How long have you played the whistle?

[Dale]

Spooky. Check out that distribution. I'm sure it will smooth out with a larger n, but it would almost be normally distributed with a weird drop-out in the center category.

[talasiga]

We havn't had a pole in a while, so I thought I would post one.

Well... I chose "10-20 years", though it's actually been more like 30, but if you take into consideration the looooooong gaps between actually putting effort into it, and the short time I've actually concentrated on learning more and getting better, it's more like 5-10 years, so I split the diff ... but that's kinda hard to cover in a poll.

I am one of the whistle players in the 40+ category. That doesn't mean I'm phantastic and doesn't mean I am ITM. The first whistle I ever had was an Indian made Bb whistle which my dad gave me when I left home as a child.

I think your logic is quite silly. I mean, for example, if you look at someone who plays one hour daily but has only been doing so for a week, according to your rationale they haven't been even been playing for a week because there has been a 23 hour gap in their playing everyday.

Also you must consider that osmotic learning often occurs during periods away from the instrument. A bit like sleeping on what you're trying to solve.

[Unseen122]

About two and a half years roughly. I have played at a couple sessions and I would say my skill exceeds my amount of time.

[Wormdiet]

Spooky. Check out that distribution. I'm sure it will smooth out with a larger n, but it would almost be normally distributed with a weird drop-out in the center category.

Actually that doesn't surprise me much at all. When I was in the "5-10" year category, the whistles basically lived in my guitar case and came out once in a blue moon. I wasn;t playing ITM or highland pipes at all in that period, having burned out on GHB from the competition scene. But, I returned to whistling (Fluting, really) with a vengeance within the past year.

I suspect that the 5-10 category has a high proportion of ppl "taking a break" from whistle.

[Tak_the_whistler]

about two years, I guess. I've been playing low whistles more than sopranos...

[Key_of_D]

I've been playing for 21 months now, I never really even chose to pick up the whistle. About the time I picked it up, I was getting into Irish music. First, Dropkick Murphys, (although they're not exactly traditional...) then I got into the Pogues, and soon enough I was in love with the Chieftains. My cousin had already been playing the whistle, and one day in an Irish shop, he told me he'd buy me a whistle if I learned to play it. So I said yes, and just fell in love with playing it, being able to play irish music, and also just simply being able to express myself musically. I think it's an awesome little instrument. (at least the soprano's... )

Getting better all the time, but still have lots to learn!

-Eric

[Lambchop]

Spooky. Check out that distribution. I'm sure it will smooth out with a larger n, but it would almost be normally distributed with a weird drop-out in the center category.

A Mae West distribution.

Maybe the drop out is because it takes about 5 years to figure out that you really suck.

[talasiga]

....
A Mae West distribution.

Maybe the drop out is because it takes about 5 years to figure out that you really suck.

I like Mae West but Americans generally puzzle me. For instance, in my 40+ years of whistling I have never used my whistles as a straw and I am puzzled that you did this for 5 years and did not know it.

What were you drinking? Irish thickshakes?

[Lambchop]

....
A Mae West distribution.

Maybe the drop out is because it takes about 5 years to figure out that you really suck.

I like Mae West but Americans generally puzzle me. For instance, in my 40+ years of whistling I have never used my whistles as a straw and I am puzzled that you did this for 5 years and did not know it.

What were you drinking? Irish thickshakes?

I cannot have done this for 5 years because I have not been playing 5 years.

[talasiga]

I cannot have done this for 5 years because I have not been playing 5 years.

Just a minute! That's pretty incredible!
You haven't played whistle for 5 years but you know people who used a whistle for a straw for 5 years and didn't realise they were doing this?
Did this happen in America? Wowee zowee! Woohoo! Pfzzt ......

Gee whizz, I don't know any whistle players who play significantly so badly that I need to make a negative statement behind their backs (with protection of anonymity) about the way they suck their whistles.

[Walden]

....
A Mae West distribution.

Maybe the drop out is because it takes about 5 years to figure out that you really suck.

I like Mae West but Americans generally puzzle me. For instance, in my 40+ years of whistling I have never used my whistles as a straw and I am puzzled that you did this for 5 years and did not know it.

What were you drinking? Irish thickshakes?

It's an obscene bit of slang that has gone rather mainstream.

[Fishie]

First, Dropkick Murphys, (although they're not exactly traditional...) then I got into the Pogues, and soon enough I was in love with the Chieftains.

-Eric

The Pogues were my first exposure to Irish music. It wasn't until I started dating an Irish woman that I really got into trad music. I'm lucky enough to be in the Boston area where there are sessions a-plenty.

:)

[Crysania]

About 2 1/2 years here...but 22 on clarinet, so I came to it from a different standpoint. I play at a few local sessions in the area, organize the closed one, and play gigs around town with some others from the session.

~Crysania

[Band Nerd]

I've played whistle for about a year and 1/2, but I've played french horn for about 3 and 1/2 years, and flute for about a year.

[anniemcu]

We havn't had a pole in a while, so I thought I would post one.

Well... I chose "10-20 years", though it's actually been more like 30, but if you take into consideration the looooooong gaps between actually putting effort into it, and the short time I've actually concentrated on learning more and getting better, it's more like 5-10 years, so I split the diff ... but that's kinda hard to cover in a poll.

I am one of the whistle players in the 40+ category. That doesn't mean I'm phantastic and doesn't mean I am ITM. The first whistle I ever had was an Indian made Bb whistle which my dad gave me when I left home as a child.

I think your logic is quite silly. I mean, for example, if you look at someone who plays one hour daily but has only been doing so for a week, according to your rationale they haven't been even been playing for a week because there has been a 23 hour gap in their playing everyday.

Also you must consider that osmotic learning often occurs during periods away from the instrument. A bit like sleeping on what you're trying to solve.

LOL! Well, my "logic" may seem "quite silly" to you, but it works for me. I *started* playing way back in the mid 1970's, but I took at least a decade off totally, and didn't put any serious effort in for much longer, so for *me*, myself only, I don't consider that to be adequate for me to claim the whole time as being a Whistler... in fact, compared to some of the good ones, I'm being presumptuous to claim that title at all.

BTW... I made absolutely no reference to anyone else at all in the post you quoted, and would not presume to judge anyone's ability either in comparison to mine, or by the length of time they've been at it.

As example: I have a friend who's only been playing a little over a year and can knock yer socks off, and another who's been playing for decades and still can't play a tune through, yet each loves it equally and I enjoy playing with both.

I do agree with you that we can learn a lot even when we aren't concentrating on something. I have come back to an instrument after a period of time, sometimes a long period at that, and found that I play better than before. Amazing... I think we forget some bad habits if we dont' get to practice them for a while.