The Whistler Bard Blog

Sorry!

2010-03-10T17:42:00.003Z

I'm so failing you people!

But between finding a job, a place to live and all the things that it takes to do it, I really don't have time!

Still, today I played for a bit, trying to learn "Swallowtail Jig", I guess i'm just not ready yet for it. I've been without playing for a while, and so I guess I'll try something simpler to get the hang of it again.

Cheers to you, and until my next post...when it comes! :S

Life's changing

2010-03-01T17:47:00.002Z

Hello!

With my life in a turmoil in the next month, I'll keep trying to post something now and then! I'm moving out and between finding a job, still working at the current one and find a place to live, and pack everything it's really hard to have time to whistle! Still I do it for a couple of minutes...

For today here it goes:

"The Irish Pub" by The High Kings

Enjoy! (I really got to run now!)

Cheers!

Post-weekend

2010-02-22T22:45:00.004Z

Hello!

Today I had some news that are going to change my life starting in a month from now. I'll abandon my job and get a new one (still don't know where but that's another story).

One thing is for sure, I'll keep whistling, and if I am good enough at it I even have a couple of invitations to participate in some bands concerts already!

Let's see what the future holds, for now I am smiling. That's a good start don't you say?

Cheers!

Weekend

2010-02-18T18:54:00.003Z

Hello fellow musicians and alike,

how was your day? Mine was just another one at work, and with barely time to whistle. I blew a couple of notes just to get the feeling while packing my Clarke D in my backpack.

This weekend I'll be out, and I don't intent to use the internet, so more news to come later on Sunday. I am expecting to have some news, that's for sure!

Wish you all a nice weekend, and a nice Friday too in your way there :P

Cheers good folks!

Video

2010-02-17T19:27:00.003Z

Hello fellow whistlers!

I'm really out of time today, so the best I could do was a quick video of me playing Scarborough Fair in my Domnahl na Gruen Low D Whistle.

It's really far from flawless, I ran out of breath, you can hear squeaks, and it's rather plain with no ornamentation. But I played it with the heart, that has to count for something!

Here it is:

Bye bye for now, I'm in a hurry!

Cheers!

Damn videos

2010-02-15T17:38:00.003Z

Hi all! How was your weekend?

Around here it's cold, rainy and windy...a perfect day to be at home, next to the fireplace!

So today I practised for about an hour and in the end, confident of my capacities tried to make a "Road to Lisdoonvarna" video...it was hell let loose!

I was playing it well enough, but as soon as I turn the camera on...really, it's squeaks, wrong notes, you name it! I had to quit. Maybe next time!

Hope you all have a nice week!

Cheers!

Road to Lisdoonvarna

2010-02-11T19:12:00.005Z

Hello everyone!

So today I had a bit of time to play with my new (and old) Whistles.

First conclusion: I used to be a bad player, but now I'm really really bad at it! The whole time without whistling can really be heard.

And so...I tried to play Road to Lisdoonvarna, which I never really learned the last part of the tune anyway. I don't know why, but I just didn't.

I got some music sheet from the net, started following it and though "this is wrong, I don't remember it like this" and magic happened! The tune came to my mind (might as well as say fingers), and I could play it by heart. I learned the last part of the tune and now it is complete.

The only if in the story is that all those squeaks that shouldn't be there, now are again, and so I only have one choice: practise.

Anyway, I played until I ran out of breath (that's untrained too, and let me tell you that you can feel it!) which means I played for about an hour or so.

Even with the disappointment of being almost "back to the beginning", I enjoyed playing and in the end I guess that's the most important thing! Having fun and feel good after a tiring day at work.

Oh, you might have noticed that the banner changed, well probably that isn't the final one, but I'll keep tweaking the blog here and there when I have a bit of free time (and I'm not whistling)

That's all for now,

Cheers!

F-e-a-d-ó-g

2010-02-10T17:49:00.007Z

Hellooooooo!

They are here! My Feadógs!!! I forgot about the time they took to get here, and fell instantly in love!

Love the more mellow sound of the brass one, but also the more refined sound of the nickel one. Unfortunately I don't have much time to play today, I just played parts of Road to Lisdoonvarna and Concerning Hobbits, but tomorow I really want to make it count and practise for about an hour or so with them. My fingers are still a bit stiff from the stop, but I'll try to regain my (little) knowledge to be able to play more tunes.

I'm thinking in:

- Road to Lisdoonvarna

- Swallowtail Jig

- Lord Mayo

- Scarborough Fair

- Gift of a Thistle

- The Irish Washerwoman

- Irish Drinking Song

not necessarily by this order.

And for the end of today's post, my newborn:

Cheers!

New blog, no new Feadog

2010-02-09T18:37:00.003Z

Hello you all!

Today I have bad news and good news.

Starting with the bad ones: I'm not too happy with feadog.ie, I bought a couple of Whistles on the 27th of January and they still didn't arrive. That makes it 10 working days, which I think is much more than enough for a couple of Whistles to come from Ireland to Portugal.

First it took around 3 or 4 days for the order to be processed, and now it says it has been shipped...I'll wait until tomorrow for them to arrive before I contact them.

Now the good news, I'm going to make some visual modifications to the blog, nothing fancy, just a couple of things here and there.

Hope that I still have readers after all these blackouts. Not so sure if I deserve them!

Go on now, it's time for your daily practise, I might be doing the same in a couple of minutes.

Cheers!

DerElligh and a couple of Feadogs

2010-02-08T17:30:00.001Z

Hello Whistlers!

While roaming around the C&F forum I found DerElligh, which was presented by Stefan (the Whistler off course!)

It's a German band with 5 members, they play Irish Folk and you definitely should check them out! Their site is www.derelligh.de and it's full of videos from their performances and info about the band. The only thing I have to say is that the site is only in German, maybe an English translation might be coming, surely the english speaking fans would apreciate.

As for more news, I'm waiting for my 2 Feadogs to arrive, one Brass D and one Nickel D. I still amaze myself that
one can get 2 instruments (not the best in the world for sure, but fully playable and with a nice sound) for less than 20€.
You know...I came from electric bass, just a set of strings would cost me more than that!!!

And that's all for now people of the Whistle!

