The main reason for this
workshop is for my own development, (looking for
that elusive lilt!) and to pass on a few tips.
My way of playing is not traditional (traditional playing is hard
to define but is very apparent when heard.) As I
was born and bred in England I obviously haven't
had an Irish musical upbringing. Most whistle
music today is from that tradition and so that's
what I usually play, in my own way and from an
English point of view...pub sessions.
There will
be other types of tunes included. The whistle
doesn't have to dedicate itself entirely to Irish
type music...not everyone wants to play jigs and
reels all the time. As the pennywhistle is
becoming more and more popular there are plenty of
people playing different types of tunes. In my
view any tune that is written in a whistle
friendly key is fair game.
For traditional
styles of playing and more in depth analysis on
jigs, reels etc visit Brother
Steve's site. Some more whistle tutorials that
are becoming very popular are the video sites.
One notable tutorial is
Ryan Dunns a very clear concise player
Firstly a Poem called
'The
Penny Whistle'by
Terry Browne which has been written for a couple
on their wedding day A quirky yet
beautiful poem which I just had to include here.
About Me.
I have two kids, Pete (24)
Temping in Sheffield whilst waiting to do
another year at University and Lucy
(16) at a comprehensive school. We live
in Folkestone, Kent in the UK. I work in the
local comprehensive school as the Minibus
driver/trainer/ I also play in a Folk band
which is based on Romney Marsh we are called
The Buckthorn Band
All the tunes and musical gifs on this site are downloadable and free for personal use.
Please ask permission if they are needed for any other purposes.
Also there are bound to be mistakes, if any are spotted I would appreciate being told.
Thanks.
Recording
This is an invaluable tool as you can check your own progress and what might sound okay when you play can sound not so okay when you playback because the recording progress doesn't lie, although recorded sound can be enhanced with echo etc.
Any rhythmic or fingering mistakes are highlighted and so
you can work on that particular area.
Wisdom
Playing music is unique to every individual...so
exploit your own individuality!
"Six Ways to Break
Out of Being a Beginning Whistle Player"
an interesting article by
L.E.McCullough
Breathing
Unlike violin, guitar, etc. the whistle needs air, so wind players must breathe
within a tune and it is essential that the breath control becomes efficient and relaxed while playing.
Some basic tips are to breathe from the abdomen and as you play keep a clear wind way from your stomach up through the throat and out into the whistle.
There are various exercises for breath control such as yoga breathing.
I would say just practice deep breathing making sure the entire capacity of the lungs are used.
As well as helping the tone and control of the whistle there are also health benefits!.
Whilst playing try not to use up all the available breath, choose where you want to breathe in a tune and head for that spot.
As in speech the breath becomes a punctuation mark so can be very effective in giving a tune a little extra lilt.
In most of the tunes in the workshop there are suggested breath marks they might not suit everyone but they give the general idea.
Some words on the session
Sessions are fun! and if playing a tune or two is
intended, there are, like any social activity
certain rules, most of these are common sense...
Firstly get the drinks in (only joking)
Listening to what is going on, being friendly
and interested is an obvious thing to do.
You might be invited to
play or you could ask if it is okay to play
along.
The whole session thing is about musical
and social communication. Sessions differ from
place to place, some are very strict about the
type of tunes played. Some sessions don't want
anything other than pure Irish (which is a bit
sad as even many Irish tunes are imported) but
to play, for example a load of Morris tunes
might be frowned on. Luckily that isn't always
the case and a broad spectrum of music (within
reason) is usually tolerated. Some sessions are
organised in such a way that beginners or
newcomers aren't really welcome to play.
Sometimes it's big ego's, or maybe it's the
venues policy. Too many players of different
abilities can upset the balance. Those type of
sessions are good for learning whilst listening
and watching. All comers sessions can be a bit
of a free for all and sometimes the only way to
get in is wait for a break and...
play a tune, not always an easy thing to do but very good for the morale or ego.
Sitting near a guitar or mandolin is a good idea because there are likely to be some nice chords wafting about, and you can also hear what coming out of your instrument.
Sit too near the Banjo or Accordion and you'll be sailing into the wind!
Usually if somebody strikes up a tune the first part will be played by that person, then people join in as they get the idea of rhythm etc.
Joining in (or even dropping out) by degrees can be very effective, giving a tune added colour and drive.
How to Start and Run an Irish Slow Session by Chris Smith...an interesting viewpoint
here
