tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-125016742011-12-21T15:19:28.748-05:00Learning to play the tin whistle, the simple-system wooden flute, and Irish traditional musicCraighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.comBlogger1461100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-5371450033201657532011-12-02T12:42:00.002-05:002011-12-02T12:47:58.363-05:00

Na Píobairí Uilleann introduces Pipe Up, a DVD-ROM tin whistle tutor. I don't know much about it, except that Claire Keville said nice things about it on one of her broadcasts.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-49203585071380876032011-07-07T16:44:00.002-04:002011-07-07T16:52:36.552-04:00

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-26169416977748817752010-04-06T13:43:00.001-04:002010-04-06T13:45:04.813-04:00

Here's a couple of jigs played on concertinas by Jacqui O’Connor and Aoife Neville which I enjoyed.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-5614166501372100602010-03-14T16:21:00.002-04:002010-03-14T16:24:09.722-04:00

Rick Steves interviewed Barry Foy, author of Field Guide to the Irish Music Session in the second half of his show on NPR this weekend. You can listen to the whole program online.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-81772275767128316122009-12-23T16:31:00.007-05:002009-12-23T16:48:15.263-05:00

Author and recording artist L.E. McCullough dropped by to tell me about his new web site. On it, you'll find his articles on the tin whistle, plus information about his recordings and writing.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-51722999676529686382009-12-23T16:31:00.004-05:002009-12-23T16:43:05.853-05:00

One John Ryan (hey, I know your polka...) contacted me to let me know about his new site, tinwhistlelessons.com. It contains both free content and content for sale. He's looking for feedback on the site, so feel free to contact him directly via the link on this page if you have comments on the site.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-83373950260614253322009-10-09T18:55:00.011-04:002009-10-10T17:10:38.054-04:00

Some people remember where they were the precise moment when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. Others, their first kiss. Me, I remember the precise time and location when I first heard Conal Ó Gráda's first album, The Top of Coom. Some very good musical recordings express their genius in a subtlety which takes repeated listening and a deep knowledge of the musical context of the album to truly

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-36549959777723152062009-08-04T22:36:00.003-04:002009-09-09T21:38:03.457-04:00

  Well, the highly coveted award for "Craig's favorite performance at the Dublin Irish Festival this year" goes to Killashandra. Killashandra, otherwise known as "Ted and Debbie," play their music in a way which is thoughtful and speaks volumes about the musicians. I think it is really music which could not be made by two people who had just met for the first time. At the same time, they have

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-24323391782637350662009-07-30T22:05:00.001-04:002009-07-30T22:06:24.001-04:00

Click the title to see where I'm planning to be this weekend.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-51904302142630640012009-06-15T17:55:00.006-04:002009-08-02T21:14:47.392-04:00

Since I haven't posted anything in forever and a day, here's a nice video of Dympna O’Sullivan and Joan Hanrahan playing a couple of jigs.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-53431359943428260922008-11-18T09:01:00.002-05:002008-11-18T09:57:10.477-05:00

Really, really cool: JMI: Journal of Music in Ireland today announced that it is unlocking its entire online archive. The resource, which can be accessed free at http://thejmi.com/archive, comprises the complete back-catalogue of the magazine and contains hundreds of articles, interviews, reviews and listings. The publishers of JMI believe the move will stimulate international interest in Irish

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-5037054351433784852008-05-19T14:34:00.003-04:002008-05-20T13:13:00.431-04:00

I am saddened to learn that concertina player, and widow of flute and whistle player Josie Hayes, Kitty Hayes died at home in Shanaway Miltown Malbay this past Saturday. Her friend, Peter Laban, has posted a heartfelt obituary. Here are some wonderful videos of Kitty and Peter playing together. They also recorded a well-reviewed CD together, and Kitty recorded a solo CD, as well.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-58304349472042351782008-04-15T16:43:00.000-04:002008-04-15T16:44:55.128-04:00

My teacher gave me a great tip about how to learn where to breathe: Learn the tune with a breath in every measure. Then you'll be able to take a breath whenever you need one, and you won't always do it in the same places, which makes the tune sound repetitive.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1877086573124465042008-04-06T14:34:00.005-04:002008-04-09T18:10:57.326-04:00

I've decided that I had better post more photos from the 2007 Dublin Irish Festival before the 2008 Festival rolls around! So here are some photos of Téada.It was raining cats and dogs when I pulled into the festival on Sunday afternoon. The police had shut the festival down because of the danger of lightning. They told me at the entrance that only "participants" (entertainers) were being

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-66500443262656933192008-02-11T17:02:00.001-05:002008-02-11T17:04:10.082-05:00

