SteveShaw wrote:The thing is, I have a load of old cheapie whistles lying around, the only one of which that plays quite well, in tune without breaking up too much, is a red Sweetone in D. If I just stick with this in the hope of getting better and moving upmarket, am I just going to nobble my progress? I know that cheap harmonicas are next to useless for beginners. Does this apply to whistles too or am I OK with the Sweetone for the time being?
You should immediately go out and spend hundreds on a high-end whistle. I know this 'cause that's what I did.
Seriously, if you're lucky enough to have a Sweetone that plays in tune, just stick with it for a while; they're really quite nice.
Last edited by jsluder on Thu Mar 02, 2006 6:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Spike: "We band of buggered."
SteveShaw wrote:(Intrepidly he foolishly rushes into the whistle forum, where angels fear to tread...) I was thinking of starting a new thread but it seems appropriate to raise my question here. I really am going to get serious about playing the whistle. The excuse that my fingers are not connected to my brain remnant is wearing thin. I'm not a complete beginner but shall we just say that a suitable outlet for my talents would be a class of five-year-old infants learning the recorder. The thing is, I have a load of old cheapie whistles lying around, the only one of which that plays quite well, in tune without breaking up too much, is a red Sweetone in D. If I just stick with this in the hope of getting better and moving upmarket, am I just going to nobble my progress? I know that cheap harmonicas are next to useless for beginners. Does this apply to whistles too or am I OK with the Sweetone for the time being?
Steve
I wouldn't worry about it Steve.
I'd say I'm intermediate now and I often pick up my Sweetone if I just want to belt out a few tunes when I'm stressed or whatever. Eventually you get to know how it limits you. I don't know about your other cheapies, but it's possible that you just haven't figured them out yet. Play with your sweetone but I'd suggest switching back to another one (Waltons? Generation?) when you learn a new song and try it on that a couple times. Worked for me (I like to think)
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SteveShaw wrote:The thing is, I have a load of old cheapie whistles lying around, the only one of which that plays quite well, in tune without breaking up too much, is a red Sweetone in D. If I just stick with this in the hope of getting better and moving upmarket, am I just going to nobble my progress? I know that cheap harmonicas are next to useless for beginners. Does this apply to whistles too or am I OK with the Sweetone for the time being?
I played a Sweetone for months before I got another whistle. It will do you fine for a while.
Here's the deal.
To play my Blackwood Thin Weasel:
I take the case from my desk;
open the case;
attach the head to the body at the tuning slide;
test it a couple times for tuning;
maybe rub it down with a lightly oiled cloth;
play it for a while;
Take it apart (head from body);
dry the slide;
swab the moisture from it;
rub it down with a lightly oiled cloth;
put it in the case;
stash the case away in a safe cool place.
Now there are great rewards that come from dealing with all the details. But...
To play my Sweetone:
I pick up the whistle from wherever I happened to lay it down last;
pucker up;
blow a tune, or two and a half tunes, or whatever;
set it down wherever I end up when I'm done blowing.
Have fun, move up when you've got a couple tunes under your belt and you feel the need. You'll probably still be picking up the Sweetone for fun many years from now.
Daniel
It's my opinion - highly regarded (and sometimes not) by me. Peace y'all.
Thank you. I feel very encouraged. I've been sessioneering with my harmonicas for years now so I have hundreds of tunes and plenty of confidence. All I need now is to remember to sit up straight when I'm playing (I do that with the harmonica, but as soon as I pick up a whistle my neck somehow goes into jack-knife mode and my back develops a stoop ) and gain a bit of co-ordination. It's the last bit that I find tough. The other thing with the whistle as opposed to the harmonica is that it has the power to cut right through the mix, loud and proud, whereas you can noodle around sotto voce with the harmonica, and that aspect of the whistle saps my self-confidence a bit when I know I'm not much good at it.
Steve
"Last night, among his fellow roughs,
He jested, quaff'd and swore."
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the lord of the dance, said he!
