newbie with lots of questions

[ytliek]

... as I tend to quit if things don't go my way straight away.

Christel Rice whistle & flute instructor http://www.woodenflutegirl.blogspot.com/

(and if you're having a bad day... checkout Christel's Facebook page)

Taken from Christel Rice's Facebook page.

[whiskey9890]

Well 2 days in and I'm having fun, Mary had a little lamb is almost second nature, twinkle twinkle and London bridge are doable and I can do a teeny bit of down the sally gardens. Got my bill ochs book today so going to be working through that, although reading the bits about all the ornamentation make my head hurt.

The downside is my whistle sounds like a recorder to me and I seem to be playing it like one, blowing each note (not even tounging them, actually blowing them) but it's improving... Slightly

[ytliek]

You have everything you need, pennywhistle, lesson book, and the only thing to do now is practice, a lot, and keep having fun!

[German Whistler]

Just follow the book step by step ... and you will learn it on a good way
you will also learn to tounge (not blow recorderlike as u say) with that book
follow the book step by step during the lessons and you will learn on an improoved way

i have that book but i did start with another one first, than i got the bill ochs book but didnt follow it step by step.... i am still not very far in it but i do know that way i went "i lost plenty time on wrong roads" which i wouldnt have lost when i would have started with and followed that book

this book teaches you how to play, how to read notation, how to do ornaments, plenty tunes .... its usefull, use it

[maki]

So now you have everything.....
All that is required to improve is lots of practice.
Don't neglect to listen to as much good music as you can take.
'Program' your brain with the right beat, lift, and lilt of the music you most want to play.
Take a deep breath, and relax, this will take years. But thats OK, we have the time,
and it really is about the journey, so enjoy learn to enjoy the growing pains.

Has this link been posted here?
(One of my favorites, the whistling and fluting is just awesome.)
http://www.rogermillington.com/tunetoc/index.html

[Mr.Gumby]

(One of my favorites, the whistling and fluting is just awesome.)

Although at this point, ten years on or so, it may be worth updating the soundclips as there's no longer the need to have them tailored for dial up connections and there are now ways of digitising them that do not involve a handheld cassette recorder, the computer's microphone and windows soundrecorder.

[ianfusa]

Glad you're having fun with your new whistle - I warn you, it can be addictive and soon you'll be wanting whistles in different keys and different makes to get different tones . . .

Just to put in my two cents, two pence or tuppence worth, on the subject of reading music - I would recommend trying to learn. Learning the music that you need for a whistle is much easier than for, for example, the piano. You only need to be able to read one note at a time over a 2 octave range AND most whistle music is in D major or G major, which makes it even easier! If you want to get books of tin whistle music, they will be "proper" music, not ABC notation (though I'm sure there must be some in ABC). For any musician, increasing their knowledge of music in general is always a good thing.

One other thing, reading music really is not as hard as you may think - I've know several people who've convinced themselves they cannot before they've tried though.

Ian

[megapop]

What ianfusa said!

[German Whistler]

... on the subject of reading music - I would recommend trying to learn....

I, for example did start to learn to play the penny whistle many years ago, but didnt know to read music and did feel that i cant learn whistling without

i didnt find a good source for learning notations online those days, and no books in my language, so i did quitt whistling after a few days or weeks again, all i did know was one or 2 little melodies and playing by ear did seam very difficult to me those days

this year i started whistling again and just did so because i found a book teaching it WITH reading music
now i know it would be possible without but i am happy that i learned reading notation and still use more time on reading music and musictheory than on learning tunes ....anyway it gives me a feeling of a good foundation and i understand music much better, that makes my whistling better, i belive (and or hope )

[Cayden]

Whiskey9890,
Now you did it! Like others have warned, you will find yourself wanting to fill voids of time tootimg away on your new whistle. And, it is very probable that your singular whistle will grow into an ever expanding fleet of tune tubes.

Have fun with it and keep at it. You will see continuing improvement if you make time for regular practice.

Cheers,
Cayden

[whiskey9890]

I've asked Santa for another whistle, a feadog pro, still in d. I want to see how a different whistle feels, had 3 days with no practice over the weekend and its killed me, so have just had a nice toot for an hour, progress isbeing made sweet Betsy from pike is almost recognisable and the high d is coming along, but I need to work on my finger speed. I am going to persevere with the reading music like anything it just takes practice.

[ecohawk]

Welcome!

I predict that upon receiving the Feadog Pro, you will put the Meg away. You will then go after a Freeman Mellow Dog or Bluebird or Parks Walkabout, and the others will then sleep together in the same drawer.

ecohawk