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-85147399767651688962008-02-01T17:19:00.000-05:002008-02-01T17:33:39.686-05:00

In case you wondered. But my home computer is. Lucky I can make music without a computer these days. Here are some folks who've linked to me recently: Mi amigo, Sergio Gonzalez, who plays flute and bouzouki on the Kells CD which I reviewed ages ago, has a new radio show, and a blog to go with it. If you're ever in Patagonia, check it out, or listen in online. Joel has a new flute/whistle blog.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-25644413813271873782007-10-28T15:23:00.000-04:002007-10-28T15:40:12.324-04:00

The photo above is the Columbus-based General Guinness Band playing at the 2007 Dublin Irish Festival. The members, from left to right, include guitarist Steve Steele, bodhrán player Tom Davis, vocalist James O'Shea, flute player Larry Dulin, plus fiddler Charlene Adzima, who is not, I believe, a regular member of the band, but who played with them during all of their Dublin Irish Festival shows

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-42291644633248932312007-10-19T11:45:00.000-04:002007-10-19T12:09:39.941-04:00

Those of us who can't make the commute to an actual kitchen in Co. Clare for tunes and dancing can content ourselves with Clare FM's ongoing series of programs, presented by Paula Carroll and recorded in the homes of music lovers around the county. I've said this before, but it bears repeating: Clare FM's trad archive is one of the best destinations for trad fans I've found on the Internet. They

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-74359089093781999662007-10-18T22:54:00.000-04:002007-10-19T10:42:07.290-04:00

  Well, it's been entirely too long since I've posted any photos from the 2007 Dublin Irish Festival, and since I took a bunch of pictures at the CCÉ show last night I'd better work on clearing the backlog. Niamh Parsons and Graham Dunne played a nighttime show in the pub on Saturday, mostly featuring songs from their latest album, The Old Simplicity. For recent comments and photos from Niamh,

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-27496107633972753742007-10-06T15:12:00.000-04:002007-10-19T10:43:20.315-04:00

Via the photoblog Ireland from a Polish perspective, here's a funny but slightly tragic film from TG4 about a Chinese man who spends six months learning Irish so that he can work in Ireland. It's full of great comic moments and worth five minutes of your time, I think.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-26531672158868091892007-09-25T09:05:00.000-04:002007-09-25T14:52:40.518-04:00

Some unrelated things on my mind today: I put my money where my mouth was and ordered a stack of CDs from the Tayberry Music going-out-of-business sale. Having received the CDs, I'll recommend it again. I got great CDs at bargain prices, they were friendly, shipped quickly, and they fixed a misshipment at their expense. I wish the owners a happy retirement! A while back I was having a problem

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-71463750924872167592007-09-10T21:24:00.000-04:002007-10-22T12:46:31.781-04:00

Folk music vendor Tayberry Music is going out of business, an they're selling their stock at 40% off. None of the prices on the site have been reduced, but they'll take the 40% off when they prepare your order for shipping. Update: The sale has now ended, because Compass Records just bought Tayberry.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-89167992643642953872007-09-05T09:10:00.000-04:002007-10-18T23:07:50.556-04:00

The Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann 2007 Echoes of Erin tour is coming to central Ohio! Look at the incredible list of performers — or, better still, listen to the incredible group of musicians on the Comhaltas site. I'm in awe. I haven't found a publicly-accessible link for the concert's Granville date, so here are the details:Granville, OHWednesday 17 October 2007, 7:00 p.m.Granville Schools

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-43518855616310911162007-08-28T11:00:00.000-04:002007-08-28T11:05:12.034-04:00

Here's hatao of the Japanese band Butter Dogs playing "The Foggy Dew" on an Overton bass G whistle.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-63704859232620254992007-08-28T10:20:00.000-04:002007-08-28T10:38:27.552-04:00

I mentioned a while back that I was learning "I Buried My Wife...," also known as "Frieze Britches," and listed some of the recordings I am using for study. Thanks to this Chiffboard thread I've found another: This spectacular recording of "Freeze Breeches" by Leo Rowsome. There are a number of other gems on the Juneberry archive of (allegedly, anyway) public domain Irish dance music recordings.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-80408335261497793492007-08-15T22:04:00.000-04:002007-08-15T22:44:04.353-04:00

I just learned this slow air from the playing of Matt Molloy. It's another great track from Heathery Breeze. It's a short, simple tune, and Molloy plays it in D, so it's easy to pick up. It's beautiful on both the flute and the whistle. I've seen it listed as a waltz, but I think it would be a mistake to play it that way, in spite of the time signature. Molloy's version really makes the most of

