Do/did you learn the whistle with a teacher or by yourself?

skh · Post by **skh** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:39 pm

Ok, another poll - did you learn the whistle with a teacher or all by yourself (from books, CDs and plain genius)?

RonKiley · Post by **RonKiley** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:54 pm

I knew someone would put up the poll when I mentioned it on the other thread. With 6 votes so far just as I said all self taught.
Ron

skh · Post by **skh** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 2:58 pm

RonKiley wrote:I knew someone would put up the poll when I mentioned it on the other thread.

Yes, it was too tempting

Sonja

madguy · Post by **madguy** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 3:22 pm

Self-taught, also, due to the trauma induced by seven years of piano lessons.

~Larry

TelegramSam · Post by **TelegramSam** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 3:33 pm

all by me lonesome, but only because I CAN'T FIND A SINGLE FRIKKIN OTHER WHISTLE PLAYER.

*grumbles*

madguy · Post by **madguy** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 3:35 pm

TelegramSam wrote:all by me lonesome, but only because I CAN'T FIND A SINGLE FRIKKIN OTHER WHISTLE PLAYER.

*grumbles*

The only other one I've ever found nearby is Jim Rementer (of Copeland whistles), and due to differences in work hours, we could never possibly get together.

~Larry

Tyghress · Post by **Tyghress** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 4:24 pm

By myself for the most part, but then I found a teacher and now I have the encouragement on a weekly basis. Before that I had an occasional 'lesson' from someone with more experience, but not official lessons, and recently its been a very occasional fair and festival workshop.

So I guess officially I'm in all categories.

madguy · Post by **madguy** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 4:36 pm

Seems like you've found the best of all worlds, Tygh.

~Larry

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Sat Aug 09, 2003 9:10 pm

I started learning by myself, then I started lessons a couple of months ago. I have really progressed with a teacher. I have also found it hard to break some bad habits I learned by myself.

alex · Post by **alex** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 1:10 am

How about three years of flute lessons, then self-taught on the whistle? The fingerings are almost the same!

(speaking of, anyone want an selmer flute? it's for sale!)

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 5:15 am

Came to the whistle via recorder, which I still play avidly and taught myself. I used Robin Williamson's book, and the Bill Ochs cassette/book combo to make the transition. One day of a Mary Bergin workshop helped a lot, as did a workshop with local whistle/pipes/hammer dulcimer player Ray Wall ( who also owns a terrific Mexican restaurant in Albany--- go figure...)

BillChin · Post by **BillChin** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 9:32 am

alex wrote:How about three years of flute lessons, then self-taught on the whistle? The fingerings are almost the same!

(speaking of, anyone want an selmer flute? it's for sale!)

Alex,

I would imagine that a similar poll on flutes would have opposite results. I expect that the majority of flute players are teacher taught, and few self-taught. I believe one reason is the higher initial cost of flutes and the difficulty getting started (getting clear notes from a flute is non-trivial).

I am self-taught on the whistle, but limited in what I can play.
+ Bill

Celtoid · Post by **Celtoid** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 12:35 pm

We have no teachers around here for the whistle. My son had a good Gemeinhardt Boehm flute that was wonderful to hear but intimidated me....so I bought a couple of cheap whistles and a couple of how-to books, and figured, well...no risk here... and only six holes. I did love itm and dreamed of being able to play even one tune but knew nothing at all about music or music theory, and did not trust my ear at all. But after alot of work and some pretty horrible sounds my family no longer complains(much), and with the help of my son, can read music now which helps to get started. His criticism was the best teacher available, and he was always willing to work with me on basic music skills. He would play the flute and I would play the whistle...he a swan and me a duck. Then WHOA hit and it seemed like, well...maybe my progress would improve with a better whistle..so after the Sindt came in we had a long honeymoon together. Now I have a whole collection of whistles as well as a couple of flutes. The Gemeinhardt flute does'nt scare me anymore, and since my son gave it up for an alto sax, I like to play it as well as the Hall glass flute. It's not as scary as it looked.

But when it comes right down to it I am learning with my quiet Clarke original and my own ears and trying to play from memory as it is a hundred times more fun. How odd to discover parts of the brain that have to do with remembering music...that have never been used. My goal is just to be able to play with a couple of friends on a regular basis just for good times... someday...

corinthia · Post by **corinthia** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 2:08 pm

I was only fortunate enough to stumble upon a friend of the family who knew how to play tin whistle, right around when I was interested in learning. An old colleague of my mother's happened to have a piper husband, who also plays whistle. He agreed to give me lessons, and the rest is history.

However, though lessons with him were extremely helpful, I don't think that it was necessary for me to take lessons for a full two years. Whistle is such a simple instrument, that I could have stopped taking lessons after a year and continued to study by myself.

desert_whistler · Post by **desert_whistler** » Sun Aug 10, 2003 2:26 pm

Like Tyghress, I'm in all categories: Started learning on my own, then signed up for lessons. We have an Irish Cultural Center here in Phoenix with a superb whistle teacher. All that's available, though, are group lessons. That's very good for getting experience playing with folks, but in a 6 or so person class, you don't get much instructor attention (not complaining, mind you...better group than nothing. And this instructor is quite good). I've also used Scoiltrad once, which was very helpful.

Chiff and Fipple Forums

Do/did you learn the whistle with a teacher or by yourself?

Do you or did you take lessons to learn the whistle?

Do/did you learn the whistle with a teacher or by yourself?