Irish folk musical instruments - Wind of Water - folk-rock band, live music of pagan Rus' and medieval Europe. How to play the tin flute

Buy a whistle from your local music store or online. Tin flutes are sold in all possible keys. The most common whistle in "D" plays the octaves "D" and "G major". The second most common whistle in C plays the octaves C and F major. The lowest note of the whistle, when you cover all the holes with your fingers, is called the key - on the whistle "D" the key is the note "D".

'''Hold your whistle properly.''" The whistle should be pointing down at a 45 degree angle. Your dominant hand should be down, and the second hand on top. The little fingers are not used in the game, but serve as a supporting role or are used in the game on the largest (and low octave whistles). Large fingers support the whistle from below Cover the holes of the whistle with your fingertips Place the tip of the whistle between your lips - not your teeth!

'''Learn to play different notes.''' The standard whistle takes two octaves. In the case of the D whistle, this covers the notes from the second D above middle C to the fourth D above middle C. Theoretically, by blowing out a special strong air flow, it is possible to hit the notes higher, but in practice the sound is too loud and out of tune. As a rule, each raised finger and open hole on the whistle produces a sound one note higher. Take a look at the D-whistle tablature below. White circles indicate an open hole, black circles indicate a closed one. The + sign below the tablature means the second octave.

'''Play notes at a low octave. Take a whistle and close all the holes with your fingers. (You don't have to press your fingers hard, just make sure your fingertips completely cover the hole.) Blow into the whistle, keeping your tongue in position, as if you were saying "whoo". The resulting sound is the “tonality” (that is, the note “re” on the “d” whistle). If you blow too lightly, the note will come out too "diluted"; if you blow too hard, the whistle will play in the second octave or produce a sharp whistling sound. Learn to blow a steady stream of air to produce a nice low sound of the right note. Remove finger after finger, thus going through all the notes in the scale, until you get to the note at which all the holes on the whistle are open (C-sharp). To support the whistle with all holes open, use the little finger of the dominant hand.

Play the notes of the second octave. Close all holes again with your fingers and blow into the whistle with redoubled force. If you're having trouble hitting a second octave note, try opening the first hole (closest to your mouth) a little bit - this tactic will help you with all the notes in the second octave. As in the first lesson, one by one, open all the holes on the whistle, playing the scale in the second octave to the highest note (C-sharp). The higher the note, the harder you will have to blow.

Learn to play the tune! If you don't already know how, learn to play sheet music from sheet music.

And some other countries.

build

The whistle is a diatonic instrument with a range of approximately 2 octaves. The fingering is simple, with forked fingerings and half hole closures rarely used, except for a lowered seventh to allow playing in the second key. With the help of complicated fingering, you can achieve an almost complete chromatic range.

The most common tuning is D (re of the second octave), tinwhistles are also produced in most keys from G (salt of the second octave) to G (salt of the first), instruments in A and G are sometimes considered already low whistles.

Story

The history of the instrument is lost in the centuries, since such flutes originate from prehistoric times and are found in almost every people on Earth.

Actually "tin" - that is, tin, whistle appeared in 1843 in England. Poor farmer Robert Clarke had a wooden whistle and wanted to make a similar one, but from a new material tinplate(tinned tin), which then only appeared. The new instrument was so successful that Clark decided to start his own business. Together with his son, he traveled around England, carrying his tools and materials with him in a handcart. Stopping in cities and villages, especially in markets, Clark rolled tin whistles from a sheet of tin in front of the eyes of the population, resulting in a conical tube, which was then closed at one end with a wooden cork - a whistle was obtained, then holes were cut in the tube. Clark immediately demonstrated the instrument, playing melodies on it for the audience. The pipe cost one penny, hence another of its names - penny-whistle. Occasionally, Clarke's pipes were bought by Irish sailors and other people from the Green Isle who brought them home. So tin whistle came to Ireland.

