New Whistler

seventhanna · Post by **seventhanna** » Wed Sep 05, 2001 6:26 pm

Hello all,

I don't read music, I don't sing, I've never had a shred of musical inclination or talent, all these 26 years.

While passing a music store a few days ago I noticed a shiny little flute-ish looking thing mounted on a display that said, "Flagolets--Easy to Learn and On Sale Now!!" I came closer. I pressed my nose against the glass, leaving one of those little nostril shaped smudges on the window and drawing a dark look from the salesman inside.

There was something about it...I just had to have it...I dug out the $3.95 and paid for this whistle doodad, not knowing what the heck I wanted to do with it or why. I took it home, then got on the internet. (God bless the internet...otherwise, this lovely little instrument would be a nice addition to the other piles of useless but pretty junk I've accumulated over the years.) Found out that the better sounding name for it is a tin whistle and listened to a few tunes, then logged on to a few tutorials and drove my husband nuts trying to make the notes come out right.

So, here I am, a few days later and utterly hooked. I can't put it down--I never knew that even I of the pitifully lacking musical education could muddle through a tune. It seems the whistle might be in a little need of tweaking--I'm going to try the instructions from this site tonight and see if it doesn't make the whistle (it's a Generation C) sound a bit better.

I just wanted to say hello, and let you know that I'm glad I found a community of people as enchanted with this little gizmo as I am. I look forward to learning in your company.

Any suggestions you could give me as to where to go to find good beginner's songs to learn would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks muchly,
seventhanna

-Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!-

Brian Lee · Post by **Brian Lee** » Wed Sep 05, 2001 6:33 pm

HA! A fellow Monty Python consumer!

Fáilte! (Welcome!) the the board! Honestly, the best tunes to learn first on the whistle are gonna be the ones you already know. Play simple stuff like twinkle twinkle little star, and happy birthday etc.

This will help you get a feel for how it all works. Once you've gotten that down, perhaps you may want to look into some slow airs, or an easy jig or something like that. I learned for the first year I was playing from Chieftains recordings.

Good luck!

Bri~

Bretton · Post by **Bretton** » Wed Sep 05, 2001 6:37 pm

Hi seventhanna,

The best place I've found to look for tunes (if you know the name of the tune) is JC's Tune Finder:

http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/abc/findtune.html

Another thing you can do is goto Clips & Snips:

http://www.mchaffiewhistles.com/clipsnip/index.html

...listen to tunes people have sent in, and pick one you like. Then you can look up the sheet music for it on JC's Tune Finder and/or try to learn it 'by ear'.

If you can find another (more experienced) whistle player in your area (I'm sure there's someone in Phoenix), that's probably the best way to learn a few tunes.

-Brett

Champ · Post by **Champ** » Wed Sep 05, 2001 6:42 pm

A lot of instructional material - both on the web and in commercial CDs and books - will assume you have a D whistle rather than a C, so you may need to consider buying another whistle.

BE WARNED ... you won't stop at two whistle, you will become the latest victim of WHOA ... it's a lifetime addiction.

If you do get another whistle, ask the salesman what brands he has and try a few out (if he'll let you!). My personal favourite cheap whistle is the SweetTone - but everyone has their own favourites.

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Wed Sep 05, 2001 7:02 pm

If you really want to contract WhOA, check out http://www.thewhistleshop.com . =) I've got two whistles and two on order, and I haven't even branched out of the main keys yet =)

LittleMy · Post by **LittleMy** » Wed Sep 05, 2001 7:11 pm

I want a Generation C for $3.95!!!

By the way, welcome to C and F. Home of Conspicuous Whistle Consumption.

Tillek · Post by **Tillek** » Wed Sep 05, 2001 9:39 pm

Hello Seventhanna. I started out much the same way you did. Only there was no glass for me to leave a nostril smudge on. ;p

Welcome to the board, and good whisteling to you!

mike.r · Post by **mike.r** » Thu Sep 06, 2001 5:47 am

Hi Seventhana and welcome...nothing wrong with gen. C as a first whistle ,if the sales guy had given you a high G that would be another story!Have fun and enjoy your whistling.

Mike

Tyghress · Post by **Tyghress** » Thu Sep 06, 2001 6:24 am

Hi Seventhanna! Welcome to WhOA. I know you're in love with your new toy, but I second the recommendation that either you play songs you KNOW, without the benefit of hearing someone else playing whistle, or you return to the nice little store and get yourself a D whistle. If you try to listen to recordings/midi's/mp3's, you'll most likely be hearing a lot of D and G tunes which are easy to find on a D whistle, and close to impossible to work on a C.

Hey, what's a nother whistle amongst friends, right?

Mack.Hoover · Post by **Mack.Hoover** » Thu Sep 06, 2001 11:10 am

All I can say (besides welcome) is don't give up your career as a writer in deference to playing whistle. It takes years to articulate whistle as well as you do words. Don't give up on whistle either, though.

Mack

AnnaDMartinez · Post by **AnnaDMartinez** » Thu Sep 06, 2001 12:16 pm

Welcome! I hope you love this forum as much as I do! The people who hang out here are some of the best folks in the world! I adore them all!

StewySmoot · Post by **StewySmoot** » Thu Sep 06, 2001 1:25 pm

Try to resist the temptation to tweak it just yet. It takes a wee bit o' thyme to get used to breathing into it properly thru both octaves (anybody break into the third octave yet, and not shatter glass?). You dont want to throw your 3.95 down the tubes if you tweak it for naught now, do you?

Welcome.

The Adorable Stewy Smoot

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: StewySmoot on 2001-09-06 15:41 ]</font>

Cinead · Post by **Cinead** » Thu Sep 06, 2001 4:34 pm

I too welcome you. Work on those scales. Try some intervals. Get used to thinking of the note you want before you play it and then find it. You can do this by taking a melody which you know very slowly.
Your prior music knowledge will come in handy. My first whistle was a Clarke D. It was black with orange diamonds and a wooden plug in the mouthpiece. The first time I tried to sling the ...um..condensation out of it, I hit the rim of my arm chair and dented it beyond repair. At $8, it was easy to replace. The next time, I bought three. You've got to have back ups you know... Loooooootssssss of them.

Cinead

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Cinead on 2001-09-06 18:36 ]</font>

seventhanna · Post by **seventhanna** » Thu Sep 06, 2001 9:36 pm

Hi again,

Thanks so much for the warm welcome. I've taken all your suggestions to heart and have spent far too many hours on the net exploring tin whistle possibilities. The dishes have been neglected, and the cat is upset that formerly quiet places have now become the home of many, many ill-played scales.

My husband asked me to please reconsider the merits of this new hobby and perhaps take up something a bit less...musical, to which I responded, "Trust me, I'll sound better with a D whistle."

Looks like I'm going to need a book or two. Looks like the husband is going to have to invest in earplugs for awhile (I don't care, my playing sounds good to *me*!) Looks like the obsession has taken hold...I surfed by eBay an thewhistlestop, and OH MERCY!

Thanks again for welcoming me in. It seems I've found a nice crowd of people with their priorities in place.

Rest assured I will pester you with questions and bombard you relentlessly with Monty Python quotes. My main weapon is fear and surprise. My *two* main weapons are...

Charitable donations can be sent to:
Seventhanna

-Now...where did I put that Chieftains CD?-

P.S. Mack, how did you know I'm a writer? I've been told by hundreds of editors I have no distinguishing style or talent whatsoever. Not that it stops me. But how did you know?

Cinead · Post by **Cinead** » Fri Sep 07, 2001 6:25 am

Monty Python quotes.

"Look out! It's the Bishop!

Cinead