Hello from a new member!

[Arthurclan]

I would like to say hello to you all, i have finally decided to join after having a good look through and what can i say but what a great forum! I have not long started to learn but have a few whistles already, two standard feadogs, a feadog pro d, a dixon sv and hopefully soon a Fred Rose (if only to look at and inspire me to learn and become good enough to want to play it!) Also may i ask if anybody could please recommend an air to learn for a beginner? many thanks. I look forward to learning a lot from this great forum.

All the best

Jay

[Feadoggie]

Welcome to C&F.

Also may i ask if anybody could please recommend an air to learn for a beginner?

Airs are a matter of personal expression. And a difficult place to start on whistle. They are songs sung on the whistle in a sense. If there is a song you love to sing, try playing it on the whistle.

That said, I am quite fond of Marcus Hernon's Air.

Feadoggie

[DrPhill]

Also may i ask if anybody could please recommend an air to learn for a beginner? many thanks.

Welcome to you. This is a great place to be.

I started on low whistle - what I really wanted to play, and learnt slow tunes. Airs are actually quite tricky, especially as there is no 'right' way to play them, so it is difficult to get feed back as to how you are doing. How about picking a slow tune with a definite rhythm? A waltz for example. I found/find those easy, and you can practice keeping a steady rhythm against a metronomes, for example. I found jigs and reels and hornpipes daunting to start with.......

The South Wind, for example, or Fanny Power, or Si Bheag Si Mhor. You can find dots for all those on TheSession.org, and more versions than you can shake a stick at on YouTube. Pick something you like, and keep the motivation levels high. After all, it should be fun.

Another thing I found useful was recording myself (I still do). You will be your own keenest critic..........

[Peewit]

Another song that's lovely on the whistle or flute is The Parting Glass, and you could try March of the Kings of Laois. I agree with Dr Phill's ideas too. Have fun!

[ecohawk]

Feadoggie said it right.

Slow songs seem easier but take it from one who tried starting there, they can be the most challenging and frustrating of all since every note, articulation, ornament and embellishment is on display with plenty of time to make really ugly mistakes. Breath control is more difficult when notes must be held for long periods of time.

But I survived, and so likely will you. They are still my favorites.

I'd try Down by the Sally Gardens if I were you. The Parting Glass as DrPhill noted is indeed a great tune/song. Amhran Na Lebhair (spelling?) is good too. My favorite is Roisin Dubh, but not a good place to start.

Good luck and welcome.

ecohawk

[Arthurclan]

Thankyou to you all for your welcomes and your suggestions/advice on where to start! Something tells me I am going to have great fun and frustrations in the months to come!

All the best

Jay

[Lars Larry Mór Mott]

March of the Kings of Laois is one of the most haunting tunes i have heard. Especially on the uilleann pipes, i remember being spellbound when i first heard the Chieftains play it. Thin Lizzy actually used pices of it in the song Roisin Dúbh as well.
Edit: some tunes i think is good practice:
Famous Ballymote
Leitrim fancy
Kid on the mountain
they sound good both pretty straightforward and with rolls cuts and cranns when you build confidence

[Arthurclan]

Again thankyou for the advice but i think i have another problem now, today I only set out to look for the songs that have been mentioned and have ended up buying an Ellis c/d whistle set! I hope this doesn't happen every time I look at anything whistle related?

[CelesteGB]

Again thankyou for the advice but i think i have another problem now, today I only set out to look for the songs that have been mentioned and have ended up buying an Ellis c/d whistle set! I hope this doesn't happen every time I look at anything whistle related?

I'm afraid so. You might be saved if you avoid the "What's your favorite whistle" type threads

Happy Whistling!

Celeste

[osage59]

Welcome aboard, and thanks for asking that "air" question. (I have six months of experience playing now and it will be some time before I play anything too speedy!)

[paulspeakman]

I would like to say hello to you all, i have finally decided to join after having a good look through and what can i say but what a great forum! I have not long started to learn but have a few whistles already, two standard feadogs, a feadog pro d, a dixon sv and hopefully soon a Fred Rose (if only to look at and inspire me to learn and become good enough to want to play it!) Also may i ask if anybody could please recommend an air to learn for a beginner? many thanks. I look forward to learning a lot from this great forum.

All the best

Jay

Hi there
Me too a beginner and wondered how you are getting on with your Ellis set, which are also tempting me.

or maybe a dixon mmmm.....

Paul

[JTC111]

Another good tune is Mo Ghile Mear. It gives you lots of opportunity to be creative.

[maki]

Welcome and hello.

I like to look over Youtube vids.
Many are beginners, but when you get a good one they are gold.

Here is another place where clips are posted;
http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/slowairs.html
Same deal, not everything is a masterpeice, but the good ones are great.

With both sources you learn to follow certain people.

Good luck.

[Skyclad01]

Another good air (and was my first one learned) is The Hills Of Lorne

[Tommy]

I would like to say hello to you all, Also may i ask if anybody could please recommend an air to learn for a beginner? many thanks. I look forward to learning a lot from this great forum.

All the best

Jay

Welcome to C&F and the exciting world of whistles. Start with any air that suits you. Then play it till you like it, then play it some more and another one.