In Ireland, the pipe fell in love with everyone, as it was very well suited to the performance of Irish folk music. Production of Robert Clark has survived to this day, brand whistles Clarke enjoy constant popularity around the world, especially as an instrument for beginners.

Subsequently, tin whistles began to be made from various materials, from metal tubes, brass, aluminum, etc. Various types of plastic and other materials.

Tin whistle became widespread around the world in the 60s and 70s of the XX century in the wake of the revival of interest in folk music in Ireland and beyond. Almost all famous folk groups used tin whistle in their activities. New firms and master tin-whistle makers appeared.

Application

Despite the seeming primitiveness of the device, tin whistle - in the context of Irish folk music - is a rather sophisticated instrument that has much more possibilities than it seems at first glance. The technique of performance on it, most likely, developed under the influence of the technique of playing the Irish bagpipe uilleann pipes, which has a long tradition and is quite complex. Many Irish musicians became famous precisely because of their mastery of the whistle, for example Mary Bergin, who recorded two albums in the late 70s under the name Feadoga Stain 1 & 2 (Tin Whistles 1 & 2), which have had and continue to have a significant impact on whistlers around the world.

Modern whistles

There are many different types of tin whistles these days. These are the tin conical whistles that have survived to this day Clarke, and common brass with a plastic whistle generation, available plastic whistles Dixon And Susato and wooden whistles of professional manufacturers.

Low whistle

low whistle- low whistle - a kind of tin whistle. It features a lower setting and larger size, greater demands on breathing and less mobility. It has a deeper and thicker timbre. Therefore, the low whistle is often used to play slow melodies. Whistles are made of metal, plastic or wood.

The most common key is D (D of the first octave, an octave below the usual tinwistle). It is produced in most keys from G (salt of the first octave) to G (small salt). The lowest tonalities are very rare and are sometimes referred to as "bass".

Story

It is likely that low-whistle-like longitudinal flutes existed as early as the 16th century, but this fact remains controversial.

The inventor of the low whistle in its modern form is an English jazz musician and instrument maker. Bernard Overton, who in 1971 made a low whistle for a famous Irish musician Finbara Fury (Finbar Furey) who lost his bamboo whistle while on tour. Having made the first two low whistles, which Fury actively used in performances, Overton began to receive orders from other musicians.

The beginning of the mass popularity of the low whistle fell on the 90s of the XX century after the famous dance show Riverdance in which the musician Davy Spillane played this instrument.

Various whistles

whistle(from English. tin whistle, literally translated "tin whistle, pipe", pronunciation options (Russian): whistle, whistle, the former is more common) is a folk longitudinal flute with six holes on the front side, widely used in the folk music of Ireland, Scotland, England and some other countries.

build

The whistle is a diatonic instrument with a range of approximately 2 octaves. The fingering is simple, with forked fingerings and half hole closures rarely used, except for a lowered seventh to allow playing in the second key. With the help of complicated fingering, you can achieve an almost complete chromatic range.

The most common tuning is D (D of the second octave), tinwhistles are also produced in most keys from G (sol of the second octave) to G (sol of the first), instruments in A and G are sometimes considered already low whistles.

Story

The history of the instrument is lost in the centuries, since such flutes originate from prehistoric times and are found in almost every people on Earth.

Actually "tin" - that is, tin, whistle appeared in 1843 in England. Poor farmer Robert Clarke had a wooden whistle and wanted to make a similar one, but from a new material tinplate(tinned tin), which then only appeared. The new instrument was so successful that Clark decided to start his own business. Together with his son, he traveled around England, carrying his tools and materials with him in a handcart. Stopping in cities and villages, especially in markets, Clark rolled tin whistles from a sheet of tin in front of the eyes of the population, resulting in a conical tube, which was then closed at one end with a wooden cork - a whistle was obtained, then holes were cut in the tube. Clark immediately demonstrated the instrument, playing melodies on it for the audience. The pipe cost one penny, hence another of its names - penny-whistle. Occasionally, Clarke's pipes were bought by Irish sailors and other people from the Green Isle who brought them home. So tin whistle came to Ireland.

