Damn videos

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

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

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!

DerElligh and a couple of Feadogs

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!

Day 1...again!

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 ;)

No net

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!

Improvising

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!

Children's songs :)

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!

Little whistling

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

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!

The top of the castle

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.

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

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!

Long time no post

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!

Goldfinch III

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

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

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!

A couple of tunes...

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!

Back...and "lower"

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!

ABC's and Gaelic

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.

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!