A Nice Experience

[riverman]

I don't know why I never did this before (in four years of whistling!) but I had a tune I liked on a CD, "O' Keefe's Slide." In learning to play it, I put my headphones on and listened. Then I decided to try and follow with my d whistle. Though I did a lot of messing up, I soon found myself playing right along! Since the CD involved several instruments, it was almost like being in a session. I found that I could keep up with the tune (this was NOT a Mary Bergin CD!). It was fun!
I want to do this a lot more, as I have other CDs with tunes I really like. Do you experienced players have any suggestions?

[squidgirl]

I really enjoy playing along with recordings too, though I generally have to use a slow-down-er to keep up. I find it's much more fun than playing with a metronome, but achieves much the same effect, of not allowing me to vary tempo depending on how hard/easy the different parts of the tune are.

[david_h]

Yes, for some reason I find it much easier to hear myself 'with' the recording using headphones than with speakers. The open sort of headphones that let you hear what is going on in the room.

Edit:missing word added.

[Whistler Bard]

I sometimes try it with speakers, but with headphones is definetely better! Off course the experience may vary from one person to the other, but for me it works!

[squidgirl]

That's interesting -- I've never tried it with headphones. I always think of headphones as being something I use to avoid annoying my roommates with relentless diddley-diddley music, in which case playing whistle while wearing them would kind of defeat the purpose. I'll have to try it though...

[Hotblack]

Hmmm. I've never played using headphones either. I play along to recordings regularly though.

I'll have to give it a try.

[david_h]

Using headphones other people don't get to hear a whistle and what it is not quite in tune with. You may not have this problem of course.

[doublebucklemonk]

If you are looking for stuff to play along with, check out the comhaltas site. The first 2 Foinn Seisiun CD's are available to download as individual mp3s.

For what it's worth, I practice almost exclusively with headphones on.

[Feadoggie]

I don't know why I never did this before (in four years of whistling!) but I had a tune I liked on a CD, "O' Keefe's Slide." In learning to play it, I put my headphones on and listened. Then I decided to try and follow with my d whistle. Though I did a lot of messing up, I soon found myself playing right along! Since the CD involved several instruments, it was almost like being in a session. I found that I could keep up with the tune (this was NOT a Mary Bergin CD!). It was fun!
I want to do this a lot more, as I have other CDs with tunes I really like. Do you experienced players have any suggestions?

Good for you. Playing with CD's or other recordings is a great way to hone your chops, especially if you don't have a session near you. If you hear a tune you like, go for it. You won't get them all right off but that's part of learning and developing the ear. Put your favorite "slow down" software to work. Eventually you'll be playing along with Mary Bergin. It just takes time.

There are a lot of good resources on the internet that you can use as well. Youtube has a lot of good/bad stuff. Take your pick.

Comhaltas has been mentioned. You can also look at the Virtual Session on the BBC site. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/fol ... kmenu.html

Take a look through the Riley School of Irish Music tune base. http://www.rileyirishmusic.com/modules/ ... .php?id=14
O'Keefe's is in there somewhere, riverman!

What are headphones? And how do you play them? I just use a whistle.

Have fun!

Feadoggie

[Ellen]

Headphones !!!

Just tried it and heard things I'd never heard before on my favourite tune.
Thanks Riverman

Greetings,
Ellen

[dsmootz]

It's easy to damage your hearing by listening to headphones too loud. By all means, have fun, but don't get too carried away and gradually turn up the volume to extreme levels (like yours truly has a tendency to do...)

Relevant article:
http://gilmore2.chem.northwestern.edu/a ... ng_art.htm

[Cron-Z]

That's why I like to invest in great quality headphones so I can hear everything that needs to be heard without resorting to raising the volume really high.

[narrowdog]

I'm another who hasn't used headphones, don't know why
I'll give a go this morning.

Her's another great CD for playing along toTunes for Practice

Nick

[riverman]

Thanks, all! I didn't realize my topic would be a help!
I like the idea of playing slowly with that CD--I think I'll order it!
I just found a new use for my D whistle! (I have been neglecting it for the low A whistle)

[MarkP]

I don't know why I never did this before (in four years of whistling!) but I had a tune I liked on a CD...

good call, I enjoy learning flute tunes this way. I'll listen to a new CD over and over during a few days (on the bus, while I'm working, whatever) and see which tunes stick in my head as ones I want to learn, then play along with the headphones.

It's easy to damage your hearing by listening to headphones too loud

.

and it's even easier to damage your hearing by playing whistle for hours every day without wearing headphones/plugs!