In Ireland, the pipe fell in love with everyone, as it was very well suited to the performance of Irish folk music. Production of Robert Clark has survived to this day, brand whistles Clarke enjoy constant popularity around the world, especially as an instrument for beginners.

Subsequently, tin whistles began to be made from various materials, from metal tubes, brass, aluminum, etc. Various types of plastic and other materials.

Tin whistle became much more widespread around the world in the 60s and 70s of the 20th century in the wake of a revival of interest in folk music in Ireland and beyond. Almost all famous folk groups used tin whistle in their activities. New firms and master tin-whistle makers appeared.

Application

Despite the seeming primitiveness of the device, tin whistle - in the context of Irish folk music - is a rather sophisticated instrument that has much more possibilities than it seems at first glance. The technique of performance on it, most likely, developed under the influence of the technique of playing the Irish bagpipe uilleann pipes, which has a long tradition and is quite complex. Many Irish musicians became famous precisely because of their mastery of the whistle, for example Mary Bergin, who recorded two albums in the late 70s under the name Feadoga Stain 1 & 2 (Tin Whistles 1 & 2), which have had and continue to have a significant impact on whistlers around the world.

Notable whistlers:

• Willie Clancy
• Mary Bergin
• Paddy Moloney
• Sean Potts
• Brian Finnegan
• Joanny Madden
• Sean Ryan
• Cormac Breatnach
• Michael McGoldrick

Modern whistles

There are many different types of tin whistles these days. These are the tin conical whistles that have survived to this day Clarke, and common brass with a plastic whistle generation, available plastic whistles Dixon And Susato and wooden whistles of professional manufacturers.

The most popular manufacturers:

• Clarke
• Walton's
• Feadog
• Tony Dixon
• Susato
• chieftain
• Overton/Goldie
• Abell

The whistle is one of the most common instruments in the world, largely due to its affordability: an entry-level pipe, quite acceptable in quality, can cost $5, professional-level instruments cost from $100 to $700, but some professionals prefer cheap whistles. The most expensive, as a rule, are wooden artisan whistles.

Low whistle

Musician playing low whistle

low whistle- Low whistle - a low variety of tin whistle. It features a lower setting and larger size, as well as greater demands on breathing and less mobility. It has a deeper and thicker timbre. Therefore, the low whistle is often used to play slow melodies. Made from metal, plastic or wood.

The most common key is D (D of the first octave, an octave below the usual tinwistle). It is produced in most keys from G (salt of the first octave) to G (small salt). The lowest tonalities are very rare and are sometimes called "bass".

Story

It is likely that longitudinal flutes like the low whistle existed as early as the 16th century, this fact remains debatable.

The inventor of the low whistle in its modern form is an English jazz musician and instrument maker. Bernard Overton, who in 1971 made a low whistle for a famous Irish musician Finbara Fury (Finbar Furey), who lost his bamboo whistle while on tour. Having made the first two low whistles, which Fury actively used in his performances, Overton began to receive commissions from other musicians.

The beginning of the mass popularity of the low whistle fell on the 90s of the XX century after the famous dance show Riverdance in which the musician Davy Spillane played this instrument.

Links

• Website dedicated to whistle (Russian)
• The world famous English-speaking forum dedicated to the whistle and other wind instruments (eng.)

Notes

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

Tonight I started sewing covers for my whistles. Whistle is such a tool that contributes to the appearance at some point of a disease called whistlemania. I want to try all the tools that are possible to get. I did not escape this infection. So, I decided to sew covers. He took out all the whistles, laid them out. Then he began to play something on each. Once again, a simple truth came to me - how different they are all in sound, character (in some cases even temper), energy. I decided for each of them to write, so to speak, a brief description.

Clarke Sweetone D

THE VERY FIRST. My first whistle. He is four years old, but despite the fact that I know exactly my preferences in this area, I still play it. Plastic whistle, tapered body rolled and welded from a strip of metal. The sound of the first octave is quite stable, even dense in places, despite the fact that the instrument walls are rather flimsy. Slightly shrill on overblowing (especially upper A and C).