Cheers!

10 days later...

2010-01-26T19:14:00.003Z

Hi there everyone!

Here I am again, with nothing too new to say!

These last days I got a small cold, same as saying that no whistling around :(

I tried the Low D, but the amount of breath together with my goey nose...just doesn't work!

I've been checking on Ryan Duns videos again, to see where I am at, but lacking the time (and breath) to do it. Some days I just wish I could have a couple of weeks in the middle of nowhere, alone in a hut, with my whistles and no schedules whatsoever.

Hope someone still reads this...

Cheers!

Day 1...again!

2010-01-16T11:06:00.003Z

Yes, today I'm officially going back to the Whistle!

I'll retake some online lessons, and check out some simple tunes until I can figure out where I am at right now!

I hope to be able to post some videos of me playing in a couple of weeks, but that's something that depends on my skill :P (I can always make people laugh by "pretending" I'm playing bad) Hehehehe

I'm thrilled to get back to it, I missed the little bastard!

Cheers to you, and have a nice whistling weekend!

Side note: the visitor counter crashed, I guess it was about 600 unique visitors (IP's) but not really sure, so I'm still unsure as to put another counter or just forget about it. If you want to bother just give your opinion ;)

3 months later...

2010-01-07T08:53:00.001Z

Helloooooo people of the Whistle!

I'm trully sorry for my absence, life's a mess and for the last 3 months I hardly touched the Whistle (except for one or two incursions :P )

I really hope to get back to it until the end of January, and start learning (almost) everything again.

Cheers to you good people,

Yay!

2009-10-05T22:10:00.001+01:00

Hello there!

I finally have a new computer and internet connection, from now on I'll be able to start posting again. I am sorry for the interruption.

Cheers!!

No net

2009-09-12T21:09:00.003+01:00

I'm sorry to all, but I don't have internet for these last days, nor will I have in the next, my laptop has a problem and I have to wait for it to be repaired :(

Concerning the Whistle, I've been playing the songs in Bill Ochs book, I wish I could play at night, that would make me improve much better... oh well! We have what we have!

Cheers and have a good weekend!

Loooong week!

2009-09-09T21:51:00.002+01:00

This has been a loooong week! Unfortunatly, not for the Whistle, but for work!

I hope to have a couple of minutes to play tomorow, because today was prety much impossible, and I guess I'm going to sleep right now.

Sorry for the lack of good posts this week... I hope to revive the blog during the weekend.

Cheers

Improvising

2009-09-07T21:19:00.002+01:00

Hello fellow whistlers.

I'm sorry for not posting everyday, but life's been busy lately!

Today I played with my mind only... :P

I'm noticing that when I have little time, I skip the "regular tunes" and I just improvise a bit... it doesn't work too well with the Tin Whistle, but it works quite well with the Low D, specially playing "aires".

When I summon the courage, I'll make a video or a recording of it for you to listen.

Cheers!

Weekend

2009-09-05T14:25:00.003+01:00

Hello folks!

The blog had his moment of glory with the interview, we're on top of the 600th unique visitor (or I.P. address :P)!!! Thank you all!

In the future I'm doing some more interviews, and the next one is already planned and accepted!!! I'll let you know later who it is.

For now I'll try to be back to my practising with the whistle, maybe later in the day.

Cheers to you all and have a nice weekend!

Interviewing Ryan Duns pt 3/3

2009-09-03T19:21:00.002+01:00

Here goes the third and last part of the interview, It was a pleasure to have the oportunity to do it!

Whistler Bard: What gave you the idea/inspiration to start posting whistle lessons on youtube?

Ryan Duns: I was teaching a course at Fordham University and needed a way to help my students. YouTube was free.

WB: How did you get the sound you have on your videos (software,settings, delay etc.) ?

RD: I use an iMac computer so I run things through iMovie. The effects are used, usually, in order to block out the sounds of New York traffic and construction.

WB: Have you seen these other online sites, and what do you think of them? ( http://www.whistletutor.com/ and http://tradlessons.com/ )

RD: I think they are doing a good job. I'm glad there's such an interest in teaching the whistle.

And then some "quickies" to finish the interview:

WB: Best Whistle you played:

RD: Mine!

WB: Best comment you got after playing:

RD: Brilliant

WB: Worst comment you got after playing:

RD: Cliche

WB: Longest period of time without playing:

RD: 30 days - when I made the Spiritual Exercises in 2005

WB: Favourite musician:

RD: Joanie Madden

WB: Favourite tune:

RD: Martin Wynne's #3

And this was it! Once again I want to thank Ryan for his availability and kindness, as well as all the Chiff & Fippler's that help me out with this!

Cheers and have fun in life!

Interviewing Ryan Duns pt 2/3

2009-09-02T20:51:00.006+01:00

No big intro here, as simple as it is, the second part of the interview with Ryan Duns:

Whistler Bard: Which other instruments do you play? And how frequently, compared to the Whistle?

Ryan Duns: I play the piano accordion. I probably play the whistle more, because it takes less effort to pick it up!

WB: What's your opinion on the use of high end whistles? There are two schools that I've heard of: the ones who think it's better to stick with the more traditional ones like Feadógs and Clarkes, while others go for high end whistles, claiming that makes them want to practise more.

RD: I think that the whistle is like the wands in the "Harry Potter" books: each whistler has a whistle made for her or for him. Some people sound great on any whistle, others really need the expensive ones to sound their best. I reckon it doesn't matter: if the music is in your heart, it will come out of the instrument.

WB: Abstracting from the previous awnser, What kinds and brands of whistles do you favor for yourself, and why?

RD: I don't have favorites. As a seminarian, I have a vow of poverty so I can't acquire new whistles very easily. I like my Generation D body with an O'Riordan top. I also like to play the black O'Riordan whistles.

WB: What do you suggest when aspiring players reach the inevitable plateau or "dead spot" in their development?

RD: Keep playing! Even when we're not making big strides, or it feels like we've leveled off, you must trust that your patient practice is having an effect. Deep in your soul, the practice is slowly carving out new areas of your heart to explore through music. In time, you will discover these caverns and your music will take on even more meaning and beauty.

WB: Do you like to play music other than Celtic on the whistle at all?

