And, You Started to Play the Whistle because...

[morgan]

There I was in the parking lot of a music store, about to go in and buy some elementary piano books for my kids, when Thistle and Shamrock cam eo n the radio.

What a sound! Never really thought much about whistles before.

And then, right there in the store, a stack of Waltons by the register. That began my very serious case of WHOA.

[Kar]

A couple of years ago, at 32, I was determined to check out this whole "music" thing, having done nothing more musical my whole life than sing in choir. I spent two frustrating months with a re***der (which was laying around the house), teaching myself to read simple music. One day, it all came together and I found I could sightread but I still didn't like the sound of my instrument.

I went to Lark in the Morning to get a better re***der, hoping that would help, and the salesperson was playing a Clarke original. I got one for my boyfriend, who wanted to learn something musical too, but I "tested" it out for him a little too much and ended up keeping it. I put down the re***der, promptly discovered WHOA and C&F and never looked back.

Since then, I have been HOOKED on music. Self-taught the guitar about four months ago, and took up the violin (a life-long dream that was always discouraged since I was "too old" and it was "too hard") about two months ago. Oh, and took up the NAF, and I dabble with keyless flutes on occassion.

I am different person because of music in general and the whistle in particular. It was so easy for me to play--not well (which I still can't do) but well enough to experience the act of MAKING MUSIC--and I sometimes get a cold sweat when I think, "Oh God, what if I'd never picked up a whistle, I'd have never had all this GREATNESS in my life." Seriously. The three things that have been the most life-changing--without question--for me were: three years of therapy, moving to San Francisco and learning to play the whistle/make music. I am really happy person, and a lot of that happiness comes from making music. Thank God for the whistle!

[vomitbunny]

It doesn't drown out the voices, but sometimes they shut up and sit and listen. That's good enough for me.

[mconners]

I started playing whistle because I started playing uilleann pipes.

Usually there's a whistle lurking in a piper's case and for good reason: the fingering is about 95% of the pipes and it's easier to pull out a whistle and play than it is to strap on the pipes.

I used the whistle to pick out tunes and difficult sections and then finish up on the pipes.

For the past couple months I have been in-between sets of pipes and have been playing my Burke brass D a lot. A few weeks ago I purchased a Freeman tweaked Generation and I like playing that a lot. It has great tone and the quirkiness associated with good Generations.

The Burke and the tweaked are great to play - each has its special tonal qualities.

All the best.

[docrrnmwp]

With a name like mine (Daniel O'Connell), one naturally gets interested in Irish culture. And I've played music almost all my life (I'm 75). I was in Dingle, Co. Kerry, on my birthday (4/20/2004) & saw a brass Pennywhistle at a Music Store, & bought it. (It was a "Beadog," made in Ireland, tuned to "D.") Later I bought a Clarke's ("C"). Now I'm also trying to play a ("D") Fire.

Fascinating. I have Geraldine Cotter's fine book & am working my way through it. It's a good thing I read & write music!

BTW, the Fife is much harder than the Pennywhistle, IMHO!

Dan

[KDMARTINKY]

My first whistle was a Clarke D. I started because I wanted to get in touch with my rich Irish past. I have handicapped twins Ashley & Brandon and both love music very much...I thought it would be an instrument that I could enjoy alonmg with them. Now what has started as a way to share with my children has become obsession. I want play every whistle I see and I want to purchase every whistle I see. My wife is ready to send me of to the looney house (just kidding). She really doesn't mind the sounds I produce.....

[jbarter]

I still can't remember and I've been thinkin' right 'ard. Does anyone else know why I started whistling?

[Linnhe]

Because of Alex Green. Alex Green was (is) the best player of Scottish tunes on the whistle, bar none. He's getting on in years now as he will be the first to tell you, and he only has eight full fingers as the result of an accident in his youth, but his playing is still beautiful, simple and lyrical. And I have seen him raise the roof on more than one occasion with his little D whistle. I am told that his playing is now regarded as old-fashioned and that some of the younger Scots who are playing whistle (many of whom are also pipers) are taking it to a whole new level. But he's still my main man.

