Beginner here, all suggestions welcome!

[Classy Lassie]

Hi everybody! I have recently decided to learn (or try to learn!) to play the tinwhistle. I've visited quite a few sites today and read through several tutorials. Now my poor head is spinning!

I happen to have a Waltons mellow D Irish whistle that my daughter just had to have a couple of years ago. Believe it or not, it has never been used! She just likes to collect shiny stuff. I've managed to get some musical sounds out of it and even played a couple of tunes that were on the extensive :roll: one page tutorial that came with the whistle!

Here's my problem. I really prefer the higher pitched whistles but have no idea what kind to get and what would be easiest to learn on. Also, I think the best way for me to start would be to find a good instruction book that is worded simply and easy for a middle aged mom to read. Is there a "Tin Whistle for Dummies" book??

And while I'm bombarding you all with questions, has anyone ever tried an Elfsong whistle??

Thanks,
CL

[Wormdiet]

The best advice I can give is to listen to other players, preferably in person!

If you were to self-study through a book, get one with a CD that repeats tunes and exercises so you can hear them.

Are you a musician already or is this your first instrument?

[BillChin]

Welcome. I cut my teeth on the Bill Ochs' book and tape (now in CD) and a Clarke C original. A Clarke Sweetone is a good starter whistle.

I have an Elfsong C/D combo. I bought it based on many positive responses here. That brand was very popular here on Chiff a while back, but like many things there is an ebb and flow to popularity. My Elfsong is a nice whistle, on the quiet side. Elfsong tubing is thicker than most other brands, so it helps to warm it up before playing. If I skip that step, the high D in particular seems to drift.

A lot of us have come to whistles later in life, so it is never too late. I suggest to always enjoy your music, and to practice every day, even if it is only for a few minutes. I find commercial breaks on TV are a good time to toot a bit.

Oh, and I agree with Wormdiet, if Irish Traditional Music is your goal, it is imperative to listen to high quality playing. If your interests are more varied, then sheet music, and notation may be plenty adequate.

[Lambchop]

1. You already have a whistle, and it's a fine one. (Have you considered flute, by the way???)

2. The tutorials on the net are good. Try this one:

www.whistletutor.com

There are posts here with lists of tutorials.

3. There is a very good CD available. It has lovely lessons with the music written out and a video clip, which you can loop and play along, of the tutor playing the piece. Brian Finnegan is the teacher. It's the MadForTrad Whistle Tutorial. Reasonably priced, considering what you get, and it will arrive promptly--often inside of a week.

This is a good option if you are not already able to read music, don't have access to anyone who plays trad, and most especially if you're musically impaired, as I am. You can make Brian play that piece for hours on end, and he never complains. Nor does he whine about how you sound!

www.madfortrad.com

4. There is another CD available, too. It's the set of beginner whistle lessons by the now-defunct Scoiltrad. Conal O'Grada is the tutor on this one and most of the tunes are different from the one on MadForTrad. The format is similar. Also reasonably priced at www.shannaquay.com. Again, the service from Shanna Quay is good and the CD will arrive in a week-ish. Quantities seem to be limited.

5. Don't become discouraged. Whistle is fun and your sound will get better almost magically as time goes on. Don't obsess about weird squeaks and whatnot quite yet. It'll all clear up eventually.

[Jack]

Welcome! Post often!

[Classy Lassie]

Thanks for all the replies! I've been to a couple of the websites mentioned here and they were helpful to a certain extent. Seeing as how my computer is in the same room as the TV...and I have two teenage daughters...and school is out... :roll: I think I would do better with a book I can take to my bedroom and a cd I can pop in the old Walkman. I will check out the one BillChin suggested.

I should have mentioned that I play the bagpipe. I'm reasonably proficient at reading music for instruments with 9 notes but the music for tinwhistle looks a bit more complicated. At least I won't get winded or work up a sweat playing a whistle though!

[Random notes]

I should have mentioned that I play the bagpipe.

Yes, you should have. I gather from the clues that you get winded and only have 9 notes at your disposal that you play the GHB's and not their civilized cousin, the UP. That's okay; C&F'ers are a welcoming, non-judgemental lot. (The fact that I am tolerated here goes a long way to proving that.)