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-11175986336208751122007-08-14T12:51:00.000-04:002007-08-15T22:42:29.350-04:00

I like the reel Drowsy Maggie. It's easy to learn and fun to play. I learned it from Matt Molloy's recording on Heathery Breeze, and, as I see no reason to play any tune faster than Molloy, it usually sounds rushed to me when I hear it in a session. It's a beautiful tune played slowly, I think. Anyway, here are some good sources for the tune. Here's Séamus Ennis playing it on the pipes. He

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-74426339799550639422007-08-13T22:46:00.001-04:002007-10-19T10:42:34.539-04:00

Here are some photos from the Boys of the Lough performance at the 2007 Dublin Irish Festival. The photo above is from flute and whistle player Cathal McConnell's excellent, solo whistle rendition of Harvest Home. He played the tune three times, with increasingly complex variations. I recorded his performance of this tune and will post the recording if I can get his permission to do so. When he

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-6072243149031945762007-08-10T23:54:00.000-04:002007-08-11T00:24:08.647-04:00

Imagine a group which plays songs and tunes with the following combinations of instruments: Four bodhráns, plus vocals Three bodhráns plus a tin whistle Melody on guitar with accompaniment on a tin whistle Would you enjoy such a group? Well I've seen 'em, and they're fantastic. The Armagh Rhymers (no points for guessing where they live) are an on-stage manifestation of the mumming and wrenboy

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-63419316335269627272007-08-07T17:12:00.000-04:002007-08-07T17:25:16.120-04:00

Check this out: There's a new blog all about Kwela, called The Kwela Project. It features news, links, and more about the South African "pennywhistle jive."

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-61034679620946050772007-08-07T10:00:00.000-04:002007-08-07T10:13:23.312-04:00

CDs of unaccompanied music are, unfortunately, a small minority of releases these days. But here's a new one from flute player Peter Horan and fiddler Gerry Herrington. Writing in The Irish Times, Siobhán Long says this of the release: Horan wears his 81 years lightly, and what he might occasionally lack in lung-power, he more than compensates for in spirit and verve, particularly on the Donegal

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-34949060939645761432007-08-07T09:35:00.000-04:002007-08-07T09:57:45.651-04:00

First-rate flute player Harry Bradley is now offering flute lessons over the Internet, by exchanging MP3s. Interesting idea, as it opens the door to those who can't make it to Ireland to get lessons from Harry in person. It might at first seem like such lessons would be necessarily limited — the teacher won't be able to see your grip, embouchure, etc. But we're producing music, not visual art,

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-68631269241353513502007-08-03T13:08:00.000-04:002007-08-03T13:10:42.626-04:00

The Bodhrán: An instrument for people who can't afford a complete banjo.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-63465378315919051242007-08-01T10:38:00.000-04:002007-08-01T10:41:35.442-04:00

Wow, this is great: Kevin L. Rietmann is posting MP3s of old fiddle 78s almost daily. Mostly Michael Coleman so far. Thank you Kevin!

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-19770177072714175782007-05-30T12:19:00.000-04:002007-05-30T13:58:32.334-04:00

I don't know if this is great reading or not, but here are some tunes I'm learning right now and the recordings I'm using as references: Trip to Athlone (track 4 of Colm O'Donnell's Farewell to Evening Dances). O'Donnell plays it together with The Blackthorn Stick; the two sound great together. This one is hard for me to play on the flute since it goes from first-octave A to low D to

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-26699599172555878682007-05-29T11:59:00.000-04:002007-05-29T14:00:17.660-04:00

Are you (if you're a U.S. resident) a Netflix member? If so, you might be interested to know that Netflix has Come West Along the Road, one of RTÉ's DVD compilations of music recordings from its archives. Like a lot of compilations, it's a mixed bag. But there's some brilliant material on the DVD. There is (brief, unfortunately) footage of Frankie Kennedy, Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, and other Ó

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-36148888856599482472007-05-22T20:31:00.000-04:002007-05-29T14:31:25.098-04:00

Seems there's another Irish festival in town, somewhat smaller than that other one in Dublin. The Granville Irish Festival will feature local bands The Drowsy Lads (trad) and Homeland (rock), plus dancers from Scoil Rince Ní Chiara.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-19869986151067129522007-05-21T12:28:00.000-04:002007-05-21T13:01:58.095-04:00

I've just had a look at the 2007 Dublin Irish Festival entertainment lineup. Tucked in amongst the "Celtic rock," I found some pretty good reasons to attend, including the following out-of-town acts: Téada The Boys of the Lough Eileen Ivers There are also some local bands I like. My teacher's band, The Kells, who played a great house concert in April will be performing. Occasionally-local

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-34014943625804211552007-05-02T22:49:00.000-04:002007-05-02T23:52:12.424-04:00

Nova Scotian flute player Chris Norman came to the Ohio State University this past April as part of the Johnstone Woodwind Master Series in conjunction with the Central Ohio Flute Association. He and guitar player Andy Thurston played a rather unusual show on the night of 21 April. The first half was an informal concert featuring mostly traditional Scottish tunes, with some Irish, Cape Breton,

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-62715324995678492852007-04-04T21:51:00.000-04:002007-04-04T22:16:24.473-04:00

Some photos from a house concert featuring The Kells last month...

