Recommended Beginner Tunes?

madguy · Post by **madguy** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 8:46 am

Cees, thanks for posting some great links I didn't yet have!!

~Larry

Cees · Post by **Cees** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 8:50 am

Larry, you're welcome--I'm happy to save people the trouble of trying to find these things. I have a massive list of bookmarks that's taken me months to compile, so it's fun to share the wealth!

Caoimhin · Post by **Caoimhin** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 10:03 am

I personally would recommend "I'm 'a doun fur lack o' johnie" (i learnt it within 1 hour), even though it's scottish based, so what.

I find it'll help in note control, i.e. not blow too long. Really, when you really get into this tune's beauty, you'll need to control yourself...

LeeMarsh · Post by **LeeMarsh** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 2:23 pm

I have two tunes not mentioned that are quite easy.

The first is <a href=http://ecf-guest.mit.edu/~jc/cgi/abc/fi ... &L=100>The Rakes of Mallow</a> which you may recognize from the old John Wayne movie "the Quite Man" with Maureen OHara. The link is to JC's Tunefinder where you can hear the midi and collect the ABC or regular notation (GIF) of the tune.

The other easy tune <a href=http://artists.mp3s.com/artist_song/514 ... .html>Dans En Dro</a> which is a Cape Bretton Dance tune. The link is to a nice version of the tune done by Lothlorien on MP3.com. I believe its in Edorian (key signature G) and first measure starts on a first octave E and goes something like Ebbabc(nat)ba.

Hope this give you some new ways to ...

_________________

Enjoy Your Music, Lee Marsh 

P.S. because JC's is on a college server, occasionally response times can be verrryyy slow. If it take to long, stop the search and give it a try 10 minutes later.

[ This Message was edited by: LeeMarsh on 2002-10-08 16:38 ]

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 2:37 pm

On 2002-10-08 16:23, LeeMarsh wrote:
I have two tunes not mentioned that are quite easy.

The other easy tune <a href=http://artists.mp3s.com/artist_song/514 ... .html>Dans En Dro</a> which is a Cape Bretton Dance tune. The link is to a nice version of the tune done by Lothlorien on MP3.com.

Dans en Dro was the tune that made me decide I just HAD to learn to play the tinwhistle. It's beautiful and easy to play, too.

bdatki · Post by **bdatki** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 2:55 pm

The Road To Lisdoonvarna is not too hard (I am just picking up the whistle and I can almost play it all the way through, second octave and all) and it sounds really cool.

Morrison's Jig is fairly easy too and sounds neat.

Lizzie · Post by **Lizzie** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 3:55 pm

Question for Lee and thanks to Cees for the great list she shared.

Re Dans on Dro..is this a Breton tune or a Cape Breton tune, do you know?
It downloads into Quicktime and plays within the website,,,is there any way to download it to your computer?

Thanks !

Cees · Post by **Cees** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 3:55 pm

Lee, thanks so much! I've heard this before and just absolutely loved it, but I never realized it was so easy to figure out till your post with the beginning notes today. Thanks!!

Hallatauer · Post by **Hallatauer** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 4:16 pm

-------- I think Ireland's Best 110 Tinwhistle Tunes is worth a look. Broken down into Beginners, Intermediate and more advanced, with a CD available so you can hear how the tunes should sound, and a goodly selection of different types of tunes---------

I like the book that goes with the CD that it states... "with guitar chords"

Dan

Tyghress · Post by **Tyghress** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 4:55 pm

Two tunes that I learned fairly early on in the game, which doesn't mean they're necessarily easy, but they're certainly fun, are Lark in the Morning and Dingle Regatta (also known in my circle as 'bibbety bobbety boo'). Lark works well as an exercise too because of the shifts between af#a and bgb, and in the fourth section aDD, FDD.

I think The Butterfly is simple, and a real showy piece too, with its swoops and potential for embellishment.

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 6:34 pm

Stella, if the tunes don't have to be Irish traditional, Swanee River and Over the Rainbow are beautiful on the whistle and very easy to play by ear. Also, you might try Brown Colleen, The Parting Glass, The Minstrel Boy, and Loch Lomond.

srt19170 · Post by **srt19170** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 7:28 pm

On 2002-10-08 10:12, fiddling_tenor wrote:
First two tunes I learned: "The Blackthorn Stick" and "The Battering Ram." Then I discovered they aren't considered "beginner's tunes." O well.

"Blackthorn Stick" was my first tune as well (okay, my first dance tune

and it was couple of years before I could play it well and comfortably at speed. I've just recently re-learned "The Battering Ram" which is a lovely jig but not particularly easy.

In general, I think polkas are the easiest (dance) tunes to learn for a beginner. "Egan's Polka", "Maggie in the Woods", "Britches Full of Stitches", "John Ryan's Polka" are all good choices, and it's fairly easy to find renditions (on mp3.com and elsewhere) to play along with.

-- Scott

E = Fb · Post by **E = Fb** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 8:59 pm

Hi Stella,
How's about these tunes. Should be available on the ABC tune finder. You can listen to the midi version to get an idea of how they go:
Breeches full of Stitches
Egan's polka
Peat fire flame
Peg Ryan's
South Wind
I love the whistle bag thanks it was very kind of you (in D)

They are all fun tunes but that last one is a real heartwarmer.

Si beg Si mor (Sheebeg Sheemore)is NOT an easy beginner tune.

Tom M.

LeeMarsh · Post by **LeeMarsh** » Wed Oct 09, 2002 7:26 am

On 2002-10-08 17:55, Lizzie wrote:
Question for Lee and thanks to Cees for the great list she shared.

Re Dans on Dro..is this a Breton tune or a Cape Breton tune, do you know?
It downloads into Quicktime and plays within the website,,,is there any way to download it to your computer?

Thanks !

If you click on the link I supplied, there are 3 options: Low-Fi Play, High-Fi play and Download. Select download (3.5 MB) and it should go to your HD. If Quicktime, jumps in and grabs it, go into Quicktime Setup, and remove MP3 formats from the QT player. I would suggest that you use WinAmp to play MP3 files it's free and plays mp3 much, much better that QT.

For more information on Dans En Dro, check out the earlier C&F topic: <a href=http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... rum=1>Dans En Dro</a>. As for being easy to learn, fellow C&F member, JMadjeski, heard me play it and learn it less than 5 minutes.

I'd also add my vote for Minstrel Boy, it is a very versatile song (or tune if played by solo whistle). It can be played very slowly, which often happens at funerals, wakes, memorials. I can also be played with zip as a march. In fact when I learned it, I actually was practicing it while walking down the street in Houston, Texas in mid-September of last year, after hearing it played as a lament in relation to the WTC disaster.

_________________

Enjoy Your Music, Lee Marsh 

[ This Message was edited by: LeeMarsh on 2002-10-09 09:45 ]

Lizzie · Post by **Lizzie** » Wed Oct 09, 2002 8:07 am

Lee, thanks, yes, Quicktime was grabbing it. I will do as you suggested. Didn;t know how to get around that.

I play my Mp3s in itunes as I am on a Mac, but also thanks for the suggestion as well.