How many tunes do you know?

vaporlock · Post by **vaporlock** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 11:30 am

Sweetone, I think that would be another list. While the issue of having a tune memorized is black and white, the issue of how well it can be played is somewhat grey.

I have some tunes that I feel that I play very well (other may take issue with that), but I have yet to memorize them...and some on my list of memorized songs I have troubles with (The Fifth Year for example has a few pesky accidentals)

Kar · Post by **Kar** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 11:39 am

Well, I was shooting for learning a tune a week, but it's more like one a month. In about six months, I've got:

Amazing Grace (who doesn't know this one?)
Cecelia (yes, the Simon & Garfunkel)
Joy to the World
We Three Kings
Good King Wencenslas
Bach's Minuet
Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes
Two or three medieval dance tunes
Two or three folk dance tunes
The beginning of Spring from the Four Seasons
Morning Has Broken

and I'm working on (half-way memorized):
Captain Picard's Air
How Can I Keep From Singing
Simple Gifts

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 11:45 am

On 2002-09-03 12:50, sweetone wrote:
Isn't it more important how well you know them, at what speed and how well you play them, with acceptable ornamentation etc.

That's true for anyone who is trying to become a good whistle player.

Azalin · Post by **Azalin** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 11:54 am

Yeah, TUNES!!!!!! Too many "songs" in this thread, gave me an headache!!! A "song" is when someone is "singing" !!! I also think that WanderingWhistler is lying, I'm sure he knows the Kesh Jig!!!

okverka · Post by **okverka** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 2:08 pm

This is my list after 9 months of memorizing tunes (I play Desi Seery flute and no-name whistle hand-made by Dingle piper, both playing well the second octave, so I do not have to figth with any technical obstacles): The first 10 tunes were difficult to memorize, now I just write down the first note together with the tune name, then I memorize several difficult points of the tune, the rest I play "automaticaly". One important point: I have to be able to "sing" the tune - if I am not able to sing the tune (when I do not know it well, or when I forget it), I am not able to play it. The letter before the tune name is the first note of the tune. I have found it surprisingly useful - I just start to play that first note, then next notes follow from somewhere...

Also I have found that after knowing well about 25 songs, my playing speed improved suddendly in one "giant" step. Now I am fast enough to play with some of my CDs. I use "piper's" fingering (straight fingers).

Also I use 00x000 fingering for c# (to be frank, it is necessary with Seery, the 000000 fingering c# is out of tune). Because of it, at any moment, at least one hole is closed - therefore I hold the flute in a more stabile way - it improves speed mainly with Seery, which is quite heavy. I don't have to figth with the balance of the flute, so my concentration (=speed) improves.

1. B - Blacksmith
2. B - Cucanandy
3. E - Maids of Mitchellstown
4. B - Butterfly
5. D - She Moves Through the Fair
6. G - Favourite March of Irish Volunteers
7. B - Paddy be Aisy
8. D - Give Me Your Hand
9. A - Carrigfergus
10. G - Out On The Ocean
11. f - Egan's Polka
12. D - I Buried My Wife and Danced On Her Grave
13. B - The Parting Glas
14. D - Arthur Mc'Bride
15. E - Orkney Anthem
16. E - Morning On The Distant Shore
17. A - Si Beag & Si Mor
18. A - Shores of Lough Gowna
19. G - The Leitrim Fancy
20. G - Garrai na Bhfeiloig
21. G - Christy Barry Set
22. D - Inisheer
23. G - Butler of Glen Avenue
24. B - Cathal McConnels
25. D - Merrily Kissed the Quaker's Wife
26. E - The Limerick Rake
27. D - The Water Dog's Hole
28. B - Carolan's Welcome
29. D - Raglan Road

Wandering_Whistler · Post by **Wandering_Whistler** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 2:10 pm

Uhm..I do. On my list, it's number 57. When I learned it, I knew it as "kerrigan's jig" and only knew it as Kesh later.

I even considered recording it on my new sweetheart whistle to add to the clips and snips kesh controversy.

On 2002-09-03 13:54, Azalin wrote:
Yeah, TUNES!!!!!! Too many "songs" in this thread, gave me an headache!!! A "song" is when someone is "singing" !!! I also think that WanderingWhistler is lying, I'm sure he knows the Kesh Jig!!!

LeeMarsh · Post by **LeeMarsh** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 3:22 pm

How Many?

Not enough!

If I get half the number of the tunes that the average local session fiddlers around here have in their list; then I'll be on my way. Hmmm ... that only leaves about 500 more tunes to learn....