RD: Not really: I stick to traditional Irish.

WB: You use a lot of tonguing to great effect. Was this taught, was it consciously done, or did it just develop on its own?

RD: It developed on its own over time.

WB: Is there a particular tutorial method book that you like and recommend?

RD: Learn both to play by ear and to read music.

WB: Why do bad tunes happen to good whistles?

RD: Great question. Sin.

So in this part of the interview we got to know some opinions about music from Ryan, who once again replied with a natural simpathy. I personally love the last answer of this part :P

Thank you all for reading, and hope I can keep you interest in the blog even after the interview.

Cheers to you all, and don't forget: tomorow is the 3rd and last part of the interview!

Interviewing Ryan Duns pt 1/3

2009-09-01T20:04:00.009+01:00

Hello everyone! Today is an exciting day, since I'm posting the interview I made to Ryan Duns over the internet.

First of all I want to thank everyone on the Chiff & Fipple Forums for the support and questions, this is for you.

I'll post the interview divided in 3, for 3 days in a row.

So here it goes, part 1 out of 3:

Whistler Bard: At what age did you begin to play the whistle? Can you remember the exact moment?

Ryan Duns: I was a fat kid, so my mom would not let me take Irish dancing lessons. She thought that it would be better if I played an instrument, so she signed me up for lessons with Tom Hastings, a teacher in Cleveland. I remember leaving my first lesson as an 8-year old boy, knowing that I would love Irish music.

WB: Why and when did you decide to play Irish music? Is it a tradition in your family?

RD: My great-grandfathers were both musicians: one played the piano, the other played the fiddle. My great-great-aunt was a button-box player and a nun - an Ursuline sister.

WB: About your influences, tell me about the city or town you grew up in, your teachers and how did that influence your music?

RD: We had great local music: Tom Byrne and Tom McCaffery, Tom Hasting, and Al O'Leary were all active musicians. They were so warm to us kids and really welcomed us into the sessions. They taught us not only a great deal of tunes, but they taught us how to be good Irish musicians who welcomed other musicians, regardless of ability.

WB: How did you acquire your tune repertoire - sessions, mentors,books, recordings?

RD: A mix of all of them! We had an active Comhaltas branch in Cleveland during the 1990's, so we had a lot of opportunities to play with others. I also loved to listen to Irish music, so I developed my ear and picked tunes up that way.

WB: Did playing for hours and hours for Step Dancers strengthened your faith?

RD: Totally! It gets repetitive, so I pray when I play. I pray for the kids, usually, and for the various people I come across.

WB: Will you ever go back to playing for Feisanna?

RD: Yes - I'm playing one in just a few weeks! I still play about 20 each year - not as many as I'd like (I love Irish dancing) but with my busy schedule, it's the best I can do.

WB: Do you play at sessions, or only for private or personal enjoyment?

RD: I play in sessions every now and again. I play more frequently for personal pleasure but, when I have the chance, I do love to go to sessions.

Ok, this was it! At least the first part of it. I separated the questions in logical groups, in this one we can find out about Ryan's roots on the whistle.

Hope you enjoyed it, as for me, I'm really proud of myself for doing it, as well as thankfull to Ryan and all the fellow whistlers that contributed with the questions.

Cheers, and don't miss the second part tomorow!

Questions to Ryan Duns

2009-08-31T19:20:00.003+01:00

Hello there folks!

So tomorow I'll make the interview with Ryan Duns.

Here are the questions the good people from the Chiff & Fipple forum made 'till now:

1 - Why did he stop uploading his videos?

2 - Why do bad tunes happen to good whistles?

3 - Do you think Matt Molloy wears funny trousers?

4 - What city or town did he grow up in, and how did that influence his music?

5 - Why and when did he decide to play Irish music?

6 - At what age did he begin to play the whistle?

7 - Is there a tradition of Irish music in his family?

8 - Was there a particular teacher or mentor who guided or influenced his whistle playing?

9 - How did he acquire his tune repertoire - sessions, mentors, books, recordings?

10 - Does he play at sessions, or only for private or personal enjoyment?

11 - What kinds of whistles does he favor (e.g. O'Riordan, Generation), and why?

12 - Which other instruments does he play?

13 - What do you suggest when aspiring players reach the inevitable plateau or "dead spot" in their development?

14 - "how about asking Ryan's opinion on the use of high end whistles. Some people maintain that it's better to stick with the more traditional whistles like Feadógs or Clarkes until you become fairly proficient whereas others (like myself) have found that they prefer playing high end whistles and therefore want to practise more frequently." -> I have to find a structured question for this one

15 - Do you like to play music other than Celtic on the whistle at all?

16 - What players do you admire and why?

17 - How did he get the sound he has on his video's (software, settings, delay etc.) ?

18 - Will he ever go back to playing for Feisanna?

19 - Did playing for hours and hours for Step Dancers strengthen his faith?

20 - Does he still play the box, or has he given it up totally for the whistle?

21 - What gave him the idea/inspiration to start posting whistle lessons on youtube?

22 - Ryan uses a lot of tonguing to great effect. Was this taught, was it consciously done, or did it just develop on its own?

23 - Does he play the flute? If so, does he play the same way?

24 - Who were his teachers or influences?

25 - Has he seen these other online sites, and what does he think? (http://www.whistletutor.com/ and http://tradlessons.com/)

26 - Is there a particular tutorial method book that you like and recommends? Grey Larsen, Bill Ochs, etc.

Quite a list hum? Looking forward for the outcome!

Cheers!

News, news, news!!!

2009-08-28T20:01:00.007+01:00

Hello good folks!

Today I have some news! I contacted Ryan Duns (check him out here) and he's willing to concede me an interview! It will be posted here on the blog off course!

For the questions, I have some of my own and I'm gathering some from the C&F forum too. Added to that I wanted you, readers of the blog, to ask your question too, so please feel free to do so!

I'm also trying to contact "TinWhistler", another famous Youtube whistler, for an interview, hope I'll manage it!

And now, a bit outside whistling, but part of music too, here goes a video I made today on how to make an inexpensive pop-filter for your recordings, enjoy!

Cheers!