A wonderful instrument, a classic of the genre - a conical body, a block of solid wood (I could not find out the breed). I love his sound. One of my most used tools. That would just sound a little louder! .. I upgraded it a little - I carefully took out the block, soaked it with linseed oil and installed it back, sealing it with sealant. After that, the air flow became a little less, and the soul does not hurt from the fact that the unit will quickly deteriorate from moisture and condensate.

An instrument made in David Shaw's workshop (England). It is similar in type to the Original, but this whistle narrows more sharply towards the end. In addition, its walls are thicker and harder, as a result of which the whistle has a sharper and louder sound. Capricious on the second octave, but this is just a matter of habit and therefore is not a particular problem. Very temperamental whistle. And the air flow is quite large. I usually play it outside.

The site chiffandfipple.com gives, in my opinion, an exhaustive description of Generation whistles: if you buy them, be careful, you will definitely fall into one of two extremes - either the best instrument imaginable, or naked trash. I seem to have come across some goofy rubbish. To somehow change the situation, there were three weeks of sex with elements of perversion. Playing holes were bored, whistles moved, blades were sharpened (or, conversely, dulled), plastic fringes inside the whistles were cut off ... As a result, the Bb, C and Eb instruments now sound more or less tolerable. People! Decide to purchase Generation - be extremely careful!

Adjustable whistle, classic Dixon plastic whistle and aluminum cylindrical body. Thick walls and overall massiveness give the instrument a very stable, dense sound that can be made very gentle with proper breathing.

Tin whistle FAQ

I want to buy whistle. Which one should I get to start?
Take one of the inexpensive models (which ones you can read below) in the key of soprano (D).
The tonality of D means that with all holes closed, the whistle produces the note D as its lowest note, and the first seven notes of the tail whistle form the D major scale. This is one of the most common keys in Irish music, and if you are not planning to play in a band in the near future, this one key will last you a very long time. Recordings of tutorials and video lessons are also almost always recorded on re-shny whistles.
Soprano range - these are small pipes about 30 cm long, look for just such. There are also healthy pipes in the key of tenor D, this is a low whistle, and if you have no experience playing wind instruments, I do not advise buying it as a first instrument, although in principle you can start playing them too, it's just more difficult.
As far as makes and models go, you'll definitely like the Tony Dixon Traditional, Carey Parks (Ghost and Every models) or Susato (I especially recommend the Kildare V series Susato). If you have absolutely no money, you can take Clarke Sweetone (don't confuse with Clare), this is the best whistle you can get for such little money. Of the cheap ones, there are whistles from the Generation, Feadog, Walton, Clare, Oak brands, but you probably won’t like them (of course, you can run into a good whistle from these brands, but there is an opinion that it’s easier to win in the sports lotto). If you are not familiar with the methods of making wind instruments and you are holding a flute in your hands for the first time, you most likely will not be able to improve the characteristics of a low-quality whistle for the better ("tweak").

I want to buy whistle / low whistle. Where can you buy?
If possible, take it offline, so you can evaluate the quality of the tool before buying. If you live in Moscow or St. Petersburg - there is a small chance to find high whistles in ordinary music stores. The main office of the online store ta-musica.ru is located in Moscow, which sells various ethnic instruments, including whistles and low whistles, in Novosibirsk there is a similar online store dpshop.ru by Danila Panfilov. If these two stores do not have what you need, I advise you to purchase whistles directly from official sites or directly from the masters, avoid various intermediaries such as aliexpress and amazons. Here you will find many links to the websites of foreign manufacturers: http://whistle.jeffleff.com/makers.html . Russia also has its own masters. Alexander Karavaev makes good customizable metal whistles and low whistles https://vk.com/whistles_workshop, Anton Platonov, among other things, makes good plastic, plastic-metal low whistles, wooden high whistles https://vk.com/antplatru.

