Advanced Whistle Music

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Thu Jun 20, 2002 11:24 am

This might do the trick if you're looking for some challenging whistle material...

http://www.positivelytestcard.co.uk/

Blayne Chastain · Post by **Blayne Chastain** » Thu Jun 20, 2002 11:56 am

I'm working on Catherine McEvoy's interpretation of "Pidgeon on the Gate" right now and it's kicking my A#!

Isilwen · Post by **Isilwen** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 3:56 pm

Hey, thanks everyone! I'm sure I'll be able to find some challenging stuff now!

I'm one of those annoying people (*grin*) who can read music just like reading a book. It only takes me about 10-15 minutes to learn a tune so I can play through it at tempo and then it takes me about another day to be able to play it at tempo with ornaments.

Basically here's a list of what I play. The Short list of what I play most often, b/c if I listed everything I play, it'd be about 3 pages long... *grin*

Boys of the Town
The Blackthorn Stick
Mist Covered Mountain
The Leprachaun
Mary Finn's (reel)
Ships are Sailing
The Belfast
Harvest Home
Rights of Man
Hector the Hero
Si Beag Si More
The Fairy Child
Leaving Glasgow
Blarney Pilgrim
The Galtee Ranger
The Butterfly
O'Carolan's Draught
The Peeler's Jacket
Donnybrook Fair
Down by the Salley Gardens
The Musical Priest
The Otter's Holt
Morrison Merrily Kissed the Quaker
Morrison's Jig
Drowsy Maggie

And basically anything that looks interesting.

ChrisLaughlin · Post by **ChrisLaughlin** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 5:11 pm

:roll:
Here's a test for you. Can you play all those tunes by ear, without sheet music, at speed, with ornamentation, varying the ornamentation each time through?
If the answer is "yes" then you are off to a very good start. Buy O'Neil's and start at the beginning. When you learn every tune in the book by heart you will know a heck of a lot of tunes. Then you need to learn how to play them like the whistle Gods.
If the answer is "no" then keep working on those tunes until you can play them all by heart.
Then find yourself recordings of really good Irish musicians playing those tunes and learn to play the tunes like they do. If you find yourself really looking for a challenge, the best thing you can do is pick up Mary Bergin's albums and start with the first set, learning it by ear. If you are able to learn the first set and play it anywhere close to the way she does then you have got us all beat!
Best,
Chris

sweetone · Post by **sweetone** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 6:24 pm

Here's one for you : what's wrong with reading the music from sheet????
what's making the difference???? is there one????
What about doing it your own way without making any difference in music or style???
Does one play irish whistle music (or any music) bad by reading it????
tell me please!!!

ChrisLaughlin · Post by **ChrisLaughlin** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 6:40 pm

Sweetone,
Here's an answer to your ???????????????????s.
Irish music is an aural tradition. It is handed down through playing and listening. The the nuances of the music CAN NOT be adequately conveyed by sheet music alone. Sheet music is a very good tool to assist one in learning Irish music, but if the sheet music is all that someone uses the end result will end up sounding all wrong. If, however, one learns to play Irish music by ear, learning to understand the swing and phrasing of the music, the subtle ornamentation, the notes given emphasis and the places for breathing, then that persons own playing will end up sounding like Irish music. Having come to a deeper understanding of the way Irish music sounds and feels, one may reasonably transfer that understanding to tunes learnt of a written page. Still, there is NO substitute for learning by ear from a great player. Plus, if one develops the skill of learning by ear it will be infinately easier to pick up the tunes played in a session.
Also, Sweetone, I noticed in another thread that you mentioned that you are a professional. What sort of professional are you? Just curious

Best,
Chris

[ This Message was edited by: ChrisLaughlin on 2002-06-23 20:51 ]

Isilwen · Post by **Isilwen** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 6:56 pm

Yes, Chris, I can play those tunes without music, up to tempo, with the right rhythm/timing, ect, and you name it. I've been told I sound darn near as good as Joanie Madden or Paddy Moloney.

CD wise, I have Joanie Madden's Song of the Irish Whistle and I've learned by ear The Immigrant and The Level Plain. I have Turlach Boylan's The Tidy Cottage and I've learned by ear The Little Tail, Andrea's Waltz, part of Brid Harper's Jig, and parts of some other reels and jigs that I can't remember the names of right now...
I also have the Chieftains' Celtic Wedding and Fire in the Kitchen and from those I've learned by ear A Breton Carol, Red Like the Rose, Lukey and Lukaloney.

Plus I've learned some other Irish tunes by ear off of my Step-dance CD's. Like Ramblin' Irishman, White Orange and Green, The Nightingale, and a few others.

[ This Message was edited by: The Whistling Elf on 2002-06-23 21:12 ]

ChrisLaughlin · Post by **ChrisLaughlin** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 7:01 pm

Cool. Sounds like you are on the right track. Now work on your jigs and reels.
Chris

Isilwen · Post by **Isilwen** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 7:10 pm

I'm workin' on it, but my problem is that I have a hard time keeping up because they go so fast... I can play harmony to them, but getting the melody unless I listen to it over and over is kind of difficult...

And then of course, when I listen to it over and over, I hear it in my sleep... *grin*

ChrisLaughlin · Post by **ChrisLaughlin** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 7:16 pm

If you are having trouble with jigs and reels then aren't they advanced enough for you? Why do you need more advanced tunes when you are still having trouble with jigs and reels? Buy O'Neils. Buy Mary Bergin. Learn jigs and reels

Chris

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 7:31 pm

On 2002-06-23 20:56, The Whistling Elf wrote:

I've been told I sound darn near as good as Joanie Madden or Paddy Moloney.

Really, and who pray tell told you this, uncle Joe?

Loren

Isilwen · Post by **Isilwen** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 7:37 pm

Uncle Joe?? I take offense to that Loren... I'm not male.

I never said I was as good. If it came across that way, it wasn't meant to. I meant that I've been told I'm almost to that level.

Anyhoo, I don't know their names. Most times they're the people who come up to me after a performance I've done and seem to know about Irish music...

Chris: It's not that I have trouble with Jigs and Reels, I just have problems playing by ear. I always have. But, yeah. You have a point. I should probably start learning to play by ear...

[ This Message was edited by: The Whistling Elf on 2002-06-23 21:44 ]

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 8:04 pm

I don't know what you were offended about, there was absolutely no gender specific bias in my question.

Loren

Isilwen · Post by **Isilwen** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 9:08 pm

oh, sorry. I must've misread it...

Sorry. *grins sheepishly*

JohnPalmer · Post by **JohnPalmer** » Sun Jun 23, 2002 11:19 pm

It sounds as if you are ready for another instrument to work on. JP