Children's songs :)

2009-08-27T21:40:00.002+01:00

Heheheh, today I played about half an hour, which wasn't bad at all!

"London Bridge", "Concerning Hobbits", and some children's songs to start with. In the next weeks I'll have more time to play, and hopefully on the weekend too!

Cheers!

Today...I can't wait for tomorow!

2009-08-26T20:53:00.002+01:00

Yup, that's it! Tomorow I'll finally have more time to play a bit.

Today was another of those days that I only have time...at night! And my neighbours wouldn't appreciate much if I played right now... Well to be honest I think they don't like it at any hour but...oh well! :P

Keep on whistling!

Cheers!

Little whistling

2009-08-25T21:32:00.002+01:00

Hello!

Today I couldn't whistle a single note...well I'm lying, I whistle a couple of them in the 2 minutes I had free! :P

I had my first comment on that hardcore youtube video of me trying to play "Down by the Sally Gardens" :D

Cheers to you good people!

Back to the beginning

2009-08-24T20:39:00.002+01:00

Hello there!

Today I re-started re-learning the basics with "Tin Whistle by Bill Ochs".

You know the kind of stuff..."Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "London Bridge" and so on... :P

The important is that I have fun by doing it, and the rest of the world just seems non-existent.

Cheers!

I'm back...really, I am!

2009-08-22T20:51:00.002+01:00

A long time wandering other worlds, but I'm back.

No, really, don't laugh, I am! Come on... seriously, I AM!!!

Tomorow I'll re-start my Tin Whistle, Low Whistle, Irish Flute learning, back to the basics.

Cheers to you all good folks!

The top of the castle

2009-07-11T14:09:00.003+01:00

Hello.

Tody I played for about an hour in a most wonderfull place: Sintra, Portugal. I was on top of a castle, just whistling what's going on in my heart. It was soothing and I felt peace...can't say the same about the turists that were passing by, but oh well, bad luck for them!

Have a nice weekend.

Cheers.

Thank you

2009-07-07T22:20:00.003+01:00

50th post and most important: 400th single visitor (and cache refresher :P)!!! Thank's a lot people! Really! Even without the time I used to have, you still come and visit the blog. It really means something.

So today I played for a while, and due to some life situations I'll be playing more, it helps me ease my pains and sorrows. In those minutes I'm playing it's like i'm out of this world, but at the same time transforming all my thoughts and heart desires into simple, and not rarely harsh, notes.

That's from where music comes.

Cheers.

20 minutes of old songs...and new born ones!

2009-07-02T18:52:00.002+01:00

Hello! How's everybody?

So yesterday I played for some 20 minutes, which was a lot comparing to these last months.

I was playing Road to Lisdoonvarna, Concerning Hobbits, Scarborough Fair and a couple of another ones. I also improvised a lot, which was nice, cause even knowing I won't be able to play those again, I was surely fun!

Tomorow is another day, and another one where I'll try to find a couple of minutes for the Whistle!

Be well, play a lot!

Cheers!

Time...again!

2009-06-22T21:11:00.003+01:00

Well yup, time is so little again! I have been playing like a couple of tunes a day (10-15 minutes), it feels so little!

It's really hard to find the time lately, but I so want to play again everydayyyyy!

My reportoire is still the same as I don't have time to learn new tunes, arrrgggghhhhh, it's frustrating :S

Hope you're all well and playing!

Cheers!

Back...again!

2009-06-15T19:47:00.002+01:00

Hello fellow whistlers and passer by's! I'm backkkkkkkk!!!! :D

Yes, I'm really back, and I'll try to post every couple of days again! I've been in Germany, and luck of lucks...there was an Irish festival there!!! But I wasn't able to attend :( Maybe next time, cause it really seemed a well organized thing!

As for the whistle, I'm a bit rusty now, because I wasn't able to play for some weeks, but I'm getting back to it, and tomorow I'm thinking of starting some kind of daily basis practice again.

Hope to keep captivating people to the blog, 350 unique visitors by now!

Cheers!

Long time no post

2009-06-06T18:07:00.002+01:00

Long long time no post!

So I'm kind of back, the really really hard weeks are behind now, next week it's vacations abroad, and then I'm back.

Off course my Tin Whistle is going with me, but probably not in my hand lugage...the security people might think I was going to turn it into a gun or knife! :P Now seriously, I agree with that kind of security.

Soooo, hope you're all doing ok, I can see the visits to the blog keep growing, which amaze me, since this is postless for some time.

Keep the whistling!

Cheers!

Blackout

2009-05-27T21:47:00.002+01:00

Hello people!

I am sorry for the recent blackout, here and in the Chiff and Fipple forums, but I have been out of time. Doing a lot of stuff at the same time, and hardly having time to play a tune. Next week or the one after I'll try to return to the Whistle and to posting frequently.

For those of you who follow, sorry!

Cheers!

Edit: 300 unique visitors!!!! :D Thank you!

...

2009-05-21T21:07:00.002+01:00

Not much to say, the blog will be postless for a couple of days.

Cheers, and enjoy your weekend!

Goldfinch: The End...and that's it!

2009-05-19T21:10:00.004+01:00

Hello!

Today I shipped the Goldfinch. That was it :P Nothing more concerning the whistle happened!

I hope I'll have more time in the next weeks, or at least be able to organize my time in order to play a bit more, I'm stuck with the same tunes because I really can't afford using a couple of hours to play...in a whole week! Maybe tomorow...one can always dream!

Cheers!

Goldfinch IV and last

2009-05-18T19:56:00.003+01:00

Yup, that's it, the last day with the Goldfinch.

I loved the experience to be part of the tour and to play the little guy, I really did! I can't say much more about it, I wish I had the time to play it more, but it is already packed and ready to ship to Gilian, the next lucky tourer. I'll post it tomorow.

I have to say sorry for not producing any video with it, as I had previously said I would, but these last weeks have been a total rollercoaster, and so I wasn't able to do it. Now the whistle follows his way to be played throughout Europe, have fun!

Inside goes a little surprise to the Goldfinch crew, nothing special, just a little thing. I thought it nice to make the Goldfinch crew to suffer a bit too, as we do when we anxiously expect the Whistle :P

For ending: I loved the Whistle!

