Tin Whistling

[Marts]

The recent bushcraft anthems thread led to me getting a Tin Whistle and, once I got it back from my wife (she really shouldn't hide it in the same place each time!), I have been practising with it whenever no-one is around. Of course the neigbours can always move...

Anyway I've been practicing the Hector the Hero song and although I'm still rubbish I am finally beginning to hear bits of the song in my playing.

Doc got me into tin whistling and Hector the Hero (I think his great-grandfather served with the Hector who the songs about.)

So if anyone is intersted here is the song (just scroll down til you find it)Hector the Hero
Just download the MP3 file. it's a beautiful rendition of it the way it should be played. One day I'll get there.....

Oh and Doc - One day for the crack eh?

 

[JakeR]

lol

I can play "Let It Be" and "Mae Hen Wlad fy Nhadau "

For some reason it irritates people when i play

 

[Keith_Beef]

lol

I can play "Let It Be" and "Mae Hen Wlad fy Nhadau "

For some reason it irritates people when i play

Ah!
Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad!

Wish I was back there.


Keith.

 

[Ed]

Well done mate... keep it up. Be warned though that it can get very addictive.... and so can collecting whistles when you are looking for one with that perfect sound you want ..... I've managed to cut it down to about 4 I play regularly now.... I gave the rest away

Ed

 

[Keith_Beef]

Well done mate... keep it up. Be warned though that it can get very addictive.... and so can collecting whistles when you are looking for one with that perfect sound you want ..... I've managed to cut it down to about 4 I play regularly now.... I gave the rest away

Ed

:LOL:

Wait till Hoodoo starts playing the tin whistle!


I was made to play the recorder in infant school. Didn't like it, did it passably, but got too many squeaky squeals from the thing.

At eleven, I started playing the cavalry trumpet (like a long bugle; no valves).

Stopped at about fifteen, and discovered the tin whistle when I was in my twenties. The idea of being able to get two different notes by blowing soft or hard really got me hooked. It is an engineer's instrument; elegants simplicity.

I think that at five and a half, I didn't have good enough breath control for the recorder. The trumpet and age fixed that.

So a couple of years ago, I bought another. Plastic (the house in the country has a problem with damp in the winter), but a nice enough sound for my very amateurish playing.

I canjust about get through "The Wild Mountain Thyme" and "John Barleycorn". But I haven't got the hang of playing and singing at the same time.

Keith.

 

[Povarian]

So if anyone is intersted here is the song (just scroll down til you find it)Hector the Hero

Thanks for the link to the site - some good tunes on there - I'm looking forward to tootling some tonight. BTW, is there a smiley for fingers in ears?

...and that site is part of the "Tin Whistle Web Ring", so lots more exploring to do too. Now why didn't I think of looking on the web for twistle tunes.

 

[Lithril]

hmmmm, Sams going to be seriously miffed with you lot, I've got one upstairs but not learnt to play it till now, may have to dig it out later.

 

[Marts]

Well done mate... keep it up. Be warned though that it can get very addictive.... and so can collecting whistles when you are looking for one with that perfect sound you want ..... I've managed to cut it down to about 4 I play regularly now.... I gave the rest away

Ed

Oh... What'd you go and say that for It's going to be just like with knives isn't it

 

[leon-1]

hmmmm, Sams going to be seriously miffed with you lot, I've got one upstairs but not learnt to play it till now, may have to dig it out later.

I'm taking ear defenders to the Dartmoor Meet

 

[Danzo]

Can you get the tin whistles without the dog on a bit of string?



Danzo

 

[Doc]

Great stuff guys. Look forward to a serious campfire session sometime....

Hector the Hero is a great tune - recorded by loads of bands includng Wolfstone - the link above is the one I have on my mp3 player. Starts off with the Low whistle (think Titanic theme tune) and then brings in the standard tenor D whistle.

Just because it costs £3 or so and has only 6 holes, people think it's a toy. It's not. It's capable of two octaves and in the hands of a master (like Andrea Corr) sounds fantastic. Grey Larsen's books on Tin Whistle run to hundreds of pages.

It fits well with the bushcraft philosophy of 'Know more, Carry less.'

I prefer the Clare whistle but also have the slightly louder Feadog. Clarkes are good too.

 

[2blackcat]

The only time I practice now is at work on the night shift!!!!!

And don't go anywhere near the chiff and fipple web board. You think us and knives can get messy?

 

[JakeR]

hmmmm, Sams going to be seriously miffed with you lot, I've got one upstairs but not learnt to play it till now, may have to dig it out later.

Matt, it's called forum infecting; im gonna have to dig mine out too!

 

[Toddy]

Y'know I thought I was the only nutter out there; it's confession time, I've got four of them I like the Generation ones; favourite just now is a C. It's sitting besides my computer just now ready to p...really annoy the cat

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Marts]

Aghh!! Must...Buy...New...Whistle....

 

[Povarian]

Aghh!! Must...Buy...New...Whistle....

...and you can get the same in wood too - more mellow sound - I've got three wooden ones and [ahem] somewhere around 7 tin ones in different keys (including the low D but that makes my paws ache after a while)

 

[Toddy]

..(including the low D but that makes my paws ache after a while)

But what a sound; I heard an elderly man playing one of those once and he had it almost like sub harmonics, awesome.

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[2blackcat]

If we're doing confessions -

1 alba
2 sweet tones in d
2 clarke originals in d and c
2 generations - Toddy, how you like them I don't know
1 dixon in d - plastic. Almost indestructible

A couple of harmonicas and a guitar that I must make time to practice

 

[Marts]

Hector the Hero is a great tune - recorded by loads of bands includng Wolfstone - the link above is the one I have on my mp3 player. Starts off with the Low whistle (think Titanic theme tune) and then brings in the standard tenor D whistle.

Now I'm confused Doc - I have (my only one too ) a Clarke whistle in D. The Hector the Hero tune starts off with the same sounds as my whistle - I figured the whistle that comes in later is a higher whistle?

 

[Ed]

Just because it costs £3 or so and has only 6 holes, people think it's a toy. It's not. It's capable of two octaves and in the hands of a master (like Andrea Corr) sounds fantastic.

Actually its capable of 3 octaves in the hands of a master though the notes can sound a little breathy. There are fingering charts on the net for the 3rd octave (check out chiff and fipple)..... I just wish i could play it without it sounding like I'm playing a drinking straw.... lots of breath, little ... if any sound

UPDATE: Just had a go at the third octave again, using the fingering charts link from chiff and fipple..... You have to blow really really hard.... and it sounded like a high pitched squawk.... but it is there


Ed