Confession: I'm an imposter

HDSarah · Post by **HDSarah** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 4:35 pm

Ok, it's time to confess: I'm not *really* a whistle player. My heart lies with another, many-stringed, instrument. I did attend a novice whistle workshop last summer, though, and I played my whistle when I had to travel and couldn't bring my primary instrument. I enjoy it when I pick it up; I just don't get around to picking it up much.

I have made a New Year's Resolution to play my whistle every day in January. (I figure I can re-up for February after I see how I do in January.) Eventually I'd like to play well enough that people won't want to cover their ears when they see my whistle appear.

Hurdles for me to overcome in learning whistle:
1) Poor finger agility. My primary instrument (hammered dulcimer) doesn't require fine finger control.
2) No experience with breath control. I've never played a wind instrument or been a singer.
3) Gotta make myself pick up the whistle and practice!

Points in my favor:
1) Obsessive/compulsive personality trait
2) 100+ tunes (mostly Irish) residing in my head, as a result of 10 months of obsessive (see #1) dulcimer learning
3) A dog who *doesn't* howl

So, do you think there's hope that I can develop into a mediocre whistle player?

Sarah

serpent · Post by **serpent** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 4:37 pm

Welcome, Sarah! I've not ever reached mediocrity yet, but hey, anything's possible!

The gang here will make you feel right at home! Bickering, arguing, hugging and kissing, and behaving like a real family!

Again, welcome!
Cheers,
Bill Whedon (serpent)

E = Fb · Post by **E = Fb** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 5:23 pm

You are a shoo-in. Do I guess correctly in saying you live in Alaska?)

HDSarah · Post by **HDSarah** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 5:43 pm

On 2003-01-02 18:23, E = Fb wrote:
You are a shoo-in. Do I guess correctly in saying you live in Alaska?)

Very good! Yes, I'm in Fairbanks, Alaska, enjoying the pinkish glow of sunset at 2:45 p.m. local time. It was 32 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit, when I came in to work this morning. I LOVE living in Interior Alaska, but even I get the urge to hibernate in January.

Tyghress · Post by **Tyghress** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 5:43 pm

Welcome Sarah! I'm another 'many stringed instrument' player. . .so is Byll, and I think cowtime. Practicing whistle is a LOT easier than HD! Tuning takes seconds, if you need to or bother to tune at all (try THAT with your dulcimer); the instrument fits in your handbag, in the visor of the car, and nearly any place else you care to put it. Multiple instruments don't break the bank, so you can have one in every room and car, and a few to spare.

Have fun...don't get frustrated often. . . visit C&F on occasion!

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 5:45 pm

On 2003-01-02 18:43, HDSarah wrote:
On 2003-01-02 18:23, E = Fb wrote:
You are a shoo-in. Do I guess correctly in saying you live in Alaska?)
Very good! Yes, I'm in Fairbanks, Alaska, enjoying the pinkish glow of sunset at 2:45 p.m. local time. It was 32 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit, when I came in to work this morning. I LOVE living in Interior Alaska, but even I get the urge to hibernate in January.

I fell in love with Fairbanks when we visited there a year ago August. It's a neat city (I doubt I'd survive a winter there, though!).

You'll pick up the whistle, never fear. The breath control thing is something that comes with practice, as is the dexterity. You've got the ear, and that's the biggest hurdle over, I think.

Welcome!

Redwolf

mvhplank · Post by **mvhplank** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 5:48 pm

It sounds like you may have an "ear," which goes a long way toward musicality.

Like exercising, once you establish the <i>habit</i> of playing every day, it won't be a chore. (That may take a week, maybe two.)

Don't neglect scales and arpegios. You can do them while you're trying to decide what else to play. In another thread about whistle teachers, there was a lengthy discussion about it, but for myself, I'm in favor of it. If you go for it, vary the length you hold the note and try to vary your volume from soft to louder to soft again before going to the next note--that's to develop your breath control. (That's not an original idea with me, a flute teacher advised that for me.)

Oh yeah--enjoy yourself!

M

HDSarah · Post by **HDSarah** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 6:47 pm

Thanks for the welcome, and advice. I didn't even realize you could get much in the way of dynamics (w.r.t. volume) on a whistle. I thought blowing harder just made it jump up an octave. Gotta work on that "control" thing, I guess!

I think of myself as an ongoing experiment to see how far one can get in music with zero talent and a lot of persistence.

My ear isn't as good as I'd like yet, but it's definitely benefited from my obsessive dulcimer playing. I can take a tune I know and pick out the melody on the whistle, slowly, by trial and error. The process involves a lot of error, though -- I hit a lot of wrong notes while searching for the right ones, especially when crossing between octaves. I'm better at picking melodies out by ear on the dulcimer, but even that still involves trial and error. So far, I guess my ear is better at recognizing "wrong" than at finding "right".