Cheers!

Goldfinch III

2009-05-17T15:11:00.003+01:00

Hello people!

Sorry for the days without posting, but I'm really busy lately!

So I played the Goldfinch whistle today, and let me say I'll be sorry I have to depart from it so soon! Still on Monday or Tuesday I'll send it to the next world tourer ;)

My opinion remains the same, it's a great whistle, and even being a beginner I can tell it's a great buy. I really love the mouthpiece, I don't know why but it's different, smaller, really easy to play, and as I said previously, doesn't clog for anything in this world!

And so it is, life should be simpler and we should all have more time to play the Whistle and do all those things we want to that make us feel good.

Cheers, and enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Goldfinch II

2009-05-14T20:36:00.003+01:00

Part two!

So today I still didn't had much time to play the Whistle, but the little I had I again loved it! I'm seriously thinking in buying one, cause I really love the sound and the easy that is to play it!

Another great thing for me is that in other Whistles I've tried I tend to make them clog really quickly because my breath has lots of moisture (I guess!), and this piece of Polish magic doesn't clog for anything in this world! I'm really loving it!

It comes packed in a simple card box, and has a sweet rustic carry bag, I'm posting a pic for you to see.

More details to come soon enough!

Cheers!

Goldfinch

2009-05-13T21:11:00.004+01:00

Hello there fellow whistlers and wanderers!

Today the Goldfinch Whistle arrived! I didn't had much time to play it, but for the little I tried I can say I love the sound, and as I never had possessed a plastic (pvc?) whistle before I admit I never thought they could have this sound quality!

As time passes by and I play it more I'll let you know with more detail my opinion. Next week I'll send it to the next person in the World Tour :)

Just as it is, I'm loving the experience!

Cheers!

Back to the whistle, stop to new songs

2009-05-11T22:35:00.002+01:00

Oh yes, I'm back to whistling!

Despite my injury I played a bit today and it felt gooooooooddddddd!
I will stop learning new tunes for now, cause I'm doing a secret thing that I'll let you know in time.

This week I'll probably receive the Goldfinch Whistle from the world tour, I'm the first in the list and I can't wait to get it!!! I'll leave a review here, off course!

Cheers!

Weekend injury

2009-05-10T18:57:00.002+01:00

Hello!

How are you all doing? Did you have a nice weekend? Mine was good, but my injury is back, so...no whistling for a few more days :(

Have fun!

Cheers!

A couple of tunes...

2009-05-07T19:25:00.002+01:00

Hello!

Today I gladly played a couple of tunes, cause my injury is much better. I had fun taking my Tin Whistle again, after playing almost exclusively the Low one since I got it. The little one will always have a special place in my heart despite liking the Low sound more. Still it was my first Whistle, and I have a lot of fun with it and his happy sound.

Have a nice whistling evening!

Cheers!

Another no whistling day, but a great substitute...a video!

2009-05-06T21:22:00.004+01:00

Hello there!

Around here is another recovery day,but to keep this with some interest to you, I'll post a nice video:

Lord Of the Dance - Cry of the Celts

I just love it, makes you travel your imagination!

Enjoy!

Cheers!!

Time-out

2009-05-06T07:58:00.001+01:00

No post, no playing yesterday. An old problem in my hand just made an appearance and I have to restrain from playing and use the computer.

I love tendinitis!

Cheers!

Back in colour

2009-05-04T19:19:00.009+01:00

Hello fellow whistlers and passer by's! How was that big weekend?

Mine was great, and I have some nice pics to prove it, just chek them out:

Now imagine playing the Low Whistle on those shores, with the birds choir behind. Really nice!

I couldn't play very well because there where people listening, but it felt really nice!

Cheers!!

Edit: The 200th visitor just came by! :D

A big weekend, and I'm out of here!

2009-04-30T19:44:00.003+01:00

Yes, that's it, I'll be out for the big weekend and won't post for 3 days again.

I'm going to a nice place, in the middle of nature. If some pictures are worth it, I'll post them upon my return.

You all have a nice weekend, whistle a lot, but most important, have fun and live a good life.

Cheers to you good people!

Little time and a big weekend

2009-04-29T21:37:00.004+01:00

Hello.

This Bard is tired. Last couple of weeks have been a turmoil and with very little time to play. I kind of miss it, but there's really nothing I can do to make it better.

With the Low Whistle I'm able to play almost everything I play in the Tin Whistle, and with the same degree of quality.

Today in the 15 minutes I got free, I went to an Irish Pub that has live music to know what kind of music do they have, but the waitress could only tell me to come back at night, cause she only did the day-shift and couldn't awnser my question...lucky me hum? I guess I'll really have to go there and find out!

Since the next weekend is a long one (friday holiday) the blog will be postless for some 3 days again, I'm sorry, but I promise I'll be back to business as soon as possible!

And just out of curiosity, yesterday was the 30th post and the blog is almost reaching the 200th unique visitor, which is much more than I had ever imagined!

Cheers, and thank you for following!

Back...and "lower"

2009-04-28T19:20:00.005+01:00

Hello there!

I was out during the weekend, and that's why I didn't post. Anyway I didn't played a single note during these three days, but now I'm back!

I'm concentrating in playing the tunes I already know in the Low Whistle, cause I definitely like the sound better than the High one. Still, I do love the little one too!

It's interesting to try to play the High after been playing the Low, just because the fingers get usted to the Low grip and feel awkward in the High one.

Ok, that's it for now, hope you signed in for the World and European tours I mentioned before, and have a nice day.

Cheers!

No posts

2009-04-24T08:51:00.002+01:00

Just to let you know that the blog will be postless in the next 3 days.

Cheers and have a nice weekend!

My new Whistle

2009-04-22T20:26:00.003+01:00

So today was a stupid day. Not a "bad" day, but a really "stupid" day.

Not much of a good mood as you can tell, as opposite to most of the days lately, but oh well...

The good news is that I finally have my Domnahl na Gruen Low D by Daniel McGinley.
I'm just a begginer but let me tell you what I think of it:

- Sounds great
- Requires much less air to play that I thought it would (and I mean MUCH LESS!)
- Awesome looks, it's simple and has those little details that handmade stuff have, those things that give it character

I love it and can't say better from Daniel, the way he builds them, the way he helps you with your doubts and the way he cares for what he makes. I'll recommend him to any whistler around the world. As simple as that!

