or even sheet music doing a basic search, so looks like I will have to try to learn by ear, though that will likely require some struggling on my part since I am new to whistle playing. Rather than c...

Hello, I was hoping someone could identify a particular tune for me. On the Chieftains album "The Chieftains 4" on the track "The Battle of Aughrim" there are a variety of tunes played (Return from Fingal is one of them for example) and I am specifically trying to find out what t...

Thanks for the replies. I asked regarding ceol mor because I've heard some people say it can only properly be played with the great highland bagpipes, but then I was aware of (and greatly enjoy) Bonnie Rideout's pibroch on fiddle, so I wondered whether it would work on whistle, specifically low whis...

Hello, I am new to the forum and honestly also new to the whistle (just started playing this past September.) That said I feel quite passionate about learning this instrument and while I am interested in a wide range of Irish and Scottish traditional music, what particularly attracted me to this ins...