I have never played a musical instrument in my life, always thought about it but never acted on it. I just returned from Ireland and was so impressed with the traditional music in the pubs. I fell in love with the irish bagpipes but realize I must learn to crawl and walk before I can run.
The tin whistle seems to be ideal for me as I love the sound, inexpensive investment, and seems to be one of the easier instruments to start with.
Can you recommend a package to start with that has both the instrument and a learning tutor for someone that has never played an instrument of any kind, and I do not read music.
Is it better to learn by reading music or not?
Thanks!
Newbie to music playing
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crookedtune
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Welcome dmac! You certainly came to the right place!
There is a lot of expertise here, as well as some differing opinions. But most people agree that you can and should start on one of the cheap whistles that are easily available everywhere, (such as Generation, Feadog, Sweetone, Clarke, etc....) There are a number of good beginner books around, as well as some teriffic web sites with tutorials. Browse these threads, and you'll find all the answers you'll need.
My personal take on the question about reading music, is that it's a very good investment of time. It's really not that hard, and it will open up many, many new avenues for you. But listening and practicing are the two most important activities.
Best of luck, and remember to have fun with it!
There is a lot of expertise here, as well as some differing opinions. But most people agree that you can and should start on one of the cheap whistles that are easily available everywhere, (such as Generation, Feadog, Sweetone, Clarke, etc....) There are a number of good beginner books around, as well as some teriffic web sites with tutorials. Browse these threads, and you'll find all the answers you'll need.
My personal take on the question about reading music, is that it's a very good investment of time. It's really not that hard, and it will open up many, many new avenues for you. But listening and practicing are the two most important activities.
Best of luck, and remember to have fun with it!
Charlie Gravel
“I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.”
― Oscar Wilde
“I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.”
― Oscar Wilde
And a general comment - there are many good players who will argue strongly against reading music as your *only* means of learning tunes.
Most traditional music has a rhythm that isn't written down in the sheet music - learning by ear, you pick up the rhythm along with the notes. Learning tunes from sheet music, especially before you've acquired the proper rhythm by listening, can put you in the position of knowing lots of tunes - but playing none of them well.
Reading music is a useful tool - it helps you remember half-forgotton tunes, and learn new ones too (used with caution) - but try to do a lot of listening too. Believe me, I know - I've been playing tin whistle for nearly 4 years, but I concentrated on learning tunes from sheet music for the first couple of years. After a while, I noticed that almost everything I played sounded rather dead - the few exceptions were tunes I'd picked up by ear.
I'm still working on improving my rhythm. And the primary way I've improved has been to find recordings I like, listen intensively, then play along.
So listen, listen, listen.
Most traditional music has a rhythm that isn't written down in the sheet music - learning by ear, you pick up the rhythm along with the notes. Learning tunes from sheet music, especially before you've acquired the proper rhythm by listening, can put you in the position of knowing lots of tunes - but playing none of them well.
Reading music is a useful tool - it helps you remember half-forgotton tunes, and learn new ones too (used with caution) - but try to do a lot of listening too. Believe me, I know - I've been playing tin whistle for nearly 4 years, but I concentrated on learning tunes from sheet music for the first couple of years. After a while, I noticed that almost everything I played sounded rather dead - the few exceptions were tunes I'd picked up by ear.
I'm still working on improving my rhythm. And the primary way I've improved has been to find recordings I like, listen intensively, then play along.
So listen, listen, listen.
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Scott McCallister
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You may do well to think of music as a language. It is both aural and written. There are many ways to absorb it, listening, reading, lessons. Eventually you may even write it. The list goes on and on. The point is there is no ONE way to go about it.
Learning only by reading will stunt your ability to pick up a tune quickly on the fly or in a session where everyone is "conversing". Not to mention that you won't learn the proper phrasing or rhythmic timing by going this rout. Ever know someone who can read and understand a foreign language but not be able to pronounce it?
Learning only by ear will stunt your musical progress in other ways. If you are picking up Whistle in the hopes of moving to Uilleann Pipes, then you may do well to learn to read a bit, there are only 2 functional octaves on each instrument and they are typically pitched in D so there are only going to be about 6 scales that you will have to become familiar with on paper.
Pick up a beginner whistle kit and a couple of books. There is a good one by LE McCullough that coms with 4 CDs and about 100 tunes. You can learn to follow along with the printed page while playing and listening all at once. Poke around a bit. You'll find some stuff.
