A brand new whistler

[phayes]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to whistling and this forum, so pardon me for any redundant or naive posts I might make.

Let me start by saying, that to be quite honest I fell in love with the whistle after the first time I saw "Waking Ned Divine." There is a very stirring scene in that movie where they are marching the late Ned Divine after his funeral, and a man is leading this march with a beautiful slow airs song that chilled my very bones.

After hearing that I decided that I would begin to research this whistle, being a lover of Irish trad for some time now, I gave "penny whistle" a google and that led me straight here. I soon realized - much to my delight - that getting into whistling isn't going to cost me all my savings, that I could get a decent one for under ten bucks! Then something in the back of my head nagged at me and I recalled having a tin whistle that my mother had stuffed in a stocking one Christmas. I was to young upon receiving this to respect or even understand what beauty was there at my finger tips! and I then put it safely into my underwear drawer... until yesterday when I spotted it once again!

I turns out that cheap little whistle in the undies drawer is a Clarke Sweetone 'C'! Not the greatest but not a bad whistle, certainly for one who holds no previous standards. I'm able to get both octaves out of it (though I'm utterly oblivious to whether or not it's in tune.) I even tweaked it using the guide on this site, and I really like the difference with the poster tack remedy. Anywho, I do most music by ear, and I started to play one of my favorite tin whistle slow airs, "Concerning Hobbits" I believe by Frank Galway, written for the Lord of the Rings movies. It's a simple song, but is beautiful, and shocked me once I got it!

So, where do I go from here? What music? Any whistles?
I found in a local shop here the Feadog pack with a book, CD and a whistle. I'm thinking I'll get that and see where that takes me...?
What do you all recommend?

[MTGuru]

Hi phayes, and welcome.

You do know, don't you, that you have one of the best-known whistlers and teachers in the world there in Bloomington, in the person of Grey Larsen? Here's his website:

http://www.greylarsen.com/

He's a nice guy, so you might want to give him a ring. Of course, he may just recommend his own whistle method book.

Also, the last I heard, there's still a weekly Irish session at The Runcible Spoon, one of my old haunts (yes, I miss Bloomington). On E. 6th just north of Kirkwood, near the campus. If you stop by and introduce yourself, they might give you lots more ideas about Irish music there. Here's a contact and info page:

http://www.folkjam.org/recurring-jam/us ... -bakehouse

The Feadóg D is definitely a step up IMO, though the Sweetone is fine to start (a whistle in the hand, you know). I can't say about the book and CD, since I've never seen them.

Good luck, have fun!

[Whistler Bard]

Hello there phayes, and first of all , welcome!

Yes, the Whistle can be a magical little piece of an instrument!

I myself am a begginer too, and even though I stoped playing for a couple of months, I'm getting back to it. I still think it's amazing how such an inexpensive and simple instrument can play such wonderfull things within a couple of hours of your first contact with it!

Practise a lot, give it some devotion, and most important of all: have fun playing it! You'll be rewarded!

Cheers to you!

[brewerpaul]

Grey Larsen's book is a wonderful encyclopedia of whistle information, but you won't be ready for most of it for quite a while. By all means get it and read the introductory parts about the instrument and the music and come back to the rest later, when you have some basic technique under your belt.

I'm a big fan of Bill Ochs' The Clarke Tinwhistle book/cd combo. It starts you at zero, assuming that you know nothing about music, and in a logical stepwise teaches you to read music, gives you some very simple tunes right away, and progresses you up through fully ornamented reels. The CD lets you hear how each example in the book is supposed to sound.

Enjoy-- you're in for more fun than you can imagine.

[dfernandez77]

I'll second the Bill Och's book recommendation. Best to have a D whistle for that. You've got a couple other good resource recommendations too.

The Sweetone in C is a decent instrument. I started my playing with a Freeman Tweaked Sweetone in D.

Have fun, and welcome.

[Whistler Bard]

I'll "third" the Bill Och's recomendation, it's really great, I know what I'm talking about here, I own it!

[phayes]

Thank you all for the great suggestions! I'll have to check out that Och's book.

