Can you play a C song in D?

[Dreamer]

Newbie question. Sorry, I'm still pretty new to sheet music.

Most songs are written in the key of C right? Can you play a song written in the key of C on a whistle in the key of D? Would it sound that much different? Would I have to change the notes if I recorded keyboard and/or guitar along with it?

Should I just get a whistle in the key of C? (Only have Clarke original D right now)

I will appreciate any information that you can give me.

[Tommy]

Newbie question. Sorry, I'm still pretty new to sheet music.

Most songs are written in the key of C right? Can you play a song written in the key of C on a whistle in the key of D? Would it sound that much different? Would I have to change the notes if I recorded keyboard and/or guitar along with it?

Should I just get a whistle in the key of C? (Only have Clarke original D right now)

I will appreciate any information that you can give me.

If you are reading music in the key of C, just move each note up to the next note. Now the music will be in the key of D. You can also play in any key with music written in the key of D, just change to another whistle and use the same finger sequence as though your playing a D whistle. The whistle will transpose for you.

And yes by all means get another whistle or several. Then when you have a shoe box full of whistles buy another pair of shoes for another box. There are not many whistle players with only one whistle.

[JTC111]

Most songs are written in the key of C right?

I've no idea where you came up with this, but no.

Can you play a song written in the key of C on a whistle in the key of D? Would it sound that much different?

Not easily. You'd have to play it an octave higher than intended since the lowest note on a D whistle is a D and it would require some half holing which isn't going to be easy for a beginner. The D whistle is most comfortable being played in D or G. Beginner books will get you comfortable in those keys. It's pretty much where most of us started.

Would I have to change the notes if I recorded keyboard and/or guitar along with it?
Should I just get a whistle in the key of C? (Only have Clarke original D right now)
I will appreciate any information that you can give me.

You really should get a book on music theory or a beginner whistle book. Your questions make it appear you don't seem to really understand what a key is. Little steps, young padawan, little steps.

[MadmanWithaWhistle]

Your questions make it appear you don't seem to really understand what a key is. Little steps, young padawan, little steps.

Your comments make it appear you don't seem to really understand how to interact with people. Condescension, JTC111, condescension is bad.

[R Small]

Playing C tunes on a D whistle is possible but (depending on the tune) may not be feasible. It would probably be easier to play most C tunes on a C whistle using the fingerings for the key of D. This will involve playing the notes up one whole tone (transposing from C to D) which will require a little figuring and may be confusing for a beginner.

[mutepointe]

Dear Dreamer:

If you have someone in your life who is a musician, see if they'll sit down with you and help answer your questions for you. I think that you're going to need someone to explain this and also show this to you. You might even get them to play a duet with you. (Your questions really require a conversation with a knowledgeable person rather than just posts. That knowledgeable person is going to have to figure out how much you understand about the questions that you asked before the questions can best be answered. Not all musicians will be able to answer your questions.)

I think what you're really wanting to do is get multiple instruments to play a song, using the same sheet music, and you realize that playing a song written in C on a D whistle is going to cause you to address transposing. For some people this is a very simple matter, for other people nuclear physics. (This is one of the reasons why guitars have capos and electronic keyboards have a transpose button.)

Please let us know if you get your problem solved.

[crookedtune]

The advice I wish I'd gotten when I was starting out:

Listen to the tune enough so that you can hum or whistle it. Then work it out on your instrument by ear. Don't worry about the key, notation, or anything else. Just honor the melody, and try to get it exactly right.

Later, when time allows, learn to read music. It's really useful, and can enhance your playing. Just don't put it above the actual tune, or you will have lost the essence.

[MTGuru]

Listen to the tune enough so that you can hum or whistle it. Then work it out on your instrument by ear. Don't worry about the key, notation, or anything else. Just honor the melody, and try to get it exactly right.

That's 42 words. Not bad.

[Feadoggie]

Most songs are written in the key of C right?

Nope, nope, nope! It's all relative. You can play any tune in any key you want. Since I can't explain things in less than 42 words I'll stand back and leave the explanation to others. Dump the dots and use your ears, as crooked tune suggested.

Should I just get a whistle in the key of C?

Yes, yes, yes! But not to only play the tunes written in C (which they likely were not).

Most of all, have fun. It's still called "playing".

Feadoggie

[JTC111]

Your comments make it appear you don't seem to really understand how to interact with people. Condescension, JTC111, condescension is bad.

Others reached the same conclusion. It would do the OP little good to read post after post of technical explanations relying on theory she doesn't yet understand. I made a helpful suggestion and gave the reason for the suggestion. There's no shame in having a lack of understanding about something to which you're newly exposed. And it isn't condescending to suggest to someone that they should start their knowledge journey in a sensible place. A working knowledge of music theory is a good thing for any musician.

