Air headed

[Makar]

(and for those arriving/reading later - I had spelled air as 'aire' - but you probably picked that up from the first few posts)

Yep - ye'll no do that again for sure. In fact I reckon quite a few newbies like myself will no try anything brave like that either. How stupid can you be to make such a mistake and you been enjoying the thing for all of 3 months now...

In fairness, sometimes words on a screen don't come across quite like you want them to - smilies can help a bit

[dryer]

While I'm still quite new with the Whistle (and ITM)... it's been a revealing journey... (plus my Irish lineage has added 'more meaning' to the adventure...) I've picked up almost a dozen ITM tunes, and have found myself leaning more towards the airs... (which follows my piano 'self' - I tend to play ballads most often, with influences from Jim Brickman)...

Now to ask those who have busked and/or played for the public.... at faires or otherwise - are the majority of requests/postive feedback from the waltz/airs or more from the lively jigs and reels?

Any tunes that are a 'must play'? (a top 10 list?)

TM

I ran a search of "aire" on this thread......am I getting in after a correction was made? You could have said "heir" and I wouldn't have "caired".
Anyway, I tend to lean toward tunes in straight or cut time instead of 6/8, especially when playing for folks not into Irish/Celtic tunes. Play a jig and someone in the bunch will immediately attempt a 'river dance' imitation. Personally, I love 'em all, play 'em all, but reels stand out for me. Airs are my favorite flute/low whistle tunes. I play for a large group twice every Sunday, and as long as we don't wear out a song, there doesn't seem to be a preference.

[Belgian_Waffle]

Never played in front of audiences...

But for me, it depends on my mood. Saturday evening mood : really fast reels... Sundaymorning mood : airs will do just fine.

[riverman]

...even when I didn't know a whistle from a pipe wrench. Now that I can play some of them, well, it's just bliss.

I ain't never heard a pipe wrench being played...Any chance of you posting a clip so's we can hear what one sounds like??!!


Mick

Well, since you bring it up, a pipe wrench, of course, must be played against another pipe. Then it's that wierd, creepy regular banging you heard on the soundtrack of the "Alien" movies. Rumor has it that these soundtracks have intensified popularity for the pipe wrench as a musical instrument, somewhat like the Titanic soundtrack helped point people toward the whistle. In fact, if you look at issues of Guitar Death magazines about that time, you will find mentions of the pipe wrench accompanying...do you want me to stop now??

[jim stone]

Lots of busking. People like energy and brightness and rhythm
on the street, not so into meditative stuff, so I keep it active.
However I do slower stuff too, but it's more the exception.

One has to be careful at the beginning with whistles/flutes,
because lots of newbies prefer airs partly because
they can play them more readily (not necessarily well).
Somewhere a couple of years in I realized I had to
learn jigs and reels, lots of them, and so I attacked
my weakness. This music then opened up and became
very beautiful and of course I got a lot better technically.

Maybe you are different on this score, but I would
be careful about erring away from jigs and reels.

[Mick Down Under]

...even when I didn't know a whistle from a pipe wrench. Now that I can play some of them, well, it's just bliss.

I ain't never heard a pipe wrench being played...Any chance of you posting a clip so's we can hear what one sounds like??!!


Mick

Well, since you bring it up, a pipe wrench, of course, must be played against another pipe. Then it's that wierd, creepy regular banging you heard on the soundtrack of the "Alien" movies. Rumor has it that these soundtracks have intensified popularity for the pipe wrench as a musical instrument, somewhat like the Titanic soundtrack helped point people toward the whistle. In fact, if you look at issues of Guitar Death magazines about that time, you will find mentions of the pipe wrench accompanying...do you want me to stop now??

So now your saying a pipe wrench is also a pipe... But you are right, and you've got me on the point your trying to get across...Even if it is badly worded here and there .


Mick

[TravM63]

at this point airs have increased their lead:
slow/airs 51%
faster jigs/reels 27%
even 20%
total votes-29
--
At this time my repertoire consists of more slower songs...(the fastest I'm working on is Kesh Jig) but I will be adding more faster ones as well. After I 'get a tune down' - I like to add another one (perhaps related to whoa)

I've also heard the same song played both fast and slow (i.e. Inisheer); any can be be 'open to interpretation' although some may not sound 'right'(to someones ear) at a different tempo.

Next on my list:
Irish Washerwoman
She Moved Through the Fair
--
Thanks again for your comments and votes