And special thanks to you MTGuru... sound like a former Bloomington native! I'll tell ya, and I know you'll hear me on this: There is no replacement for Bloomington, Indiana.

Those links are great, I'm planning on heading to the Runcible Spoon tomorrow! And I'm excited.

Thanks again for all the warm welcomes, I'll stick around an update you all on progress and I'll keep on the forums to offer more people welcomes, since that's about all the help I can be to them right now!

peace

[Feadoggie]

Those links are great, I'm planning on heading to the Runcible Spoon tomorrow!

I've never been to Bloomington. I was just wondering. Would a public house called the Runcible Spoon have "mince with slices of quince" on the menu?

Feadoggie

[phayes]

Those links are great, I'm planning on heading to the Runcible Spoon tomorrow!

I've never been to Bloomington. I was just wondering. Would a public house called the Runcible Spoon have "mince with slices of quince" on the menu?

Oho! I'll won't know that either until after tomorrow night... But I'll certainly keep an eye out for any impressions by Edward Lear!

AND! MT.: I have a question for you... you mention Grey Larsen, but I was curious if when you were in Bloomington if you knew of a whistle shop? or a dealer shop?

[MTGuru]

AND! MT.: I have a question for you... you mention Grey Larsen, but I was curious if when you were in Bloomington if you knew of a whistle shop? or a dealer shop?

No, sorry, it's been too long (I left in 1981). I'm sure the folks at the session would know. Also, there's another Chiffboard member here in Bloomington you could ask. Just click on his profile here and send him a PM or e-mail:

memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=85

Back then, David Molk (who worked with Miles Krassen on the revised O'Neill's book) ran a small folk music shop upstairs at Kirkwood and Walnut. There were no sessions, just informal house parties. The Runcible Spoon was just a coffee house, no regular music except for occasional local strummers. Places like The Brigantine and Bear's Place featured British and American folk performers who came through. In fact, that's how Grey Larsen got his start there, as he and Malcolm Dalglish were regular visitors.

[MTGuru]

I've never been to Bloomington. I was just wondering. Would a public house called the Runcible Spoon have "mince with slices of quince" on the menu?

No, last I was there they didn't even have ... runcible spoons. You'd think they could at least have offered sporks.

Say, I wonder if they still have goldfish in the bathtub?

[phayes]

Ok all,
Here is the dilemma I'm faced with today. there is a whistle dealer (sorta) in my town, that sells, generations, oaks and feadóg.
Which would you recommend?

[nancymae]

Welcome to the board and the world of whistles! You are EXTREMELY lucky to live in an area where you can take lessons from Grey...I encourage you to get that book and study from him. I'm working through the toolbook myself and do plenty of searches on this board for the answers for my questions.

The people here are VERY generous and knowledgeable about learning whistles and music....I have come to this forum often, not only to ask questions, but doing searches on various subjects. You will find no better people in the world than the people here on this webiste. I come here daily to see what's going on in the world of whistle knowledge, follow new links on whistle crafters and whistle enthusiasts. This place is a wealth of information!

Look on the Clips and Snips board as well for many songs, and when you are ready, submit your own!

You can also get a good chuckle every day--as we whistle players have a great sense of humor!

Enjoy...keep playing every day! Get a teacher, go to session..and come out to C & F every day to share your progress, a song or two, and what whistles are you going to buy this year. (I think you already have WHOA-check on main C & F page for the definition of this fun disease!)

Nancy

[Feadoggie]

Here is the dilemma I'm faced with today. there is a whistle dealer (sorta) in my town, that sells, generations, oaks and feadóg.

Buy one of each! I have had good luck with each of those, your mileage may vary. Pick one, maybe a gen, and run with it. But keep it out of your mouth while running.

Feadoggie

[riverman]

Wow, phayes, not everyone is lucky enough to decide to take up whistling and then find one in his sock drawer!! Maybe if I wish real hard I can find a Overton in my sock drawer!!

[pause while wishing....checking....]

Blast! Nothing! Not even in the underwear drawer!!

Welcome to the world of whistling, phayes! I agree with you--the sound of a whistle on a slow air will rip your heart out, and it will feel GOOD! This is a fun place to be. Whenever I read posts here, I want to...whistle!!