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-78623848694550223532007-03-19T09:44:00.000-04:002007-03-19T09:45:53.893-04:00

Here's a two-minute video about whistle maker John Sindt.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-78563219568717470072007-02-26T20:36:00.000-05:002007-02-26T20:42:44.045-05:00

Oidhreacht an Chláir, the Clare College for Traditional Studies, now has a CD shop. Check it out! Closer to Columbus, OH, those who like their Irish music without U2 covers or Michael Flatley would do well to see The Kells at a private house concert this coming Friday 9 March. My teacher will be playing the flute, whistle, and pipes.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-6599243697606434612007-02-19T20:02:00.000-05:002007-02-19T20:11:36.560-05:00

...while driving, anyway. The dangers of playing the whistle while driving are well-documented. But Vermont may actually ban it: Put down the flute and keep your eyes on the road.[...]Vermont lawmakers are considering a measure that would ban eating, drinking, smoking, reading, writing, personal grooming, playing an instrument, “interacting with pets or cargo,” talking on a cell phone or using

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-52359413811148296402007-01-31T17:57:00.000-05:002007-01-31T18:01:15.858-05:00

You can hear two tracks from Harry Bradley's new album, The Night-Rambler’s Companion, on his MySpace page.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-47153963603642790532007-01-08T11:41:00.000-05:002007-01-08T11:43:36.016-05:00

The Tannahill Weavers are taking requests for which tunes and songs they'll play on their next tour. Their blog is worthwhile, too, since it features "Roy's Joke of the Week.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-8226728165862404872006-12-22T00:13:00.000-05:002006-12-24T00:32:24.557-05:00

OK, no Irish or Scottish content here whatsoever, but I saw a really memorable performance a few weeks back. CityMusic brought the Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir to Columbus earlier this month. I first encountered this group's recordings in college, shortly after they were released. The singing is just astonishing: Filled with six part harmonies, noises, talking, pitch bending,

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-19173174851119642202006-12-05T23:18:00.000-05:002006-12-05T23:33:11.147-05:00

I'd like to express my deep gratitude to a member of the Columbus slow sessions email list who directed my attention to the Riley School of Irish Music tunes page, where I found a slow recording of the beautiful slip jig The Snowy Path. The slow recording makes the tune almost trivial to pick up by ear; just start on F# and play in D major and if you know the tune at all you'll have it in no time

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-34951762796015977442006-12-01T20:53:00.000-05:002006-12-01T20:57:25.139-05:00

I've been quietly following Whistle This! for a while, and now I've gone and uploaded a tune. I really like the idea of the site; sharing tunes is fundamentally more interesting to me than talking about them. So even though I'm quite new to the instrument I'll be uploading more tunes in the future and listening carefully to what others post there.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-12609831861778348792006-09-23T23:29:00.000-04:002006-10-12T23:14:56.256-04:00

This past August I caught Mick Moloney's band Green Fields of America at the 2006 Dublin Irish Festival. The announcer noted that when the festival began 19 years ago and was held in a tennis court, there was only one band the first year: Green Fields of America. This year the festival spanned several acres and attracted 80,000+ people, plus many well-known bands, and once again Green Fields of

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-72993616064442354252006-09-18T22:59:00.000-04:002006-09-18T23:18:58.367-04:00

From time to time, one or two sentences will change the way I approach this instrument and this music. Here's an example, written by Peter Laban: Complaining your C's are out of tune on the whistle is a bit like a beginning fiddleplayer complaining his notes are off when he puts down his fingers. This is not a fixed pitch instrument, it's, for a good part at least, your job to play in tune.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-84451061220896793542006-09-03T22:42:00.000-04:002006-09-03T22:47:57.738-04:00

I'm updating this site to the new Blogger beta version, so you'll see some new features like labels ("tags") appearing on the posts. I'll be going back through my old posts and tagging them to create an index to topics I've discussed. But the new Blogger is really different than the old version, so if you see odd formatting and other problems over the next few weeks, please be patient while I get

