Use for an A whistle at session

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Gabriel
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Use for an A whistle at session

Post by Gabriel »

Hi,

I swear I saw a topic like this before, but I could not find it, so apologize me opening a new one...

Am thinking about buying an Bb or A whistle, likely a Bleazey Blackwood.

I like the sound of Bb whistles, and I have a Bb Uilleann Pipes set on order, so I could play same tunes in same pitches...but why should I? Paying whistle and pipes simultaneously is something for 4-armed aliens, not for me.

So I thought about an A whistle...major scales A and D, so I probably could play nearly any D tune on it, the Bminor tunes even better than on a D whistle and additionally those seldom Amajor ones. But why should I use an A whistle when I can use a D one which I already own?

Man, WhOA is cruel. :(

Opinions? Thanks!

By the way, a happy New Year to all of you.
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barbuck
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Post by barbuck »

I can think of a few reasons, depending on the tune or song. A main one for me is choice of octave/pitch. If we're playing a tune/song in A that starts on an A, B or C# note, I can use the lower octave on an A whistle. If I use a D whistle (soprano), I have to play an octave higher. Depends on the sound you want...

Also, I have certain fingering "sequences" that are easier for me than others. Once again, depending on what note the tune starts on, I might find I prefer the fingering sequence of one keyed whistle to another. This is part of the reason I play many G tunes on a D whistle; I can play the fingering sequences quicker than on a G. Once again, it depends on the particular tune/song.

Just my 2 cents...
BAR
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bearbro
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Post by bearbro »

Besides it so much fun owning all those whistles.............WhOA
the bear said that
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Tyghress
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Post by Tyghress »

The best...maybe the only...reason for an A whistle in session in the US is to play Ashokan Farewell.

However, it is a very pleasant whistle in its own right, low and mellow. And I find that after playing for a while on the A whistle I have a LOT more lung power for playing a D.

Sincerely,
Tyg
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colomon
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Post by colomon »

Tyghress wrote:The best...maybe the only...reason for an A whistle in session in the US is to play Ashokan Farewell.
Maybe in your session, certainly not in ours! I can't remember the last time I heard someone play Ashokan Farewell. As for other A whistle session tunes, we played "Bea Maye's" at the session/party today at my house and I learned the common A major session tune "The Dawn" from Brian Conway last week. Both are better on A whistle.
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Jon-M
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Post by Jon-M »

The main use for an A whistle in a session is to play tunes in D that reach below the note D. Some of these would include: Fergal O'Gara, Lady Anne Montgomery, The Silver Spire, The Mountain Road, Bear Island. I'm sure there are a bunch more but these are what come to mind right now.
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colomon
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Tell us something.: Whistle player, aspiring C#/D accordion and flute player, and aspiring tunesmith. Particularly interested in the music of South Sligo and Newfoundland. Inspired by the music of Peter Horan, Fred Finn, Rufus Guinchard, Emile Benoit, and Liz Carroll.

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Post by colomon »

Jon-M wrote:The main use for an A whistle in a session is to play tunes in D that reach below the note D. Some of these would include: Fergal O'Gara, Lady Anne Montgomery, The Silver Spire, The Mountain Road, Bear Island. I'm sure there are a bunch more but these are what come to mind right now.
Though to be honest, I routinely play the middle three on that list on D whistle. You have to push a few notes up an octave, sure, but it's no big deal. There are a lot of tunes like that, and relatively few where octave switching is a problem.
Last edited by colomon on Mon Jan 02, 2006 11:18 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Wormdiet
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Post by Wormdiet »

Jon-M wrote:The main use for an A whistle in a session is to play tunes in D that reach below the note D. Some of these would include: Fergal O'Gara, Lady Anne Montgomery, The Silver Spire, The Mountain Road, Bear Island. I'm sure there are a bunch more but these are what come to mind right now.
Rogha an Gabha is a good one.

I wonder if there's a market for A whistles with a cnatural key? Gives all the same notes as a D whistle!
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Unseen122
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Post by Unseen122 »

I never use an A whsitle, but then again I hardly ever play Whsitle in a Session.
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NancyF
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Post by NancyF »

"Sessions" in my area are really mixed acoustic jams, so a lot of American style fiddle tunes are played. The gang I play with isn't too picky about instrumentation, so if I know the tune, I will play along on whistles (especially on the tunes they swiped from Ireland like Little Beggerman). Quite a number of tunes like Road to California (NOT Off to California), are a perfect fit on the A whistle, making these particular tunes a bit easier to play.
Nancy F

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tim-hart
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Post by tim-hart »

I play my A whistle all the time in sessions; many tunes just don't fit on the D whistle (especially A major). In certain settings (not your average pub session, necessarily) it's a terrific instrument to transpose a tune to from its standard setting to give it a different voicing. On my CD I do "The Musical Priest" in the oh-so-trad key of F sharp minor. Weeeee.

th
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Doc Jones
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Post by Doc Jones »

Tyghress wrote:The best...maybe the only...reason for an A whistle in session in the US is to play Ashokan Farewell.

Sincerely,
Tyg
'Tis true. God invented A whistles (and fiddles) just for this tune. In fact I ordered an A flute form Casey Burns just so I could play this one.
:)


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Bill Reeder
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Post by Bill Reeder »

Doc Jones wrote:
Tyghress wrote:The best...maybe the only...reason for an A whistle in session in the US is to play Ashokan Farewell.

Sincerely,
Tyg
'Tis true. God invented A whistles (and fiddles) just for this tune. In fact I ordered an A flute form Casey Burns just so I could play this one.
:)


Doc
Yep! When the tune came out on the Civil War series, a former band mate went right out and had Pat O'Riordan whip her up an A whistle just so she could play the tune. I just transposed the whole thing a couple of years ago to key of G so it would fit on my pipes.
Bill

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dlovrien
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Post by dlovrien »

Love that tune - I did a little homemade recording of Ashokan right after I got my Chieftain A: Ashokan Farewell

We often play it at our sessions down here too, along with the tunes mentioned above. My band also plays a traditional version Radio Sweethearts that works very well on A whistle.
David Lovrien - 5 Second Rule & Trinity Hall Session Players - Dallas, TX
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