I had two years of lessons with another top man called Nigel Gatherer (his website is mentioned in another thread) and then I found myself living next to some vicious and meanspirited people who would not let me practise in peace. They have gone now so maybe I'll get back to it.

[Joseph E. Smith]

I picked them up out of frustration. I play a number of instruments in addition to the GHB, but back then, finding UPs wasn't near as easy as it is today and it was the UPs that I really wanted to play. There was a fellow at the time, who goes by the name of Tommy Kleen on this forum who had a practice set of UPs, and he kindly allowed me to strap into them once which that just made my longing worse. But Tommy is also a mighty whistler, and after listening to him play, I picked them up as a substitute for the Uilleann Pipes. I am sure this is a fairly common story, substituting whistles for pipes.

[emmline]

It doesn't drown out the voices, but sometimes they shut up and sit and listen. That's good enough for me.

me too.

[shadoe42]

My whistle story..hmm.. I have been involved in music for most of my life. Mostly vocals. 15 years okay I picked up the guitar, and the electric bass. I play some on a number of instruments including the piano, the trumpet, and the harmonica. However a few year back I developed what was termed moderate to severe carpel tunnel syndrome requiring surgery on both wrists last year to correct. For about a year prior to the surgeries playing guitar was impossible as my hands went numb about 45 seconds into strumming the first chord. After the surgeries it is just next to immpossible as the hand positions cause great discomfort after only a short time. Anyway I had for many years considered picking up a whistle often seeing them at Ren Faires and the Scottish Games. And finally after this years Ren Faire I hit the web, ordered a couple and then found a local shop that carried a few clarks and so here I am with a moderate case of whoa and a new light on the wrists instrument to play

[talasiga]

music has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember.
.......

Yes, me too.
I left my home and family as a child
to come to an overseas country
and my father gave me a Bb tin whistle
as a farewell present.
It was actually the whistle he played to me
when I was a baby.
It was Indian made and all metal including the beak.
I played it with homesick passion for many years
until some half wit stamped on it .....

[greenspiderweb]

Ahh,
So many instruments, so little time, and money! Musical instruments make me fall in love with their various seductive tones, and the whistle is no exception. I love dobro, acoustic lap slide, fiddle, guitar, bagpipes(GHB my favorite), flute, mandolin, oud, and a few more.
I was listening to Barry Phillips cd Cello, which is a wonderful Celtic exploration on the cello, and the last tune was Inis Oirr(Inisheer) and there was this unusual sounding instrument taking the lead, backed by the cello, and it was lovely, so distinctive, and the combination with the cello just made it stand out even more.
Of course, it was a low D whistle(wish I knew what make), played by Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, who is the lead singer for Danu now. She also plays a mean flute.
Still searching for that particular sound of hers in a whistle. If any of you recognize the tone of her whistle, please let me know what you think.
My first exposure at home to a musical instrument as a child I believe was also the flute-o-fone, as another member had mentioned. Maybe I'm going back to my roots!
And Emily, there's nothing wrong and everything right with some good dark Scottish music. I love the somber pieces in Celtic best.
But I can appreciate lighter music too, like Hawaiian Slack Key-if you want to feel happy check it out. I suggest Moses Kahumoku-his cd Ho'Okupu "The Gift" as a start. Taropatch.net/forum is a cool site too.

[brianholton]

[quote="Linnhe"]Alex Green was (is) the best player of Scottish tunes on the whistle, bar none.

Absolutely, Linnhe. I was very influenced by him. For many years I used to hear him play in Sandy Bell's bar. And he was the only whistler I used to hear.

Is he still around Bell's?

brian

[Linnhe]

Alex lives in Portknockie now, but I see him often at festivals during the summer. In fact, he was giving me a row last Saturday because I had not brought my whistle to Keith Festival and he was expecting me to be up to starting to join in sessions by now! He does a lot of work with youngsters and, as a result, I believe that there were about 30 entrants to the junior whistle competition at Keith last Saturday, which can't be bad for the future of Scottish whistlin'!