Can I sound horrible?

scarlett · Post by **scarlett** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:14 pm

Hello everybody,
Today I bought a Clarke Sweetone high "D" tin whistle and started playing. I play the violin for many years, now, I say I'm a fairly decent player. I have no problems with the flute, either (I learnt to play the recorder) but as I started to play a song this evening my mother just asked me to stop. Begged me to stop...
Well she doesn't think much of traditional whistle playing, either...

Scarlett

PS: I'm really sorry for my English, I'm German^^

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:39 pm

Whistle is, according to my wife, best played in a field...very far away from her.

Seriously, it's always louder than you think, and the repetitive nature of Irish music can make the high shrill sound unbearable to those not playing along with you.

Just my guess - you don't stink, you just play whistle.

Eric

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:55 pm

Hi Scarlett,

Join the club !
I've been playing alone for 4 years now, and either everyone leaves the building, or makes it known with " isn't that enough now looks"

It hasn't stopped me though !

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 4:10 pm

yaa dont worry, they will either get used to it, orrr you do what i do and wait till eveyones gone, it helps if you buy a lower whistle not quite as loud, Bflat is good to start with

synergy · Post by **synergy** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 4:56 pm

Yeah, here too. It also doesn't help when I use a session bore whistle. I believe the Sweetone is on the medium side of loudness. There are several quiet whistle makers out there. Perhaps you could try a Mack Hoover narrow bore brass - he can make them very quiet.

Jason Paul · Post by **Jason Paul** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:42 pm

I agree as well. I get the same thing from my wife. It's not so much the quality of the playing as the characteristics of the whistle.

Even the best whistles will be high-pitched, and generally loud - two qualities not best suited for close quarters.

Unless of course it's close quarters COMBAT!

Jason

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:44 pm

Low whistle is your friend.

Carey · Post by **Carey** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:08 pm

That's the main reason the Every whistle has a mute.

Wife couldn't stand whistle playing. And she agrees it's not the quality of the playing, although repeating a tune to get it quicker makes her nuts faster.

Blaydo · Post by **Blaydo** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:44 pm

Damn if I could play the Violin and the Flute I wouldn't bother with the whistle! A German friend of mine comes to visit in Ireland 3 or 4 times a year, he plays Violin and was classically trained but now plays Irish trad. He's played in lots of pubs in Dublin and Clare and always gets big cheers from the audience and the highest of compliments from other musicians. Have you tried playing any Irish trad on that Violin???

Maeloc · Post by **Maeloc** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:13 am

My wife begs me to go somewhere far when I start playing in the same room, along with the "too shrill" comments. If I'm in other room the "closed doors" poltergeist starts inmediately

s1m0n wrote:Low whistle is your friend.

that seems to work; I recently learned to control my D Overton and sometimes dare to play in the garden, they don't run away anymore!!

scarlett · Post by **scarlett** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 2:44 am

I'm relieved! Because I think it's a wonderful instrument and I would be very frustrated when was so terrible at playing it

@Blaydo Yeah, I'm playin Irish traditional on the violin, well , I love playing Irish traditional and honestly, I often forget to do my 'classic' homework because Irish music is much more fun to play... I think... unfortunatly not my teacher

walrii · Post by **walrii** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 7:29 am

Or you could sound horrible. Especially in the second octave, small changes in breath volume, pressure and air speed can create ear-piercing sounds. Things smooth out with practice. That said, I agree with all the previous posts that whistle music is an acquired taste. My wife has gone from "Not in this house" to "That sounded pretty good when I was three rooms away" in about three years of practice. I credit her opinion change in about equal measure to my improved playing and her increased understanding of the music. Or maybe her hearing is just going bad...

scarlett · Post by **scarlett** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 9:38 am

Na, it's not because of the second octave... I never played it when she was near^^

TheSpoonMan · Post by **TheSpoonMan** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 2:53 pm

(Ihr Englisch ist gut- viel besser als mein Deutsch, weiss ich- also seien Sie nicht so scheu

viel Glück mit dem Musik! - ist "mit" richtig?)

Record yourself playing a bit, then listen to it. Then put it away for a week and listen then. What comes out what might be different than what you're hearing when your lips are on the thing.

scarlett · Post by **scarlett** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 3:05 pm

[quote="TheSpoonMan"](Ihr Englisch ist gut- viel besser als mein Deutsch, weiss ich- also seien Sie nicht so scheu

viel Glück mit dem Musik! - ist "mit" richtig?)
quote]
Thank you!
well, I'd say your German is quite good^^ the 'mit' is correct but it's 'viel Glück mit der Musik'