Tutorial • 1 • The Basics
If you've bought a high D whistle, and find it a bit loud or shrill, there are other keys available. (The fact that I make whistles and flutes has nothing to do with the last statement). The larger the whistle, the deeper it is, and it usually follows that the holes will be larger and more widely spaced, which may make things a bit awkward for the complete newcomer.
The next thing you should be aware of, and probably the most important ingredient to learning the whistle, whether you are six or sixty, is that you will have to practice, AND do it with a good heart! Unless you are gifted, it’s just going to have to happen.
If you are serious about learning, you doubtless knew that anyway, and if not, you would soon be frustrated by your slow rate of progress. We had to get that out of the way where I have never heard it seriously put before - right at the beginning!
First of all, hold it (the whistle) in your hands and look at it. This little instrument is capable of wrenching the living soul out of listener and player alike. The purpose here is to administer an anaesthetic to the learning process. You do, or you don't, read music? The whistle won't care either way, and my belief is that you learn more with your ears anyway.
In an attempt to cover all the angles, several ways of writing music down have been employed here to ease your passage into tunes. What could possibly be confusing is that they appear together.
This illustration (see larger version) shows all three methods together for the note G.
Method 1: Musical notation, for those of you who paid attention at school.
Method 2: A number, written above the note. This shows the number of fingers covering holes, 1-6 from the top of the whistle down.
0 = No fingers
0/5 = Top finger off - the rest on
0/2 = Top finger off - next two on
Method 3: Six vertical holes representing a whistle: if a finger is meant to cover it the hole is shown darker.
Fingering for the Key of D
Large printable version of this chart [PDF]
Fingering for the Key of C Natural
You will also need to know the fingering for C natural which is shown here.
The First Note
Yes, that one, any one!
The very first time you blew into the whistle, the chances are that you discovered for yourself that the instrument is capable of 2 notes, each an octave apart, for every hole. The difference between them is a slight increase/decrease in breath pressure.
Practice going up and down the whistle, playing first the low tone, then slightly increase the breath and get the higher tone, for each hole on the whistle. In time you will be able to 'think' the note you want and your lungs/diaphragm will miraculously deliver the one looked for. It's a case of knowing your own instrument, as they all behave slightly differently.
Don't forget to breathe!
The First Tune
I think a Slow Air will be easier on the nerves to begin with. Success feeds success, and proudly playing a reasonably obscure air to your mates, and having their well deserved praise heaped upon you, will be assured!
Reason 1 - they will think your bum notes were part of the emotion of the tune, and,
Reason 2 - they probably won't know it so can't contradict you!
Siobhan ni Duibhir is such an air, and a very beautiful, yet simple one. Have a go at it!
See and print the full version of Siobhan ni Dhuibhir [PDF].
Sabotage
Right, so you've had a couple of hesitant goes at playing an air.
If you were not happy with the results, I believe I can offer an explanation. My theory is that, after hearing a tune a couple of times, the brain can very well remember how to get from one note to the next. However, your fingers now take on a saboteur's role and deliberately send the tune to hell!
Why? Because the happy day when your fingers nimbly flick up and down in something like the right order hasn't arrived yet. Why should they? They are probably being held in an unusual attitude, over tightly, being asked to perform a trick they never tried before. What cures it? Yes...you guessed it, regular practice!
Whilst on the subject of speed (were we?), a common fault with many students, me included, is to equate good playing with fast playing. This can be true, of course, but it is best to avoid the temptation to let rip, at least to begin with. Fast playing can often be an illusion of confident fingering and good ORNAMENTATION which is the next thing we need to look at.
Ornamentation
So go to Ornamentation - Tutorial Part 2.
Download this complete tutorial as a printable PDF.