Now, time to leave and end this wretched day...except for my whistle :)

Cheers.

ABC's and Gaelic

2009-04-21T18:50:00.005+01:00

Another day, another post.

So, here goes the ABC for "Concerning Hobbits" at least the way I play it! (Do note that I don't know how to write ABC properly, this is my first try. I rather prefer music sheet).

Title: Concerning Hobbits
Composer: Howard Shore
Key: D

lower case: 1st octave
UPPER CASE: 2nd octave

d e f a f e d

f a b D b a f g f e

As for the Gaelic part of the title...here it goes, enjoy!!!
(Great whistle part too!)

Celtic Woman - Dúlaman (with lyrics)

Cheers!

Another world tour, and a not so good whistling day.

2009-04-20T18:55:00.002+01:00

Hello there!

A couple of things I want to tell you today.

First of all, my Low D whistle didn't arrive today, damn post!!!

Then, my whistling wasn't that great today...again! I guess I'll have to take it cooler... It's just that when you start, you go slow and easy, but then you feel more confident, and when you learn a new tune you try to go faster...and then it doesn't work! I'll have to take it easy, because I really think it's funny and happy to play the whistle, and I want to keep it that way!

As for the world tour, I signed in for a new one, the Anderson European Whistle Tour , ok this one is not World, but it's European...whatever! :P

I got a comment for the previous post from Rob, asking if I could post the ABC code for "Concerning Hobbits", and I'll try to post it as soon as possible.

Cheers!

Another weekend...

2009-04-19T19:04:00.003+01:00

One more weekend, no new tunes :)

Today I had a 30 min practise where I played mostly the tunes I know. Next week I'll probably try to learn new ones like "Concerning Hobbits" or "Gift of a Thistle".

Meanwhile, I'll keep following the Clarke book route, where in the begining I'm mainly learning child songs, which is funny but sometimes too little of a challenge.

That's all for a weekend day.

Cheers!

Before the weekend

2009-04-17T19:03:00.003+01:00

Hello there!

Today my whistling wasn't too good, I wasn't playing with feeling or even concentrated. After I realized that, I just stoped, cause there was really no point.

I started practising "Concerning Hobbits" and learned "London Bridge is Falling Down" with the Clarke book.

Not much to say besides that, on the weekends I always play less, as usual, so there's probably no hot news before monday (which is when my new Low D shall arrive).

Be well, and enjoy your free time on the weekend. I will.

Cheers!

What to say, oh what to say...

2009-04-16T19:49:00.002+01:00

Hello people that comes here because they saw the link somewhere and thought this was something good. How are you?

Today wasn't a good day, but still I managed to start working on the Clarke book, so far I' on page 19 and so the tunes I now officialy know are:

- Old MacDonald
- Down by the Sally Gardens
- Scarborough Fair
- Road to Lisdoonvarna
- Au Clair de La Lune (By the Light Of the Moon)
- The Muffin Man

, what a bunch hum? The ones that I like the most to play are Scarborough Fair and Road to Lisdoonvarna, just for the record.

As I said in a previous post I was trying to create the Whistler Bard character, so here goes one of the first sketches:

Quite stupid hum?

Cheers!

Domnahl na Gruen

2009-04-15T21:40:00.005+01:00

Today was the day that my new Domnahl na Gruen Low D Whistle left the Highlands of Scotland to meet me in the Whistler Bard's realm. Hopefully I'll have it before the weekend.

I've been in contact with the master crafter Daniel McGinley, and let me tell you he is a great person as well as an excellent crafter of whistles (from what I've heard!) when mine arrives I'll let you know, and might even post a clip or video for you to check the sound, because it's not easy to find feedbacks and reviews of this Whistle around the web.

Changing subject: have you already sign in for the Goldfinch World Tour? NO??? Why?

Cheers!

World Tour

2009-04-14T19:55:00.003+01:00

Something like "World Tour??? - what the hell he is thinking?", probably crossed your mind didn't it?

Well, it's true, I'll be participating in the Goldfinch Whistle World Tour "And just what in the name of someone important is that?" - you folks wonder...

So, Goldfinch Whistles is a Polish whistle brand (quite new from what I learned) and they're gonna send a whistle around the world for people to try it. You can check all the details here and if by any means you can't see it, please leave a comment and I'll post the entire article.
I signed up because it seems a nice and funny idea, you can participate by sending an e-mail to whistle@goldfinch.eu with your name, address and e-mail.

In the meantime I received my new "The Clarke Tin Whistle" book by Bill Ochs, that from what I've checked seems pretty well structured, it starts in the basic of basics and goes until some more elaborated tunes. A great book for beginners in my opinion, and from what (little) I saw.

Well, it's all for today. Don't forget to smile at least once a day, even if it's of your own stupidity: I just did that! :D

Cheers!

The 100th

2009-04-13T18:59:00.003+01:00

So today I enter the Whistler Bard realm and... there it was! The 100th visitor! Never thought it would come to this, cause it's the number of unique visitors (I bet you Chiff and Fipple forum guys are the responsible for this :P)!

I do this mainly for fun, but if someone follows it and has a laugh or two on my account, I gladly appreciate it!

As for today, I almost have "Road To Lisdoonvarna" until the end, just needs some ending notes to finish memorizing it. Tomorow or the day after I expect to receive Clarke's book, and then I'll just follow that lead, with the occasional wander off to some tune I really want to learn.

This week will also be the one I get my first Low D :D (hopefully) just waiting for it in the mailbox! I don't make a comparison with my bass days for a long time, so here's another one: for 1/100000000000000 of the price I spent in bass gear, I have a Tin Whistle, an Irish Flute and a Low Whistle (and this one is hanmade!) of course they're not the "state of the art" or the top notch ones, but sound great and will last forever.

That's it for today folks! As a side note let me tell you I'm trying to "make" the Whistler Bard character (since I work with some cool software :P) come alive...it will take long, and might never be done, but I'll try!

Cheers!

Not much to say...

