How long till you could play in public?

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Mon Feb 17, 2003 11:46 pm

After about 9 months I can almost make a whistle play. Sometimes I'll take it with me when I go to hear a certain pub session, and I may join in if they play something which I know, but I haven't learned enough tunes to justify sitting with them and drinking the free Guiness, although I have been invited to do so. I don't have any problem with stage fright, although I do get a pleasant little adrenalin rush.

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Tue Feb 18, 2003 12:28 am

Maybe tomorrow. Or the next day.

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Tue Feb 18, 2003 12:42 am

Well, I started taking my whistle everywhere with me and playing wherever I found myself within weeks of picking it up...but then, I was 15 years old, and it never occurred to me that people wouldn't think that was just wonderful. I'm a bit shyer now

Redwolf

DazedinLA · Post by **DazedinLA** » Tue Feb 18, 2003 6:50 am

Tony is right...the General Population is clueless. Almost immediately after starting I found a nice park at the Sarasota marina with a view of the boats and the ocean (ok, well, Tampa Bay, but it looks like the ocean) and played in public...get this...because I didnt want to annoy my neighbors. I played in the park for over a month before I went to my first session, and having played in the park in front of people and with small crowds made playing in the session much easier.

Of course, playing outdoors in the wind inspired me to design the Amazing Fippleshield, and Dazed Industries was born. So there are many benefits to playing outdoors...

DAZED

Aodhan · Post by **Aodhan** » Tue Feb 18, 2003 8:55 am

On 2003-02-17 08:46, MSzychulda wrote:
Just curious how long it took you all till you were good enough to play your whistle in public and what did you play?

I know everyone learns at a different rate, but I am teaching myself (no instructor within 200 miles)and am just curious what I can look forward to (rather than playing twinkle twinkle little star for my wife )

I ordered the bill ochs book and cd as recommended on this forum, and my sister and mother are very good at the piano,harp and accordian so I hope I inherated a little skill. Thanks!

For me it actually depends on the audience. I have two slip jigs that I play with our dance group for performances (I dance the rest of the time). I have absolutely no problem sitting down and busking at faires, since the general public won't "hear" my mistakes like I will.

However, get me sitting down at our Wed. night session? About the only time I get enough nerve to play is either noodling between regular tunes, or when our guitarist takes pity on me and plays "Fields of Athenry", or "Kesh Jig".

Aodhan

breedlovejumbo · Post by **breedlovejumbo** » Tue Feb 18, 2003 9:17 am

On 2003-02-18 07:50, DazedinLA wrote:
Tony is right...the General Population is clueless.

It is usually only the musicians in the audience who are even listening intently enough to hear any mistakes. My guess is that the general population does't really know what instrument I am playing. (That flutey thing sounded great!)

JayMitch · Post by **JayMitch** » Tue Feb 18, 2003 9:45 am

Well, I guess I'm sort of at the transition point. I started playing at a local session for the first time about a month ago. I'm still sort of feeling my way. I find that I know maybe two-thirds of the tune that come up. For the others, I just listen or play very softly. I'm having a lot of fun, though, and everyone's been really encouraging.

The last hurdle for me was the speed thing. This session is pretty relaxed, but it is definitely *not* a slow session. But the ability to play fast enough sort of came together all at once. Actually, it seems like progress usually comes in unexpected steps, rather than gradually.

I've been playing a bit over two years now.

By the way, I'm not sure the public is all that clueless. Well, maybe most of them are, but I'm afraid some are just being polite.

cailindeas · Post by **cailindeas** » Tue Feb 18, 2003 10:33 am

My experience has been a lot like JayMitch's, just not as far along -- 6 months of lots of practice and weekly sessions (abetted by 10 years of concert flute as a young'un) and I am just about holding my own on a fair number of tunes.

I realize this is a nice problem to have, but sometimes I find that the link between my playing at home and in the session is a weak one. All my nice cuts and rolls go out the window as I just try to keep up (I really look forward to the fit or start that helps me over that one!) And I forget where tunes go in the heat of the chase, which is the worst thing! The look of panic on my face when kind session leaders ask me to start a tune is surely comical. And yet for all that, you do make progress over time. Well, some days you do...

spittin_in_the_wind · Tue Feb 18, 2003 10:37 am

On 2003-02-17 22:49, Jeferson wrote:
On 2003-02-17 10:30, breedlovejumbo wrote:
I played at church 2 weeks after I picked up the whistle. Of course, my very first instrument was saxophone, which is remarkably similar. Now, I don't have enough air to get a decent tone on sax, but the fingers remember quickly.
Breeder, you're scaring me. My story is remarkably similar to yours, although it took a month for me, and the sax is still doing its thing. It's amazing how easy it is to play basic stuff on a whistle after playing the sax! I think it's why I prefer to cross-finger the C nat instead of doing the half-hole thing...there's no way to half hole on a sax, unless you're cheating to bend notes with a semi-closed key instead of using your mouth.