As for stashing whistles in cars, though, I think my fellow Alaskans would advise against that in the winter. Remember, it's 30 below zero out there!

Sarah

rebl_rn · Post by **rebl_rn** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 7:08 pm

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Whistling. My aunt is a HD player and is just learning whistle. Because of rheumatoid arthritis she has difficulty with her hands (one of the reasons she starting playing HD) and as such she knows she will never be a world-class whistler, but she can and does enjoy tootling around on it. And if she can do it with her hands, you will be able to as well!

Good Luck and have fun!
Beth

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 7:10 pm

On 2003-01-02 19:47, HDSarah wrote:
Thanks for the welcome, and advice. I didn't even realize you could get much in the way of dynamics (w.r.t. volume) on a whistle. I thought blowing harder just made it jump up an octave. Gotta work on that "control" thing, I guess!

I think of myself as an ongoing experiment to see how far one can get in music with zero talent and a lot of persistence. My ear isn't as good as I'd like yet, but it's definitely benefited from my obsessive dulcimer playing. I can take a tune I know and pick out the melody on the whistle, slowly, by trial and error. The process involves a lot of error, though -- I hit a lot of wrong notes while searching for the right ones, especially when crossing between octaves. I'm better at picking melodies out by ear on the dulcimer, but even that still involves trial and error. So far, I guess my ear is better at recognizing "wrong" than at finding "right".

As for stashing whistles in cars, though, I think my fellow Alaskans would advise against that in the winter. Remember, it's 30 below zero out there!

Sarah

Yeah...stashing a whistle in a car in those temperatures could get pretty painful...especially if it has a metal mouthpiece (I can see the headlines now: "Alaskan found in car with lips glued to pennywhistle...film at 11").

You can't get much variance, dynamics-wise, with a whistle. Some whistles will allow you to "grow" a note a bit before they jump, but you can't make major dynamic changes.

I think most of us hit more than a few clinkers when learning a new tune by ear...they reduce, somewhat, with time, as your fingers and ears get in sync, but they still happen.

One of the neat things about the whistle is it's such a simple little instrument, but it has a seemingly endless array of nuances. I think you'll find yourself addicted in very short order (if you aren't already!).

Redwolf

Blackbeer · Post by **Blackbeer** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 7:47 pm

Oh Boy Sarah have you come to the right place. There is no finer group of human beings in the world then the ones who are about to help you get as addictied to these stupid, simple,complex,frustrating,magicaly wounderful little hunks of tin and plastic.
Anything you ever wanted to know about them can be found right here. Check out the search function and you will see what I mean.
I spent 4 hours this mourning just learning about recording myself on the confusser.
I`m new here my self but already I feel very comfy and warm in this place.
Don`t worry too much about all of the many propper ways to play these little devils. Just make music. Heck last night I got so frustrated with a song I have been working on that I just started screaming through my whistle. I mean I was blowing that thing so hard my dog ran for cover under the bed. And right there in my rage I found the blues inside my little D. Gutter blues. Jeez I wounder if anybody makes an Em whistle. Anyway, you will have fun I guarunty. Welcome to ya and watch out for WhOA!!!!:D

Tom

Byll · Post by **Byll** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 7:55 pm

Welcome, Sarah of the Many-Stringed Instrument. My band uses twin four-octave hammer dulcimers. Our first CD was entitled, '228', and refers to the number of strings the band has to tune every time we rehearse and play in public...

You have come to a good place. The knowledge I have gained here is invaluable - as are the friendships.

Best to you in your new endeavor.
Byll

chattiekathy · Post by **chattiekathy** » Thu Jan 02, 2003 8:23 pm

Welcome Sarah, I'm another of C&F's many-stringed instrument players. The dulcimer is what brought me to the wonderful world of whistles and the affliction of WhOA!
C&F is a great place to spend your time. Keep a whistle by the computer too! I don't carry one in my car either but it's because I don't want to be wearing it in my nose at stop signs!

Kathy

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 6:27 am

Welcome Sarah.
Remember practice, practice, practice,
Because practice makes perfict.
But at the end of the day its playing to gladen your heart, thats important not how well others think you play.

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 6:47 am

Hi Sarah and welcome!

For me, the hardest part is learning the tunes. I've got no problem with breath control, having sung for years, and playing the clarinet in high school, and fingering is generally a doddle after playing guitar and mandolin (at least the fingers always go down in the same place) but it takes me ages to get a tune right in my head. Once it's there, though, I only need to play the first 3 or 4 notes and the rest of the tune just follows.

So having a store of great tunes already at your fingertips is going to be a HUGE help.

atb with your new obsession!