I’m supposed to take the introductory lesson for our homeschool tutorial program this Friday. I’m not much of a teacher (nor a whistle player…yet), but it’s pretty simple stuff: introducing the instrument, contrasting cacophony and harmony, introducing the treble staff and notes, plus fingering charts.
I am wide open to any suggestions anyone may have. 
Okay, I’ve been relieved of all the theory part of it…anything in particular y’all think I should say about the tin whistle itself?
Be prepared for the most basic question: What’s tin?
We live in a plastic and aluminum age.
Okay, does anybody have a comprehensive list of all the keys that whistles come in? Not that I need to name all of them, but to give them an idea that some whistles are way bigger than theirs, and some are even smaller. I do need to explain why theirs is a high D whistle…
I wouldn’t worry about any of that.
Start them blowing with one or two fingers down. Have a tune that will work with two fingers, like Hot Crossed Buns (if it will – no whistle handy to try). Build from there, adding more fingers at future lessons.
That’s how Recorder instruction goes in elementary school.
Check out Bill Ochs’ new program for teaching whistles in school:
http://www.pennywhistle.com/schoolsales.html
Heckuva deal for 5 bucks.
Something like this?
http://www.chiffandfipple.com/whistlekeys.html
Colin Goldie makes whistles in most standard keys
I think highland-piper has the right idea. Focus on a simple tune that most of the kids can do successfully during the time you have. They have fun and leave with a feeling of accomplishment. Theory and background can come later after their interest is sparked.
We have several weeks to learn some tunes. This is just the intro session. We will have them produce “cacophony” and then show them how to sound a couple of easy notes, like “B” and “A,” and then demonstrate the scale. Oh, and by the way, I’m back to having to teach basic theory, too.
But I thought I’d do a (very) brief introduction to the instrument and its main musical tradition right before we start making a lot of noise! LOL! I was going to do a handout to give to parents listing further resources, if the families want to progress with the instrument later on.
These are all ages in one assembly, from as young as four, to eleven-ish–so I don’t want to drone on very long.
Something like this?
Yes! I knew I remembered seeing that chart somewhere! So, from high G to low A…
Check out Bill Ochs’ new program for teaching whistles in school:
http://www.pennywhistle.com/schoolsales.html
Heckuva deal for 5 bucks.
Oh cool! I’ll have to send that to our director.
My wife teaches recorder. I think they do that in third grade.
Be prepared for drool.
Thanks, everyone! We got through the first two bars of “Twinkle Twinkle” without too much drool!