SteveShaw wrote:Thank you. I feel very encouraged. I've been sessioneering with my harmonicas for years now so I have hundreds of tunes and plenty of confidence. All I need now is to remember to sit up straight when I'm playing (I do that with the harmonica, but as soon as I pick up a whistle my neck somehow goes into jack-knife mode and my back develops a stoop ) and gain a bit of co-ordination. It's the last bit that I find tough. The other thing with the whistle as opposed to the harmonica is that it has the power to cut right through the mix, loud and proud, whereas you can noodle around sotto voce with the harmonica, and that aspect of the whistle saps my self-confidence a bit when I know I'm not much good at it.
Steve
If that ever happens, just stand up, yell "Learn to play the damned tune!" and storm out.
SteveShaw wrote:Thank you. I feel very encouraged. I've been sessioneering with my harmonicas for years now so I have hundreds of tunes and plenty of confidence. All I need now is to remember to sit up straight when I'm playing (I do that with the harmonica, but as soon as I pick up a whistle my neck somehow goes into jack-knife mode and my back develops a stoop ) and gain a bit of co-ordination. It's the last bit that I find tough. The other thing with the whistle as opposed to the harmonica is that it has the power to cut right through the mix, loud and proud, whereas you can noodle around sotto voce with the harmonica, and that aspect of the whistle saps my self-confidence a bit when I know I'm not much good at it.
Steve
I would concentrate right from the beginning on keeping your fingers and body (like don't hunch up your shoulders---a sign of tension) relaxed. Just cover the holes very lightly, just enough to get the tone. If the tone sounds bad, DON'T press harder (this makes your finger fatter and thus you can cover the hole more easily) because you have to tense your fingers to press harder. MOVE your finger until it just cuts off the air coming out of the hole. If your fingers are tense, you will not be able to play quickly when the time comes. I'm sure your coordination is perfectly fine. It's just that so many people say the whistle is really easy to play that one feels that if it is hard then something must be wrong with oneself or the whistle. I think it is just like any other instrument---to play it well is difficult. Otherwise you would be hearing brilliant whistle music every where you go, right?
Your whistle sounds fine. Don't get all obsessed with the perfect whistle.
Diligentia maximum etiam mediocris ingeni subsidium. ~ Diligence is a very great help even to a mediocre intelligence.----Seneca
I'll let you know how I get on. I can sort of play "Off to California" and "Sheebeg" but not reliably enough to do 'em in the pub. I'll set myself some goals.
Steve
"Last night, among his fellow roughs,
He jested, quaff'd and swore."
They cut me down and I leapt up high
I am the life that'll never, never die.
I'll live in you if you'll live in me -
I am the lord of the dance, said he!
I tried tablature and reading music when I started some 4+ years ago but what works for me is playing along with music. Over the years I collected tons of music off the net, Napster, Emusic, freebies, and 0.99/downloads.
I concentrated on scales to get the feel of the whistle (music is variations of scales), then just learning the basic tune by constant listening, then focused on beat control by just playing any notes as long as they matched the beat, then breath control to make it sound sweet. (and anyone that tells you that you cant unlearn what you used to is full of sh*t. Its called control and it indicates that you can learn a new way of playing a tune),
Dont get hung up on ornaments. It will come naturally. You will know where to place them.
Just do your thing.
If you want to get really good really fast, practice your arse off. Practice is the key.
Good luck.
<a href="http://www.whistletotheworld.com/" target="_blank"> Whistle to the World</a>
Helping underprivileged kids learn music via the Irish Whistle.
Speaking of practice- I heard an interview with Doc Severinson today on our local PBS radio station. He's here for a concert. Another horn blower was speaking of the impression Doc made on him re: practice. - he was in the band, Doc was of course the headliner for a concert tour. After an 8 hour all day practice for their performance everyone was talking about how tired they were of practicing. Where was Doc? He'd wandered back to an empty room and practiced by himself another 45 minutes!
Now that's practice and that's why folks who are really good are really as good as they are.
"Let low-country intruder approach a cove
And eyes as gray as icicle fangs measure stranger
For size, honesty, and intent." John Foster West
) and gain a bit of co-ordination. It's the last bit that I find tough. The other thing with the whistle as opposed to the harmonica is that it has the power to cut right through the mix, loud and proud, whereas you can noodle around sotto voce with the harmonica, and that aspect of the whistle saps my self-confidence a bit when I know I'm not much good at it. 