2009-04-12T19:14:00.004+01:00

Not much to say today, hardly played, except for a 10 minute break alone at home.

I already know by heart the first half of "Road to Lisdoonvarna", and while surfing youtube I found out this song:

Loreena McKennitt- The Highwayman

After hearing it once I decided I love it... it makes you travel your dreams. A true masterpiece.

And just a side note...I bought a Low D whistle...but shhhhhhhhh, don't tell anyone! It should arrive this week!

Cheers, and see you tomorow!

Flute improvements

2009-04-11T16:20:00.004+01:00

Back from half the weekend, and happy! :D

As for the Whistle, I didn't practise much, but I went trying the Flute, and I finally got some technique in being able to produce sweet, soft notes. I even got goosebumps playing "Scarborough Fair" in the flute for the first time!

It's a bit tought on weekends, as I said in a previous post, but I'll try to pratise a bit until monday. Maybe I can go and play in my car or in a remote place so I don't bother anyone. It's a hard life, a bard's one! :)

Cheers, and have fun in your weekend!

Big weekend

2009-04-08T19:42:00.003+01:00

I'm preparing for the big weekend out of town (I hope!) between some tunes...as if I know many! :P

Meanwhile I bought the Clarke's Book, with the CD. Its a nice buy in my opinion, I can carry it everywere and avoid turning on the pc everytime to check a tune or a music sheet.

Next days will be sparse in news, if all goes well in this bard's world.

Cheers to you good sirs and gals! Have fun, whistle, laugh... and try to live a happy life :)

La la la, lalala la la (yes, I'm singing!)

2009-04-07T19:28:00.005+01:00

Another glorious day for the whistle! Today my practise went really well, I played "Down by the Sally Gardens" and learned the rest of "Scarborough Fair", this last one is a really sweet one to play and listen, damn those Celtic Woman! :P

Since my morale was high, I decided to try something with a bit more rythm, so I went for "Road to Lisdoonvarna", that you can listen in a previous post. It's a slide jig (from what I've read, because I still can't distinghish them too well), and I like it. In the end I didn't go too bad, learned the first couple of notes, but now I'm out of time and have to cook me some food.

Hope you're enjoying your week, here in my country there's a holy day on friday, so that means no work! Heheheh

Oh, and by the way, I'll try to post the music sheets and/or ABC notation and/or tablature for the songs that I learn, it might be useful for someone.

Cheers!

Scarborough Fair and the begining of a new week

2009-04-06T18:59:00.006+01:00

So, is someone out there after that last scary post? I doubt it!

As for me, it was the start of a new week, and one where I'll have more time to practise with my whistle (with the flute i'm just trying to start to get a good clean sound out of it). I know about 2/3 of Scarborough Fair, but obviously I have to practise much more. It's a good tune for beginners, it has a low tempo, and it's on the simple side. I like these soft tunes, but I can't wait to put my fingers on a jig or a reel, one of those that makes you wanna dance!

You all might have noticed that I have a counter around there ------->
, which just counts the unique visitors of the blog, not the visits themselves. Soooo, I want to know if anyone follows this, or if it's just casual visits. Make a post or something! :P

Cheers!

Down from the deepest pit in the darkest part of the Tin Whistle world

2009-04-05T13:00:00.009+01:00

Today I spent my morning playing the Whistle, with the haunting image of yesterdays tries. As I am a bard that doesn't say no to self-mocking, I decided to post a "best-of" video of that disaster.

Be aware that if you're sensitive to high pitch notes you shouldn't watch this video. Do not let your children watch it either, they might get traumatized.

How NOT to play "Down by the Sally Gardens", by The Whistler Bard:

Fortunatly, today it went all for the best. I practised some scales, and started to learn a new tune: "Scarborough Fair" and so you can clean your ears and regain your hearing listen to this version by Celtic Woman:

Cheers!

Raping "Down by the Sally Gardens"

2009-04-04T16:31:00.003+01:00

Ok, so today I'm back to the Whistle and guess what? I suck!!! I think I didn't play this bad not even in my first day! It doesn't really help having my nose full of goey and being hard to breed, but still it's no excuse!

I really tried to make the video, but I didn't want to rape "Down by the Sally Gardens" in front of everybody, so when I play it better, I'll let you know.

It's all for now, not the day I expected for my return to the Whistle. I'll play a bit more today, check out later that I might have posted something else...

Cheers!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

2009-04-03T13:50:00.004+01:00

3 days now without playing, I'm freaking outttttttttttt!!!! Today I even put it in the car to see if I can have 2 minutes to play a tune (I only know one, anyway :P)!

It's like giving a candy to a kid, let him take a bite and then put it in a locked transparent box for 3 days! (weird comparison I know...)

Really, it sucks not having a couple of minutes to blow some notes. But it's for a good reason! I'll have my comeback on the weekend!!!

Cheers!

Time out

2009-04-02T09:11:00.003+01:00

Just to tell you that this bard is "out of order" until Friday the 3rd. I'll keep posting daily after that.

I wish I was a medieval bard, not a modern one, playing for kings and common folk, storytelling for children and satirize those who did not prove to be good people! Ahhhhh, those were the days!

Ok, enough dreaming and back to work... damn modern times!

Cheers!

TWP - Tin Whistle Portable

2009-03-31T22:48:00.004+01:00

I realized one thing today: the whistle "portability" is a great thing! More than once I've played it in my car, when I'm waiting for something or someone. Something that would be a bit difficult (to say the least) with my bass guitar :P (I even thought of playing in the traffic jam, but I quited that idea...maybe someday, heheheh)

As for the flute, today I just stared at it, little to no time this week to give some attention to my new hobbie, unfortunatly.

On the weekend I expect to post a video of me playing something in the Whistle, just for you people to have something to laugh at :P

Cheers!

The flute and the breathless whistler

2009-03-30T21:40:00.003+01:00

Today I picked up my Irish Flute...and I'm gasping for air! The damn thing is hard to blow into, and I still didn't manage to make it sound like it should, except for some accidental notes :)

As for the whistle I can already play "Down by the Sally Gardens" from begining to end. Tomorow I'll start working and learning some embelishments.

Not much for today, I know.

