How are you learning to play?

[izzarina]

Put me in with the "learn by ear" people. Although I do tend to need my sheet music in front of me, but honestly, it's only a crutch. I don't really need it if I have the tune playing. The more you listen, the easier it is to pick it up on the whistle. I'll listen to a few measures, and then try to play those same measures. It can be tedious, but it's worth the effort that you put into it.

[CelloDog]

I started with a book (the Low Whistle Book) and have gone on to figure things out by listening to them. I can read music enough to figure out a tune, but I don't sight read, and it is a laborious process. I like to have both the music and a recording -- I think this will improve my reading as well.
I Have a love/hate relationship with the metronome. How many of you use one? I find practicing with the metronome very helpful in figuring out rhytm (and it keeps me honest) but exhausting.
Doug

[dfernandez77]

All of the above + by ear.

[CRC]

Yes, love/hate would best describe my relationship with the metronome as well.

[hyldemoer]

I studied recorder in group classes and played in ensembles for years. That left me with far too many attachments to tonguing and keeping my eyes glued to the printed page.

The remedy?
I found an Irish guy teaching group classes of tin whistle and studied with him until the other students started to hold me back.

I like group classes providing the others in the class practice outside the class.
The other students usually have stupid questions much more interesting than my own stupid questions.

[hyldemoer]

I Have a love/hate relationship with the metronome. How many of you use one? I find practicing with the metronome very helpful in figuring out rhytm (and it keeps me honest) but exhausting.
Doug

My orientation to music started with dancing lessons.
I've never had to figure out a rhythm since I got the hang of dance.

If I was teaching any instrument I'd teach dance for learning how to feel the rhythm
and teach singing for learning how to replicate the melody.

I make up my own personal lyrics if there's no song.
If I can sing and dance a tune, I should be able to play it.

[Fingers]

First, you have to take the Red pill........Loren

If only I'd taken the BLUE one!!!!!



By ear! It's harder work but it has longer lasting results. Don't be put off. Sometimes I think I've learnt the right notes/interpretation but weeks later I hear that I"m not doing exactly right and perfect it. I end up honing over months but I think my ear is getting better as I'm able to pick up things a lot quicker.
As the man said, "If it was easy, everyone would be doing it!!!"

[CRC]

Well, it would seem so far that most people are learning from another form other than the options I provided. Very interesting. Oh wait, I shouldn't use that word too much as that's how "ugly babies" are described. (Just joking )

[Key_of_D]

Put me in with the "learn by ear" people. Although I do tend to need my sheet music in front of me, but honestly, it's only a crutch. I don't really need it if I have the tune playing. The more you listen, the easier it is to pick it up on the whistle. I'll listen to a few measures, and then try to play those same measures. It can be tedious, but it's worth the effort that you put into it.

In all seriousness, this is pretty much (if not just like) how I learn most of the time. I use the sheet music as a crutch so to speak, as I can't read it worth beans. I know where most of the notes are on the staff (I think staff is the right word...) for key of D whistle, so, I just listen to the tune I'm trying to learn, and listen to it a lot, sometimes long before I ever try learning it. Makes learning it a lot easier as you can play the tune back in your head, and also get an idea of how it should flow. Then I just use the sheet music as a guide, so to prevent figuring out weeks or months later from learning just by ear, that I wasn't playing the tune exactly how it should be. That's such a disppointment to me. You think you've got it, then you discover you're off, or way off. So, I try to skip the middle man, and use a combination of sheet music/listening technique. Makes learning tunes a lot faster for me. Which means I can learn it faster, memorize it faster, and move on to other tunes. But that's just personal preferance.

Though yes, sometimes I don't need the sheet music, but, for a lot of the jigs and especially reels, I feel I need it. My ears aren't Superman's after all... Even with the slow downer, there's just some passages in tunes, I can't figure out for the life of me. That's where the notation comes in handy. Although, sometimes sheet music just isn't available as it's not anywhere to be found, or the name of the tune just isn't listed in the liner notes! Then, one just has to really sit down and bite the bullet.

-Eric

[Dave Parkhurst]

by the seat of me pants, me bucko.... living in a cultural vacuum as I do. I download music and start rehearsing. Unfortunately, because of where I live, I'll never learn some of these neato whistle licks that those with access to sessuins learn...always amazes me when I get together with others how fast they play....
Dave

[Jennie]

Well, it would seem so far that most people are learning from another form other than the options I provided.

The other possibility is that anyone who's NOT learning by ear has at least learned not to talk about it here. Learning "by ear" is considered the Right Way to learn ITM.

Because I come from a classical music background, I still think it's fun to leaf through my tune books and find a cool tune to learn that way. But since I started really focusing on ITM, I've found it easier and easier to pick up tunes by hearing them. The key is to give yourself lots of opportunities to listen. If you don't have a session to attend, or musicians nearby, listen to lots of CD's or find some tunes you like on the internet.

Jennie

[CRC]

When I think about learning by ear it just seems so impossible. I use sheet music because it's easier for me.

[jim stone]

How do I learn?
Slowly, very slowly.

I think this business takes lots of patience.

But I do learn by ear, being barely able
to read music. Ignorance is bliss...

[Jennie]

There's nothing wrong with learning in any way you can! So use sheet music, even if it's not "traditional."

If you can find someone to help you learn by ear, the way to do it is to first identify a tune you want to learn. Maybe you've heard it on a recording, or it's a tune the other person knows and you like it. Have them play it for you, a phrase at a time, slowly, and you play it back to them. It helps if he or she plays the same instrument! Then you can watch their fingers and that's another aid.

Learning "by ear" doesn't involve just the ears. Use your eyes by watching someone's movements. Use your fingers to memorize. Use your memory of the dots on the page. And use your own inner music. You can "hear" when you get the wrong notes or rhythm, can't you? Then you can also learn to hear the music and follow it. Learning by ear is just focusing on hearing as a musical tool. It doesn't exclude all the musical experience you have!

Jennie

[Wormdiet]

We're talking about two different phenomena.

I learned how to play a whistle by taking GHB lessons and going to band and solo competitions for a few years. The fingering isn't identical but it's close enough that the transition was relatively painless. (Not that I am a great whistler by any stretch.)

I *used* to learn tunes by the "notation is a crutch" method (IE I'd get most of the melody by listening and then use dots for the tricky bits.) Until a fellow fluter told me straight to my face that "you don't need that crap." And he was absolutely, totally right. I am now officially an Ear Learning Zealot! You've heard rest of the rant enough times that I won't repeat it needlessly.