We also tend to be a tad fickle about whistles - not the love of them, of course, but love for a particular whistle seems to come and go. If you hang out on this forum long enough you will see any number of opportunities to obtain a new (to you) whistle. Of course, once you have a full-blown case of WhOA (it's only a matter of time now) then you can also participate in the great swirling whistle swap.

Welcome, and be sure to stop by the Pub so you can get a handle on what kind of crowd you have fallen in with. We're not the kind your mother warned you about, but she probably would have had she known.

Roger

[PhilO]

I too started with the Bill Ochs tunebook and cassette (now available with CD) and highly recommend it to get started. you could start with some of the traditional less expensive models and yours Walton) could be a good one. The Whistle Shop is a good source online for these.

I personally hate Sweetones and would not recommend them for a beginner entry into this music; that's just me.

As for Elfsong, I have a D and a C - they are very beautiful whistles - while not my very favorites they are quite nice in tone and playability - at that price range though I'd opt for a Burke or a Sindt.

Don't worry about the whistles too much like the rest of us nuts; listen to the music and enjoy.

Best,

Philo

[Lambchop]

I should have mentioned that I play the bagpipe. I'm reasonably proficient at reading music for instruments with 9 notes but the music for tinwhistle looks a bit more complicated.

Much more so! It has at least 10, and sometimes 11, usable notes!

Well, not counting some accidentals.

They are for me, at least.

[scarhand]

I also play the GHP among lots of other instruments, but nothing beats tinwhistles for portability and friendliness and swiftness of learning!

[Unseen122]

Welcome.

Obviously I am a GHB player myself (see avatar).

[Tyghress]

Pipers have the advantage of already learning to embellish as you go. All those lovely written grace notes will turn into very nice taps and cuts and cranns on the whistle with very little stress on your part.

Pipers, like fifers it seems, have a tendancy to overblow. Think about breathing into the instrument rather than blowing.

Go to Brother Steve's pages. If you're a complete musical beginner you really need one of the written tutorials, but Bro Steve is a step beyond that. I have four different tutorials, and learned a bit from each of them.

Listening to the music will help more than any book, but I think recorded music is better for learning than relying on live players unless those live players are extremely patient and have lots of time (they're called tutors or teachers usually!). CD's don't mind playing the same tune over and over and over. And if you get something like The Amazing Slowdowner you can slow down any cut on a CD, isolate phrases and repeat them until you finally understand, and even shift pitch if you need to move a pesky Bflat tune into D.

have fun. . .
Tyg

[bjs]

Welcome. I cut my teeth on the Bill Ochs' book and tape (now in CD) and a Clarke C original. A Clarke Sweetone is a good starter whistle.

Me too. A good way to start. Gets you into the taps, rolls etc gently as you learn the tunes. Also a nice variety of tunes to learn.

Brian

[Classy Lassie]

Tygress, you are absolutely right about the overblowing! It didn't take too long to figure that out! Ouch...my ears! However, I find it difficult to get the higher notes to sound unless I blow harder (not unlike playing the GHB) and when I do, it sounds too shrill or the transition from low to high notes sounds sloppy. I guess it's something I'll have to learn by doing. I believe I'm going to order Bill Och's book today. I want something that will start with the very basics. I'm one of those perfectionist types who prefers to go slowly and perfect one thing before moving on to another and I think a book and cd are the best way for me to go.

Unfortunately, there are no whistle players in my area for me to listen to or take lessons from so I'll probably be bugging the daylights out of all you nice folks on here. You've helped a lot already! Thanks!

[Wormdiet]

Tygress, you are absolutely right about the overblowing! It didn't take too long to figure that out! Ouch...my ears! However, I find it difficult to get the higher notes to sound unless I blow harder (not unlike playing the GHB) and when I do, it sounds too shrill or the transition from low to high notes sounds sloppy. I guess it's something I'll have to learn by doing. I believe I'm going to order Bill Och's book today. I want something that will start with the very basics. I'm one of those perfectionist types who prefers to go slowly and perfect one thing before moving on to another and I think a book and cd are the best way for me to go.

Unfortunately, there are no whistle players in my area for me to listen to or take lessons from so I'll probably be bugging the daylights out of all you nice folks on here. You've helped a lot already! Thanks!

Excellent - another member of the GHB underground.

One day we will rise up and sweep all before us. The handwriting is on the wall!