How to choose whistle? What to look for when choosing?
Read the Whistle Selection section

I want to buy a whistle, but I'm not sure of my abilities. Is it difficult to learn? Is it necessary to have a musical education? Where do you learn to play the whistle?
By itself, the whistle is a very simple instrument, and anyone, even a child, can master it at a basic level. Therefore, everyone can play easy, well-known melodies on the whistle. However, do not forget that most often the whistle is used to play Irish folk music, and this is a very deep and complex genre with many of its unique features, in which the possibilities and potential of the whistle are revealed to the fullest. From this follows the answer to your next question - in ordinary Russian music schools you can hardly meet a teacher who is well versed in the nuances of Irish folk music, you should not think that traditional whistle playing is no different from, for example, classical recorder playing. Specifically, the traditional whistle playing, at a serious level, is taught by very few enthusiastic musicians, conducting classes individually, often via Skype. However, do not lose heart - Irish music has been composed and played for centuries by people who have no musical education, and the tradition of studying it is almost entirely based on the perception of music by ear and attempts to repeat what they hear. All you need is a good instrument, access to traditional music (in this digital age, you won't have a problem with this), basic knowledge that can be obtained from self-help books, and a desire. Whistle is one of those instruments that you can successfully master on your own. The vast majority of whistlers have learned how to play on their own, and you will learn too.

How loud is the whistle?
Different models of whistles can vary greatly in volume. However, in general, the whistle is not a very loud instrument, so you probably won't have problems with your neighbors, especially if you refrain from playing at night. Pipers and saxophonists have a much harder time in this respect. If you still fear for the peace of the people around you, take a closer look at such models as Clarke Sweetone or Tony Dixon Trad, these are quite quiet instruments. Susato whistles, on the contrary, have a reputation for being loud (although there are nuances, for example, V-series whistles are quieter than the S-series). If you intend to perform on stage with a band, you will most likely need to use a microphone, otherwise you may not be heard over some instruments.

Is it possible to start immediately with a lowwhistle?
It is possible, but be careful. Don't take a huge low D right away, start with a low G. Be careful before ordering low whistles online - first find out the distance between the holes and figure out if it will suit you. Get ready for the fact that there will be problems with recording audio applications for textbooks - they are all recorded on re-shny instruments, so if you want to play along with them, you will have to change their key in audio editors.

Which hand closes the bottom three holes and which top three?
On whistles, it doesn't matter which hand you cover the bottom three holes with - left or right, but if you plan to switch to other wind instruments (Irish flute, transverse flute, recorder, bagpipe ...), keep in mind - these instruments are usually made for right-handers , for left-handers - only by special orders, so it is better to close the lower holes with your right hand, and the upper ones with your left.

Does the whistle require any special care?
If you suddenly took out a wooden whistle from somewhere, then yes, you need to wipe off the moisture after playing and soak the instrument with oil from time to time, just like in the case of other woodwinds - google for example how to care for a wooden recorder, all the same is true for wooden whistle. Some whistles (for example, Clarke Original) have a wooden block (fipple, fipple), the condition of which would also be better to monitor. With other materials (metal, plastic) no special, regular care is required, especially if you treat the instrument with care - do not leave it anywhere, wash your hands before playing, do not play after eating / smoking a cigarette. Whistles made of metal and plastic are usually simply washed from time to time with cool water. Try not to tempt fate by exposing the instrument to sudden changes in temperature. An interesting fact is that if you wet the whistle and the whistle body from the inside, the sound of the instrument will improve for a while. Don't overdo it, remember that water can soften the glue holding the fipple/whistle in place. Do not put plastic whistles in hot water, cheap plastic can change its shape. In general, keep a wooden instrument away from water and wipe the accumulated moisture dry after playing.

I bought a whistle in a non-standard key and I can't find any fingerings for it.
All whistles have the same fingering, whether you're holding a C-whistle, a D-whistle, or an E-low whistle, play it like you're holding a soprano re whistle. The only difficulty may arise when taking the note "natural C" for soprano-re-whistle and similar ones in other keys. These notes are famous for the fact that the fingerings for them can vary greatly from one whistle model to another.