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-72933139112417197132006-08-30T08:18:00.000-04:002006-08-30T10:36:58.699-04:00

Google is now offering PDF downloads of the full text of public domain books via their book search service. I did a few quick queries and found some old books of Irish and Scottish music, such as The Poems and Poetry of Munster: A Selection of Irish Songs (in English and Irish) and The Complete Works of Robert Burns.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-40745302315320581922006-08-24T20:48:00.000-04:002006-08-24T20:58:15.422-04:00

Courtesy of Mike Reagan, here's L.E. McCullough's presentation from the 2006 Northeast Whistle Gathering, called "Six Ways to Break Out of Being a Beginning Whistle Player – OR – How I Became L.E. McCullough (not that you would want this to happen to you or a loved one)." It's in Microsoft Word format, but you can get a free Word viewer from Microsoft if you don't own that program. If you've been

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1155258113883069542006-08-10T20:56:00.000-04:002006-08-10T21:01:53.896-04:00

A forest of Burke whistles at the 2006 Dublin Irish Festival.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1153514774415507532006-08-03T17:34:00.000-04:002006-08-03T17:04:51.543-04:00

The other day I got the Jig of Slurs stuck in my head and I wanted to try and work it out by ear. Now I find two general things challenging in the area of ear learning. One is learning the tune well enough that I don't get confused about it when I make mistakes trying to play it. The second is figuring out where to start. The second problem generally involves a good bit of trial and error for me,

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1153148909134476842006-07-17T00:04:00.000-04:002006-07-17T11:10:23.596-04:00

Here are two recordings and a photo of Séamus Ennis, courtesy of Alan Lomax and the Library of Congress.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1152829351508592732006-07-13T18:03:00.000-04:002006-07-17T11:13:06.433-04:00

No, that's not a typo in the title. I'm going to propose a unified theory of session suckage. Let's consider a list of things people complain about / forbid / write guides to discourage doing at sessions: Use of sheet music "Noodling," and other efforts to play an unfamiliar tune during the session Guitars, recorders, and other "non-traditional" instruments People who start too many tunes People

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1152558819241292172006-07-10T13:57:00.000-04:002006-07-10T15:13:39.290-04:00

Here are some things which caught my attention this past week: Donate to breast cancer research and maybe win a whistle. I sent in a donation, and I hope others do, too. The Shamrock Club of Columbus is having their annual Irish Music & Arts Festival this coming weekend, 14 and 15 July, promising "Irish music, art, dancing and food in a family setting." Performers include The Kells (my teacher's

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1152067830192567202006-07-04T22:28:00.000-04:002006-07-06T10:04:30.730-04:00

I was at a session a few weeks ago and noticed another whistle player playing the first part of Morrison's Jig by just lifting fingers two and three of his top hand, while keeping the first two fingers of his bottom hand down nearly all the time (except for the A-F#-E or G). I tried it, and it made the tune really easy to play. I've been experimenting with Brother Steve's suggestions on "not

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1151602776922946232006-06-29T12:15:00.000-04:002006-06-29T13:39:36.966-04:00

A good quote from a friend of Brad Hurley, related by Brad on the Chiff and Fipple flute forum: ...playing good tunes too fast is "like roller-skating through the Louvre." Isn't that the truth? I love Altan, but sometimes they play stuff incredibly fast. For example, I much prefer Matt Molloy's version of Drowsy Maggie to Altan's, mostly because of the more relaxed pace in Malloy's recording. (

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1150141268649224622006-06-12T15:39:00.000-04:002006-06-12T15:41:08.660-04:00

File this under "non-traditional." (Link goes to embedded video.)

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1149862044283174552006-06-09T10:05:00.000-04:002006-06-09T10:07:24.316-04:00

This seems like a decent answer.It is impossible to give a simple definition of the term. Different people use it to mean different things; the music shares characteristics with other popular and with classical music; and, as traditional culture changes, traditional music changes also, showing varying features at varying times.Irish traditional music does however have some generally agreed

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1148672384019813532006-05-26T15:27:00.000-04:002006-05-26T15:39:44.020-04:00

People tend to discuss the speed at which they play dance music quite a bit, but lately I've been thinking about the speed at which I can listen. Before I started learning to play the whistle a lot of dance music sounded like a blur to me. It was too fast for my mind to follow. Learning about different rhythm types helped a lot since I could follow the structure of the tune. So did counting reels

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1148328921573619892006-05-22T16:05:00.000-04:002006-05-22T16:18:35.900-04:00

When I started learning to play the whistle I chose tunes based on what other people I knew were playing and which tunes I liked at the moment. But lately I've been using a different strategy, with great results. