if you had to choose

sponge · Post by **sponge** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 3:41 pm

Hi all,

I am currently practising an hour a day broken down in to short burts of about 10 minutes at a time, I have the pleasure of working half the week in the studio ( photographic ) and then editing pictures at home for the other half, I have high D and low D, but find myself reaching for the low whistle much more often when I'm at home, and all though I do need more practice on both high and low, tend to only pick up the high D after hearing some real mind blowing high whistle music, just wondered if anyone else is torn between having great high and low whistles in there possesion and playing one more than the other, I love the sound of both, but just wondering if maybe concentrating on either high or low to begin with and focus more on getting to a profficient level before giving in to serious WHOA and buying every key out there, I suppose as a relative begginer with a years playing under my belt, its still easier to make the low D sound better than the high D especially on the slow airs.

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 4:41 pm

As long as the practicing gets done it really doesn't matter too much. Of course, you will be better at the one you spend more time with. How about alternate them daily, that way you practice every day and you get to play both.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 4:58 pm

If you are going to play both, then practice with both. Change around which one you play on which tune; this will stop the fingers from "setting" to one particular size.

That's my $.02.

--James

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Sun Oct 01, 2006 5:00 pm

I'm going through a similar process with whistle and flute. I try to play both each day, and usually trade back and forth between them several times. In general, I find learning tunes easier on whistle, and that's also where I practice the basic ornamentation. When I start to feel comfortable with the tune, I move over to flute. Eventually that beats me into submission, and I retreat back to the whistle. Glutton for punishment, I guess.

Stephen Seifert · Post by **Stephen Seifert** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:33 am

I find myself reaching for the low whistle when I don't want to wake my sleeping wife. I also like how the low whistle gives more color when I vary the strength of my breath.

I really love both.

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 12:42 pm

I think it's OK to have fun, do what you enjoy.
Also after a year it can be interesting to try other
keys. At the least this keeps one playing.

What the hey, these are whistles, it's folk music....

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 3:02 pm

My whistles and I are "just friends".

I'm afraid if I get too "serious" it could ruin our relationship so I make sure to interject a bit of flute, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, harp, concertina, bass, Northumbrian pipes, and Uilleann pipes to keep my focus sharp.

Been thinking of taking up the banjo.

Doc

Jason Paul · Post by **Jason Paul** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 3:58 pm

Thanks for that Doc.

I've been splitting my time between the whistle (high and low) and NA flute. However, I've recently been checking out ukuleles and just got my first cheapie yesterday. I've been struggling over how to divide my time between them, and how much advancement I'm going to have to sacrifice.

I think I've decided that it just doesn't really matter as long as I enjoy them all.

Jason

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 4:26 pm

Jason Paul wrote:
I think I've decided that it just doesn't really matter as long as I enjoy them all.

Jason

Pre-zactly.

Many years of this sort of doodling has gotten me good enough to perform on most of them (just started the pipes recently). If you're in a hurry, focus and get serious. If you're not in a hurry enjoy.

Doc

Miwokhill · Post by **Miwokhill** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:20 pm

I do a little of everything even just sticking to one thing for an extended time. Like peeplj and others have suggested though I'll often play a tune on the high whistle and then play the same tune on the low...This way i'm learning the tune (hopefully!) while getting some variety of instruments in there. I'll even have a fiddle and/or mandolin there and also play the same tune on that. It's fun and gets some practice in on a few instruments as well as playing the tune somewhat differently depending on the 'voice'.

A-Musing · Post by **A-Musing** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:45 pm

Miwokhill has almost covered my favorite modus operandi. I often play tunes with two, three or even more whistles. These are of various materials and in different keys. I'll play the tune with one, then another, then another. Each rendition is "informed" by the others. Each whistle seems to, er, "want" to play the tune in it's "own" way.
Each time through such a session, I'll have learned nuances unknown beforehand. I really like this process, and keeping the neural patterns flexible is an added kick.
I enjoy cavorting up a steep learning curve...and suspect others around here do as well. Whistling has many levels of happiness. (Even the saddest of aires, yes?)

Miwokhill · Post by **Miwokhill** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 7:38 pm

When i first started learning whistle i pretty much stuck to that trying to get it down. then after several months i thought i should get back into fiddle some and it was a real treat to then play those whistle tunes I'd become familiar with on the fiddle. So I started doing them all together. Another cool way to mix things up is to play the tune super-slow and then after this first run-through kick it into regular speed. This is more for jigs and hornpipes as opposed to airs...I don't know why but I really like the effect this gives the tune...almost like the super slow version is an overture of sorts...it also really seems to help get the tune down both fingering-wise as well as interpreting it.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 12:20 am

I second the 'practice both, play both' view.

I tend to practice more with my high D Water Weasel non-tunable, because it sits at my desk by the computer. I like it very much and it keeps me honest.

(needs a lot of control on my part to get the notes out cleanly in the upper register)

However, I don't play it at sessions or with the band, as it isn't quite in perfect tune. so I practice with my Burke Hi D, My Sweetheart Pro high D, my Howard Low D and my Water Weasel Low G, which are all tuneable. It's very good for me, and keeps me on my toes for the 'finessing' they all take.

NoMattch · Post by **NoMattch** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 10:10 am

I find that playing te Low D first helps for wind power and control. Then when I pick up one of my high Ds, I can hit the high octave notes so much better. As long as your practicing, you'll be able to apply what you learn to both. Now if I could only properly balance my time spent between the whistles and the concertina...