Actually there are about of a dozen tunes I can play by heart; these are those where I'm more in the music than caught in the mechanics. There's another couple of dozen that I have the basic melody memorized but can't let go of yet; these I'm still just playing the notes. A final dozen tunes are just becoming familiar for future play.

I expect that all will improve drasticly over the next couple of months, now that I have a dedicated place to practice.

_________________

Enjoy Your Music, Lee Marsh 

[ This Message was edited by: LeeMarsh on 2002-09-03 17:24 ]

Niv · Post by **Niv** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 5:45 pm

After playing whistle for 27 years I've lost count but I know loads and loads and loads and loads and loads and loads, even more!

snoogie · Post by **snoogie** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 6:21 pm

Yeah..ok TUNES, not Songs! (But ya' knew what I meant)

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 6:35 pm

That's "tunes"- pronounced "chunes". At least in our band it is.

Byll · Post by **Byll** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 6:55 pm

Interesting question. My band has existed since 1998. We have about a 3 hour repertoire, constantly expanding - not including our Christmas/seasonal material. I play hammer dulcimer and whistles, as does my duo-dulcimer partner. While we both play everything from memory, the rest of the band uses some written music... The tunes are most often performed in medleys of two and three, connected with transitional passages, where necessary. Selections range from Bach and Faure', through folk music of America and the British Isles...
I truly do enjoy learning new material. It keeps me young...and at my age, that is no easy task.
Cheers to all...
Byll

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 7:21 pm

Kar- What are the Medival dance tunes you do? And, where can I find them or others of that ilk?

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Tue Sep 03, 2002 7:28 pm

Here's the tunes I have in my head, with an asterisk next to favorites.

Jigs:
Rolling Waves (Lonesome Jig)*, Joy of My Life*, Lilting Banshee (Ryan's Jig), Foxhunter, Calliope House*, Road to Lisdoonvarna, Sweet Biddy Daly, The Butterfly*, Get Up Old Woman and Shake Yourself*, The Back of the Haggard, Have a Drink with Me, The Portroe Jig (Out on the Ocean)*

Reels:

Ashplant*, Man of the House*, Dunmoor Lasses*, Copperplate, Navy on the Line, Eel in the Sink, Flagstaff of Memories*, Rolling in the Rye Grass, Dan Breen's Reel, Castle Kelly, Glass of Beer

Airs:

Si Beg Si Mor*, South Wind*, Down by the Sally Gardens*, McPherson's Lament*, Foggy Dew, Amazing Grace

Slides:

Okeefe's Slide, Worntorn Petticoat*, Patsy Mack

Polkas:

Pat Enright's, Newmarket

Flings:

Some Say the Devil is Dead, Cis Ni Lithain*

Marches:

Battle of Aughrim*, The Halting March (The Pikemen)*

Philo

celt5 · Post by **celt5** » Wed Sep 04, 2002 10:50 am

Saddle The Pony, The Kesh Jig, The Blackthorn Stick, Kilavel (sp?), Condin's Frolics, Tripping Up the Stairs, Visit to Ireland, Gander in the Pratie Hole, The Rolling Waves, The Eavesdropper, Connaughtman's Rambles, Man of the House, Castle Kelly, Mama's Pet, The Merry Blacksmith, Reel of Rio, Dweyer's, Sally Gardens, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, The Galway Rambler, The Concertina Reel, Ballydesmond Polka #2, Britches Full of Stitches, Kerry Polks #2, Micky Chewing Bubble Gum, Rakes of Mallow, Vincent Campbell's Mazurka, The Boy's of Blue Hill, Harvest Home, The Foggy Dew, Roddy McCorely (sp?), The Star Above The Garter, The Star of the County Down, Inisheer, O'Keefes, Old Comrads, The Halting March, St. Patrick's Day Celebration, Wild Mountain Thyme, The Rights of Man
I think that's all.

Kar · Post by **Kar** » Wed Sep 04, 2002 11:10 am

On 2002-09-03 21:21, cowtime wrote:
Kar- What are the Medival dance tunes you do? And, where can I find them or others of that ilk?

I don't remember the names of the tunes, but they are really nice. I got several on-line, just by browsing Google for free sheet music. And then Susato makes a nice book called Medieval Tunes (or something like that) that are all one-octave so you can play on the whistle pretty easily even if you are just beginning. Check out Susato.com to order.

I also just ordered some Medieval music from SheetMusicPlus. They've got lots of stuff for recorders, which is usually easily played on the whistle.