Tin Whistle A Complete Guide to Playing Irish Traditional Music on the Whistle Stephen Ducke
About the author Originally from Athlone, Stephen Ducke now lives in a small village in the French Alps with his wife and two children. He has been playing the whistle and flute for over 30 years, and runs Irish music workshops with Tradschool in different parts of France each year. He has recorded one album on flute, entitled If There Weren't Any Women In The World, and currently plays with the group Bonaparte's Retreat.
Published by Tradschool Design and typesetting by Stephen Ducke. Tradschool 05190 THEUS FRANCE Web www.tradschool.com Email info@tradschool.com Copyright 2012 Stephen Ducke. All rights reserved
Table of Contents Introduction...6 About this tutor...6 The Irish whistle...7 Beginning the Whistle...8 Holding the whistle...8 Blowing the whistle...9 Blowing your first notes...9 Left hand notes...10 The note B...10 Exercise 1...10 Left hand notes - continued...11 The note A...11 The note G...11 Exercise 2...11 Song : Mary Had a Little Lamb...12 Unit 2 : Right Hand Notes...13 Song : Hot Cross Buns...14 Song: Oranges and Lemons...14 Unit 3 : The Second Octave...15 Exercise 1...15 Exercise 2...15 Exercise 3...16 Song: Au Clair de la Lune...16 Unit 4 Scales...17 1 Scale of D...17 2 Scale of G...17 Tunes using the new note...18 Frère Jacques...18 Good King Wenceslas...18 Unit 5 Rhythm, Articulation & Breathing...19 Playing Irish music on the whistle rhythm, tonguing and breathing...19 Rhythm...19 Rhythm exercise 1...19 Rhythm exercise 2...20 Rhythm exercise 3...20 Tonguing...20 Tonguing exercise 1...21 Tonguing Exercise 2...21 Tonguing Exercise 3...21 Song : Courtin' in the Kitchen...22 Song Mairi's Wedding...23 Song : The Bog Down in the Valley...24 Song : Cockles and Mussels...25 Breathing...26 Breathing after long notes...26 Making breath spaces...28 Some More Tunes...30 Unit 6 - Putting it together...48 Time!...48 Practicing...48 Attitude...48 Unit 7 Irish Traditional Music...49 Simple system...49 Combining elements...49 The Basics...50 Rhythm...50 Types of tunes...50 The structure of the tunes...51 Ornamentation structure and rhythm...52 The Details...53 Making choices...53 Fast tempo...53 Ornamentation...54 Unit 8 Listening to Irish Music...55 Listening...55 Why is listening so important?...55 What to listen for...55 Instrumentation...56 Repertoire...56 Style and technique...56 Building familiarity...56 Some players and recordings...56 Unit 9 The Jig...57 Rhythm and tempo...57 Some jigs...57 Note Accent and Articulation...62 Jig Rhythm 1 - Basic Jig Accent...62 Some More Rhythmic Exercises...63 Jig Rhythm 2 Accent on the off-beat...64 Articulating the off-beat in jigs...64 Placing the off-beat in jigs...65 Note Accent in Jigs More Examples...69 Phrasing...71 Breathing at phrase ends...71 Overflowing phrases breathing after phrase ends...72 Breathing and Phrasing More Examples...75 Unit 10 The Hornpipe...77 Rhythm and Tempo...77 Some hornpipes...77 Accent and articulation...81 Hornpipe Rhythm 1 Basic Hornpipe Accent...82 Hornpipe Rhythm 2 Accent on the off-beat...83 Placing the off-beat in hornpipes...84 Note Accent in Hornpipes More Examples...86 Phrasing and breathing...87 Unit 11 The Reel...88 Rhythm and Tempo...88 Some Reels...88 Accent & Articulation...93 Reel Rhythm 1 Basic Reel Accent...93 Reel Rhythm 2 Accent on the Off-beat...95 Placing the off-beat in reels...97 Note Accent in Reels More Examples...99 Phrasing and Breathing...101 Breathing at long notes and phrase ends...101 Removing notes in reels...101 Phrasing and Breathing More Examples...103 