Cheers, and thank you for following the blog (or by accidentaly passing by).

A weekend day

2009-03-29T14:50:00.010+01:00

Another day of little to no whistling, its harder when everybody's home! People just don't understand music! (or maybe I still suck a lot playing, hehehe)

Anyway I'm still around with scales and "Down by the Sally Gardens".

Meanwhile I leave you with some nice videos from amateur whistlers/flute players:

Ryan's / Farewell To Whalley Range / The Ashplant (Irish Flute + Tin Whistle + Guitar)

Road to Lisdoonvarna / Swallowtail jig (Tin Whistle + Guitar)

That's it for today, tomorow I'll probably get my flute and practise a bit

Concerning the blog

2009-03-28T10:17:00.003Z

Despite knowing a bit about webdesign I decided to keep the blog simple and easy to read.

For those who will (eventually :P ) follow it, you'll notice that I might make some small changes, the last one be it having ads from Google. I decided to put them because they usualy have good ads for whistles and flute shops, I'm not honestly expecting to earn real money with this. I'm not sure I'll keep them anyway, time will tell.

Cheers!

Second day: a no-whistling day

2009-03-28T09:21:00.006Z

And at the second day the whistler didn't whistle.

Yes, in spite of wanting to have a couple of minutes to play a tune and some scales, yesterday I couldn't. Still I made some home-work and studied a bit of musical theory in how to read sheets.

I'll keep practising scales, and simple songs. I can play half of "Down by the Sally Gardens" by now, with some degree of quality, but still with no embelishments. Off course I still need a lot of practise.

In a great forum ( Chiff and Fipple ), which I forgot to mention in the previous post, I got some comments about the song "Suo-Gân", which sheet came with my whistle, and which I didn't really knew. After checking it out I know I'll surely give it a try!

Today is a new day, and I'll manage to find some moments to practise and feel the magic. Yes, you all might think I'm exagerating, but since this whistle thing I feel happier, and motivated for something (cause work really sucks :P )

Have a nice weekend!

Cheers!

P.S: Don't forget to turn your lights out for an hour today at 20:30 (8:30pm), don't know if you heard it, but it's Earth Hour. Check it out on www.earthhour.org, it's a good hour to play the whistle and the flute and show the world that there are beautiful and good things to do without killing the planet.

The first day

2009-03-26T19:21:00.004Z

So today I finaly picked up my Tin Whistle! :D It comes packed In a neat box, and brings a small sheet with four tunes "Suo-Gân" (Welsh Lullaby), "It's Raining", "Counting Song" and "Old MacDonald". The Whistle itself looks great, and it's pretty easy to handle. I guess it's the same as a Sweetone, but with a celtic knot printed.

About the flute, it will probably get here tomorow, but for now I'm in love with the little guy! It's just great!

I started with some scales, mainly D because it's the most used anyway. So this doesn't get boring, between scales I tried to play some very simple tunes, and guess what? I did it! I am surely a prodigal son of the Whistle! Yes because the crazy, speedy,hard tune I played was nothing more and nothing less than... "Old MacDonald" :DDDD Yes, I know I am a genius!

I was about to play "Ride of the Valkyries" by Wagner but then I thought "what the hell, let me stick to the difficult ones" and there I go play "Old MacDonald".

I'm pretty happy with this whistle, it's really easy to play, and I guess that by playing one hour a day (or so), you can learn new tunes pretty quickly. There will always be a margin to progress off course, but I think that being able to play someting that you can call music (like "Old MacDonald" :P ) in the first hour of play, is a motivation. And for me a much moralizing route to take than the one for a string instrument for example.

Well, I'm off for now, back to the Whistle!!! (At least until someone tells me to shut up...which might be soon enough!!!)

Cheers!

Good news, bad news... and links!

2009-03-25T19:35:00.012Z

Ok, so today I arrive from work and what do I have in my mailbox? A post office ticket so I could get my whistle! So far so good... but unfortunatly I wasn't able to pick it up! :(

So tonight is the frustration of knowing it is so close, and the antecipation of knowing i'll have it tomorow! :D

I was going to post some sites that I am checking for Whistle and Flutes tomorow, but I said it would be in "the next post" so here it goes:

Great site to start with: www.whistletutor.com , it has free lessons, tips, and a forum which is growing. Register and be a part of it (the master of the place is Sean, a guy that is willing to help whistlers to start and develop their skills).

The Whistle I bought was a Clarke's "Celtic Tinwhistle" for £9,65 (11€) at www.clarke-tin-whistle.com , my choice because I wanted one made in the UK or Ireland, where I consider the heart of Celtic music is. They have free shipping worldwide too.

The Irish Flute was a Tony Dixon's "Polymer Tenor Flute" for £24 + £8 shipping (35€) at www.tonydixonmusic.co.uk , I chose this one because Irish Flutes are expensive, and I didn't want to spend that much for a start. This one was the cheapeast and I read good things about it.

For now it's all, really hope I'll have readers one day...

A New bard in town...

2009-03-25T10:58:00.002Z

Hello there, and welcome to The Whistler Bard Blog!

I'm a newcomer to playing the Tin Whistle and the Irish flute, and i decided to make this blog as a way to post my progress concerning the learning of these two instruments.

I play electric bass (not too well, honestly), but i wanted to move to something simpler, easier to carry and that i could practice and play everywere...since i love Celtic music, what better to start than the whistle? About the flute i just love the sound, and since it's pretty similar to the whistle, i though i should give it a try too.

For me it's a new world, no hard-cases that don't fit the trunk of my car, no cables, no amps weighting a ton... Let's see how i'll manage!

So i searched the net for whistles, saw videos, read articles and i finaly bought a Tin Whistle and an Irish flute. This all happened in a couple of days, and i'm still anxiously waiting for them in my mail box. After that being done, i decided to learn how to read music sheets. First of all it's a thing i wanted to learn since a long time ago, just never tried really hard. Second of all is that most of the songs for the whistle are in that format, so if i want to try it, i should know how to read the sheets.

For the first post this is huge, and i sincerely doubt anyone will ever see it, but anyway... next post i'll give you some sites to start from if you want to learn the whistle and flute magic.

Cheers!