Jim Ward's Jig

Good idea, I'll see if I can track down the sheet music and post that along with the videos. I don't seem to run across much whistle tab notation, but I imagine I can find sheet music for these tunes.

Glad to hear you like the site!

you can also download the free software program called "audacity." it will allow you to slow down any music you are listening to without changing the pitch. so you can actually hear every single note and play along, too!

be well,

jim

Hey, I ve just started. hope i camn learn a bit, looks good. Thanks for the time.

Hi Sean
It's great that you are willing to make the effort to spread the love of Irish Music and the whistle. I began playing about 18 years ago, and I can play a bit, but not very well. Isn't the internet wonderful. Here is a teacher, and music by just turning on the computer. I wish you nothing but success. Keep up the good work.

Glad to help -- if you have any questions or requests, please let me know!

JIM WARD'S JIG

Hi Sean
First off, thanks for your site, I was glad to find it. I bought myself a tin whistle while in Ireland recently and am learning more every day - I love it. My only trouble now is making the leap from music with the fingering noted to that without - I learned to read music on the bass clef so the treble is a bit tricky. One thing I'm finding difficult is following the sheet music you've provided with your (un-notated) embellishments - it's almost like it would be easier to learn aurally, yet your site is the first place I've come across cuts, taps and rolls, and I'm a long way from having them down pat yet! I guess I need to go and hunt online for a basic rendition of the tunes you play so well so I can start from scratch with them, so to speak.
I'm looking forward to working my way through your lessons. Happy whistling
Miss elmo

Thanks for the kind words about the site! As for the music there are very few transcriptions of tunes with the ornamentation included (Willie Clancy's book comes to mind) because ornamentation is such a stylistic element that most people would rather write out the melody and leave it up to the player and his or her style to determine the embellishments. Unfortunately, that's not of very much help to people who are still learning the process!

When you say it might be easier to learn aurally I'd say you're right -- so much of this music is taught by ear and ornamentation is definitely a very subjective and therefore variable part of it. What I would suggest is that if you are going to learn from sheet music to learn the melody first -- no ornamentation -- then listen to the tutorial and listen to anyone else you know who can play the tune to hear what you like and what you don't. That will go a long way to help you to refine your own style. You can certainly copy the ornaments that I have used in the tutorial but it's perfectly acceptable to take bits and pieces from various players and come up with your own stylistic version of the tune.

All the best,
Sean

Yes, that's the approach that I've been using (learning the basic melody first). My embellishments still tend to be more accidental than anything when they sounds good but they're coming along and I'm very pleased to say that things seems to have 'clicked' lately and I'm feeling a lot more confident to play around with them. it's fun! I'm now looking for a music book with Irish tunes in it - preferably one with a CD that shows me how the tunes are meant to sound. I'll have a look to see if you've recommended any here otherwise I'll hit the web.
Miss elmo

While the be-all and end-all of Irish traditional music tune books is O'Neills, it unfortunately doesn't include a CD because there are over 5000 tunes in that book! There are some other smaller volumes that include an accompanying CD but the thing to be wary of is the source -- some sites online have very questionable settings of tunes and it's a bit of a pain to learn something incorrectly and have to unlearn. I know that from experience, I'm afraid.

All the best,
Sean

Ok, I'll be wary. Thanks for the heads up! I'll look out for O'Neill's.

Since so much of the Tin Whistle is learned aurally I was chuffed to find a podcast on iTunes called The Whistler!
It is a collection of different tunes, played through once, so that one can hear the tune.
Very handy.

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