Unit 12 Ornamentation...105 Ornamentation 1 The Cut...106 Fingering Chart - Cuts...107 Use of the Cut...108 The Cut in Jigs...114 The Cut in Hornpipes...119 The Cut in Reels...122 Ornamentation 2 The Tap...124 The Tap Fingering Chart...124 Use of the Tap...125 The Tap in Jigs...130 The Tap in Hornpipes...135 The Tap in Reels...138 Ornamentation 3 The Slide...140 The Slide Fingering Chart...140 The Slide - Fingering Chart (continued)...141 Use of the Slide...142 The Slide in Hornpipes...148 The Slide in Jigs...150 The Slide in Reels...152 Ornamentation 4 The Roll...153 Fingering chart - Rolls...154 Use of the Roll...155 The Roll Accent and Articulation...160 G Roll...162 F Roll...164 E Roll...166 A Roll...168 B Roll...170 The Roll in Reels...172 The Roll in Jigs...180 The Roll in Hornpipes...183 Ornamentation 5 The Short Roll...185 Fingering chart Short Rolls...186 Use of the Short Roll...187
G Short Roll...189 Conscious Choices...257 F Short Roll...191 Learning by Ear...258 E Short Roll...193 Advantages of learning by ear...258 B Short Roll...195 How to learn by ear...258 A Short Roll...197 Using Sheet Music...259 The Short Roll in Reels...199 Unit 16 Tunes...260 The Short Roll in Jigs...203 The Haunted House...261 The Short roll in Hornpipes...206 The Rose in the Heather...261 The Short Roll in Hornpipes, Example 1 Dunphy's...206 The Killavil Jig...262 The Short Roll in Hornpipes, Example 2 Poll Ha'Penny..207 The Ship in Full Sail...262 Ornamentation 6 The Triplet...208 Saddle the Pony...263 The Triplet Notation and Fingering...208 The Humours of Glendart...263 Use of the Triplet...210 Out on the Ocean...264 FED Triplets on D...213 The Leitrim Jig...264 The Triplet in Reels...214 The Frost is all Over...265 The Triplet in Jigs...217 The Rambling Pitchfork...265 The Triplet in Hornpipes...219 Pay the Reckoning...266 The Triplet in Hornpipes, Example 1 Dunphy's...219 Club Céilí...266 Ornamentation 7 The Bounce...220 The Battering Ram...267 The Bounce Fingering Chart...220 The Blackthorn Stick...267 Use of the Bounce...221 The Mist on the Meadow...268 The Bounce in Reels...225 The Monaghan Jig...268 The Bounce in Jigs...228 The Skylark...269 The Bounce in Hornpipes...230 The Ashplant...269 Ornamentation 8 The Cran...231 Jackie Coleman's...270 The Cran Notation and Fingering...231 Ships are Sailing...270 Use of the Cran...233 Sheehan's...271 The Cran in Reels...235 Over the Moor to Maggie...271 The Cran in Jigs...237 The Heather Breeze...272 Ornamentation 9 Combining Ornaments...239 Lady Ann Montgomery...272 Tap & Cut...239 The Teetotaller...273 Slide and Cut...240 Saint Anne's...273 Slide and Roll...241 The Maid Behind the Bar...274 Tap and Roll...242 The Cup of Tea...274 Ornamentation 10 - Staccato Triplets...243 The Silver Spear...275 Ornamentation 11 Summary...244 The Humours of Tulla...275 Unit 13 Other tunes...245 The Green Mountain...276 Polka...245 Miss Monaghan...276 Slide...246 Sean Reid's...277 Slip Jig...247 The Wind that Shakes the Barley...277 Set Dance...248 Micho Russell's...278 Barn Dance...249 The Earl's Chair...278 The Galway Rambler...279 Unit 14 Playing in different keys...250 The Home Ruler...280 Half-holing...250 Kitty's Wedding...280 Cross-fingering...250 The Boys of Bluehill...281 Whistles in Different Keys...252 Unit 15 Playing Irish Music...254 Appendix 1 Reading Music...282 Music Notation Basics...282 Repertoire...254 Notes and the Staff...282 Choosing your repertoire...254 Key Signatures...284 Style...256 Note Values...284 Staccato vs legato styles...256 Lift and swing...256 Appendix 2 Bibliography...285 Other stylistic choices...257