Good luck!
Scott
Learning only by reading will stunt your ability to pick up a tune quickly on the fly or in a session where everyone is "conversing". Not to mention that you won't learn the proper phrasing or rhythmic timing by going this rout. Ever know someone who can read and understand a foreign language but not be able to pronounce it?
Learning only by ear will stunt your musical progress in other ways. If you are picking up Whistle in the hopes of moving to Uilleann Pipes, then you may do well to learn to read a bit, there are only 2 functional octaves on each instrument and they are typically pitched in D so there are only going to be about 6 scales that you will have to become familiar with on paper.
Pick up a beginner whistle kit and a couple of books. There is a good one by LE McCullough that coms with 4 CDs and about 100 tunes. You can learn to follow along with the printed page while playing and listening all at once. Poke around a bit. You'll find some stuff.
Good luck!
Scott
There's and old Irish saying that says pretty much anything you want it to.
Here is an oft overlooked website that may have some value...
http://www.chiffandfipple.com/
I'm beginning to hate myself for doing that!
http://www.chiffandfipple.com/
I'm beginning to hate myself for doing that!
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brewerpaul
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Welcome!
Any of the "cheapie" whistles mentioned already will play just fine for you. For a tutor, my favorite is The Clarke Tinwhistle by Bill Ochs. It's a book with an accompanying CD which follows all of the lessons and tunes. If you start at the beginning and work slowly and carefully through it, you WILL learn to play the whistle.
Whistle is maybe the best instrument to learn in the world. It's simple enough that the initial learning curve is not steep--you'll be playing recognizable tunes in no time at all. However, the whistle is capable of some fabulous, virtuoso music which can take the rest of your life to master. You have no idea how much fun and satisfaction you are in for!
Any of the "cheapie" whistles mentioned already will play just fine for you. For a tutor, my favorite is The Clarke Tinwhistle by Bill Ochs. It's a book with an accompanying CD which follows all of the lessons and tunes. If you start at the beginning and work slowly and carefully through it, you WILL learn to play the whistle.
Whistle is maybe the best instrument to learn in the world. It's simple enough that the initial learning curve is not steep--you'll be playing recognizable tunes in no time at all. However, the whistle is capable of some fabulous, virtuoso music which can take the rest of your life to master. You have no idea how much fun and satisfaction you are in for!
Welcome to the world of whistling. I started from scratch about three years ago playing the recorder then got some whistles when I discovered Irish tunes. Get several good books, get a bunch of CD (both tutorials and artists), get several whistles and go at it. Log on here every couple days, read the posts and let us know how it's going. Ask when you have questions - there is a wealth of knowledge hanging around here.
Some points others have made that I've found very useful: spend a lot of time listening to those CDs. Listen to them so you know the tunes like you know "Happy Birthday." If you can hum a tune, you will earn it much faster.
Find some Irish whistle music than you fall in love with and listen to it. Once you start to get the music in your blood, you'll buy more CDs in different veins by different artists. Joanie Madden's "Song of the Irish Whistle" did it for me.
Practice the turorials but find some tunes you really like and learn them. Download the music from one of the many sites available (our own Wanderer has a good one)and practice the tune just because you like it. Joanie Madden's rendition of "Roisin Dubh" brought tears to my eyes every time I heard it; the first time I played it all the way through without breaking rhythm, I couldn't stop smiling for a week. (My rendition resembled Joanie's only in that the name at the top of the music was the same but we all gotta start somewhere.)
Find some like-minded people and play music with them. If there are Irish sessions nearby, great. But even if it's just you on the whistle and a friend on a guitar or an organ or a tuba, make some live music. It's fun and it will teach you to listen while playing. It will also help you get over the nervousness we all feel when trying to do something new.
Get a copy of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory" by Michael Miller. Look over the table of contents, maybe read a few sections that you are interested in then keep it as reference for when you come across something you don't understand. Music theory is actually quite simple if you have a good explanation and this is one of the simplest and clearest.
Most importantly, have fun!
Some points others have made that I've found very useful: spend a lot of time listening to those CDs. Listen to them so you know the tunes like you know "Happy Birthday." If you can hum a tune, you will earn it much faster.