What is the difference between high whistles and low whistles?
In size and as a result ranges - high whistles are soprano and mezzo-soprano, they are smaller, have a higher, louder sound, all lower ranges are low whistles, they are larger, have a lower, uterine sound. Lowwhistles are often used to play slower tunes such as airs. Due to the large distances between the playing holes, lowwhistles are held differently, the so-called piper grip - in which most of the holes are covered with the middle phalanges and not with the fingertips. As a rule, the low whistle has a higher air consumption and is generally more difficult to play.

When should you play C (natural C) and when should you play C# (C-sharp)?
In short, natural C is usually played in melodies written in the key of G major (one sharp with a treble clef on a stave). More strictly, natural C is played in melodies in A Dorian, G Ionian, Mi Aeolian, or Re Mixolydian natural modes. Melodies in other natural modes are more likely to be in C-Aeolian, A-Mixolydian, Mid-Dorian, or R-Ionic and will be played in C sharp. If you want more details, read the "Basics" section of the main whistle article or any book on music theory. About natural modes in Irish traditional music is well described in Gray Larsen's book "A Basic Course in Irish Flute and Tinwistle".

How to check on the tuner that the whistle is tuned correctly?
If your tuner (device or special program) does not explicitly show notes, but only outputs frequencies, then you can use frequency tables, for example, from the Wikipedia article "Octave System"
The lower octave of the whistle soprano D corresponds to the second octave, the upper - to the third octave. In low-whistles, the range is shifted to the first or second octave. Don't worry about small deviations (15-20 cents), this is acceptable.
By the way, knowing the frequencies of the notes of one octave, you can easily calculate the frequencies of the same notes in other octaves - for this it is enough to know that the frequency values ​​double when moving up an octave.

I checked with the tuner and noticed that my whistle is not building, what can I do?
If you have a whole whistle, only a tweak can help. If the whistle has a movable, detachable whistle, try moving it up and down. If you have a whistle with a plastic whistle that is attached and does not come off but is obviously separate from the body, you can try placing the whistle in warm water, soften the glue and move the whistle. Use this method at your own risk. The tone of the whistle can be affected by the ambient temperature, which again can be compensated by changing the position of the whistle.

Where can I find sheet music for whistle?
Notes for whistle are not fundamentally different from the notes of other wind instruments, the same recorder, however, there are special collections (whistlebooks, whistlebooks) of melodies (mostly Irish folk) for whistle, which may even contain fingering patterns for closing holes under each note for beginners. I advise you not to get used to these schemes and learn to read music. However, do not overdo it with this - the musical notation of folk music is not quite the same as the musical notation of classical works, folk performers perceive the musical notation of a melody not as the only true version of the melody, but as a kind of basis, starting point, from which you can build on and change the work according to their preferences (this is how variations of folk melodies arise). In the musical notation of folk music, ornaments are rarely recorded, because. each musician plays them as he wants and where he wants (moreover, there are not even well-established musical notations for cuts, strikes, rolls and some other ornaments because of their specificity). If possible, learn to read abc notation, folk music is often recorded and stored in this format.

What is overblow?
This is an increase in the force of the blown air jet to play the notes of the upper octave.

With a continuous increase in the strength of the blown jet, during the transition from the note of the lower octave to the note of the upper one, in the middle of the transition I hear an unpleasant overtone.
Many budget whistle models suffer from this. Try to play a note of the upper octave with an attack, skipping this unpleasant gap..

What is playing note with attack?
This is an articulation technique that allows you to play the beginning of a note more clearly. This is a slight movement of the tongue from which the process of blowing an air stream into the whistle begins, this movement is obtained, for example, by pronouncing the word “Tu” in a whisper.
A similar term in English is “Tonguing”

How to learn melodies?
Just like poetry - divide the melody into small fragments, memorize each separately and then combine them into one melody.