Jef

I agree with both of you....the sax made it incredibly easy to pick up the whistle! The main thing I have had to get used to is not being able to slide notes with my mouth; now I do it with the fingers, so big deal!

I think I could play in public now, but I haven't really memorized anything yet, just mostly playing from sheet music. Also there's no where to play around here in the winter (i.e., parks, etc.); I'm sure the neighbors will get an earful this summer.

The main thing I'm thinking about now with my playing is learning to play authentically, like Irish tradition rather than jazz, which is what I tend to slip into when things get fast. I'm sure there's a different emphasis on the notes, but my fingers right now are telling me they know better!

This is one of the most enjoyable things I have found in decades, and I'm really grateful for the opportunity to learn!

Robin

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Tue Feb 18, 2003 10:49 am

Robin,
If I may take a slight detour from the subject of this thread...I have read several times of the closeness of sax and whistle. Which of the saxaphones is closest to the key and fingering of say a D whistle? I have thought of trying sax for a long time but never got around to it. Thanks.
Mike

breedlovejumbo · Post by **breedlovejumbo** » Tue Feb 18, 2003 11:29 am

Saxophones are in B flat (soprano and tenor) and E flat (alto and baritone). The fingering is exactly the same on all of them. With a sax, you have to use your pinkies, the palm of your left hand, and the place between your thumb and forefinger on your right hand for it to be fully chromatic. But, and here is the good part, the fingering with the other fingers is the same (except for the octave key on the left thumb). So, when you pick up a whistle or a sax and put all six fingers down, you play a D. Just the three fingers of the left hand gives you a G. Of course, with the key differences, the D and G are not a concert D and G, like it is with a D whistle (but not a C whistle).

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Tue Feb 18, 2003 11:55 am

On 2003-02-18 12:29, breedlovejumbo wrote:
Saxophones are in B flat (soprano and tenor) and E flat (alto and baritone). The fingering is exactly the same on all of them. With a sax, you have to use your pinkies, the palm of your left hand, and the place between your thumb and forefinger on your right hand for it to be fully chromatic. But, and here is the good part, the fingering with the other fingers is the same (except for the octave key on the left thumb). So, when you pick up a whistle or a sax and put all six fingers down, you play a D. Just the three fingers of the left hand gives you a G. Of course, with the key differences, the D and G are not a concert D and G, like it is with a D whistle (but not a C whistle).

Thanks. Now back to the thread which is already in progress...
Mike

spittin_in_the_wind · Post by **spittin_in_the_wind** » Tue Feb 18, 2003 1:15 pm

On 2003-02-18 11:49, burnsbyrne wrote:
Robin,
If I may take a slight detour from the subject of this thread...I have read several times of the closeness of sax and whistle. Which of the saxaphones is closest to the key and fingering of say a D whistle? I have thought of trying sax for a long time but never got around to it. Thanks.
Mike

I think breedlovejumbo answered your question, but I'd like to add, that in my experience, most western wind instruments behave more or less the same, with minor variations. DE, GAB are generally fingered the same, F and C, C#, etc. can have some minor variations. So, a sax, clarinet, flute are fairly easily playable, if you know one of them. I believe oboe also follows the basic fingering system.

If you want to try the sax, you might want to take at least a couple of lessons, or get some help with someone who already plays, just to get the embouchere right from the beginning. It's a little more complicated than the whistle, and when you hear "bad sax", it's usually due to an undeveloped embouchere. But go for it, it's a kick to play, and you should have no problem learning the fingering and playing tunes right off the bat!

Robin

P.S., but be warned, it's a LOT louder than the whistle, even when played quietly!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: spittin_in_the_wind on 2003-02-18 14:16 ]</font>

TonyHiggins · Post by **TonyHiggins** » Tue Feb 18, 2003 2:29 pm

By the way, I'm not sure the public is all that clueless. Well, maybe most of them are, but I'm afraid some are just being polite.

I've always considered that a distinct possibility.

I played with a band last St Patrick's Day at a pub. The audience was appreciative. (About a 1/3 of the audience was related to me...) My sister told me she went outside for a smoke and this guy says, "They're just a bunch of Irish wannabes." She tells him, "I'll have you know their whistle player was born in Dublin." He says, "I knew I'd get in trouble for saying that." So, did he like our playing? Who knows?
Tony

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Tue Feb 18, 2003 2:44 pm

At the rate I'm progressing, I expect to be willing to perform in public somewhere about March of 2057, at wich time I'll be almost 110 years old.