Now if you'd like a little condescension, try this out...
In the end, I gave her more help than you did, didn't I?


(Edited to fix gender references)

[JTC111]

The advice I wish I'd gotten when I was starting out:

Listen to the tune enough so that you can hum or whistle it. Then work it out on your instrument by ear. Don't worry about the key, notation, or anything else. Just honor the melody, and try to get it exactly right.

This is good advice if the tunes she's humming are in D or G, but what happens when she can't find the notes she's humming on her whistle because the keys conflict?
i.e. humming a tune she's heard in Eb while holding a D whistle

[MTGuru]

This is good advice if the tunes he's humming are in D or G, but what happens when he can't find the notes he's humming on his whistle because the keys conflict?
i.e. humming a tune he's heard in Eb while holding a D whistle

I still think it's pretty good advice, Jim. One of the intuitive hurdles to transposition is grokking the concept of "identity under transformation". In other words, a melody is "the same" regardless of what key it's in or what note it starts on. It's a sequence of relative intervals, not absolute pitches.

So the procedure would be to get the melody in your head. Then play a starting note on the whistle, say G or D, and see if you can spin out the rest of melody from that note, maybe with some screwy cross-fingering/half-holing. If you can, you're golden. If not, pick another starting note and try again. Rinse and repeat. Even if you don't succeed, you'll learn something in the process.

For example, you may learn that this "just do it" approach is a lot closer to the way real musicians actually operate than many beginners probably realize. Experiment, fool around ... You're not going to break anything.

[Feadoggie]

For example, you may learn that this "just do it" approach is a lot closer to the way real musicians actually operate than many beginners probably realize. Experiment, fool around ... You're not going to break anything.

I don't know. I always thought of that approach as "breaking the sound barrier" that some folks build up in their minds.

And I do agree with the whole humming it in your head thing. That's where the "everything is relative" bit comes in. Even little children can recognize the intervals between notes in tunes they know.
You can test it if you want (not that I studied music and its role in early learning or anything ).
Feadoggie

[Dreamer]

Thank you!

I think what you're really wanting to do is get multiple instruments to play a song, using the same sheet music, and you realize that playing a song written in C on a D whistle is going to cause you to address transposing. For some people this is a very simple matter, for other people nuclear physics. (This is one of the reasons why guitars have capos and electronic keyboards have a transpose button.)

Awesome, point! Although I have no transpose button I totally forgot about my capo.

Listen to the tune enough so that you can hum or whistle it. Then work it out on your instrument by ear. Don't worry about the key, notation, or anything else. Just honor the melody, and try to get it exactly right.

Good idea, I guess I hadn't thought about it that way.

Most of all, have fun. It's still called "playing".

Some of the best advice I've gotten.

For example, you may learn that this "just do it" approach is a lot closer to the way real musicians actually operate than many beginners probably realize. Experiment, fool around ... You're not going to break anything

I like the idea, but I would end up kicked out of the house rather quickly.

In the end, I gave him more help than you did, didn't I?

I would like to point out that you are assuming I am a him, when I am a her.

[JTC111]

So the procedure would be to get the melody in your head. Then play a starting note on the whistle, say G or D, and see if you can spin out the rest of melody from that note, maybe with some screwy cross-fingering/half-holing. If you can, you're golden. If not, pick another starting note and try again. Rinse and repeat. Even if you don't succeed, you'll learn something in the process.

I get what you're saying but I'd still argue transposing in your head is an acquired skill that not everyone can master. I've known some musically talented people who have a difficult time pulling that off without making mistakes that should be obvious to them (I have stories). At any rate, until the OP understands keys and how whistles relate to keys, that advice still runs the risk of leaving HER (I read ahead) scratching her head and wondering why she can't find the right notes on her whistle.

And that's not meant to be condescending, nor is this... Perhaps I'm inferring incorrectly, but when I read some of the OP's questions/posts I can't help but feel there's a real lack of understanding of the basics of music theory. Picking out a tune on a piano where all the notes are right there, easy; picking out a tune on a whistle where all the notes you need may not be easily accessible, not as easy, especially if you don't really understand why.

But the other thing that is clear from her questions is that she wants to understand theory better ...and Martha tells me that's a good thing. There are plenty of good theory books out there that will explain things a lot better than she'll get from a string of posts here. I'm not saying that people here aren't knowledgeable but very often threads that start with a simple question take on a life of their own and, I think, become more confusing than helpful to those new to playing music. I like the "... for Dummies" books because they're written with a sense of humor but that's my taste. There are plenty on Amazon that one can "look inside" to get a sense of whether they'd like the book. I really think the OP would really benefit from it. She's clearly curious about it so why not learn it? My opinion, obviously.

I would like to point out that you are assuming I am a him, when I am a her.

Sorry. On closer inspection I see the bits I missed before.