Find some Irish whistle music than you fall in love with and listen to it. Once you start to get the music in your blood, you'll buy more CDs in different veins by different artists. Joanie Madden's "Song of the Irish Whistle" did it for me.
Practice the turorials but find some tunes you really like and learn them. Download the music from one of the many sites available (our own Wanderer has a good one)and practice the tune just because you like it. Joanie Madden's rendition of "Roisin Dubh" brought tears to my eyes every time I heard it; the first time I played it all the way through without breaking rhythm, I couldn't stop smiling for a week. (My rendition resembled Joanie's only in that the name at the top of the music was the same but we all gotta start somewhere.)
Find some like-minded people and play music with them. If there are Irish sessions nearby, great. But even if it's just you on the whistle and a friend on a guitar or an organ or a tuba, make some live music. It's fun and it will teach you to listen while playing. It will also help you get over the nervousness we all feel when trying to do something new.
Get a copy of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory" by Michael Miller. Look over the table of contents, maybe read a few sections that you are interested in then keep it as reference for when you come across something you don't understand. Music theory is actually quite simple if you have a good explanation and this is one of the simplest and clearest.
Most importantly, have fun!
The Walrus
What would a wild walrus whistle if a walrus could whistle wild?
The second mouse may get the cheese but the presentation leaves a lot to be desired.
What would a wild walrus whistle if a walrus could whistle wild?
The second mouse may get the cheese but the presentation leaves a lot to be desired.
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shadeclan
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Welcome!
Being a newbie myself, I found myself frustrated with the Generation "D" that I bought. I found it difficult to play without squeaking and that can be both frustrating and irritating when you're first starting out.
I recommend getting a tweaked whistle from Jerry Freeman. You won't pay much more for one of his Shaws or Sweettones than you would for an off-the-shelf whistle, and you will be guaranteed of getting something that will be neither irritating nor frustrated.
You could also buy one off-the-shelf and send it on to unseen 122 or Tommy for tweaking. Also, there are others who will do it for free, just out of love for the instrument.
You could attempt to tweak it yourself, but I would recommend against it because, with some of the tweaks, you can not be sure where to stop before you ruin the whistle unless you have practice and a good ear. This advice is from personal experience.
Enjoy!
Being a newbie myself, I found myself frustrated with the Generation "D" that I bought. I found it difficult to play without squeaking and that can be both frustrating and irritating when you're first starting out.
I recommend getting a tweaked whistle from Jerry Freeman. You won't pay much more for one of his Shaws or Sweettones than you would for an off-the-shelf whistle, and you will be guaranteed of getting something that will be neither irritating nor frustrated.
You could also buy one off-the-shelf and send it on to unseen 122 or Tommy for tweaking. Also, there are others who will do it for free, just out of love for the instrument.
You could attempt to tweak it yourself, but I would recommend against it because, with some of the tweaks, you can not be sure where to stop before you ruin the whistle unless you have practice and a good ear. This advice is from personal experience.
Enjoy!
We've got a date with destiny . . . and it looks like she's ordered the lobster!
-Shoveler
-Shoveler
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jkrazy52
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dmac, I've had a nice 'kit' featuring a Feadog D whistle, a rudimentary tutorial and a CD. Something like that is a good way to start. There are also similiar starter kits available with Walton whistles. Being new to music, one word of advice: whatever tutorial you pick, get the CDs, too. Hearing the music played helps tremendously. Learning to read music is a good idea. It makes it much easier to get the 'bones' of the music.
Places you might want to shop online for whistle stuff:
The Whistle Shop (A bit controversial at the moment, but I've never had a problem here.)
Whistle and Drum
Song of the Sea
House of Musical Traditions
Places you might want to shop online for whistle stuff:
The Whistle Shop (A bit controversial at the moment, but I've never had a problem here.)
Whistle and Drum
Song of the Sea
House of Musical Traditions
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Innocent Bystander
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I always thought Generations were fine for starting on, but Clarkes do have a sweeter tone.
(If you want a quieter whistle, you can always make your own, following the "Low Tech Whistle" site advice, but that's not exactly newbie stuff. Or at least, it's it's not for everybody.)
(If you want a quieter whistle, you can always make your own, following the "Low Tech Whistle" site advice, but that's not exactly newbie stuff. Or at least, it's it's not for everybody.)
Wizard needs whiskey, badly!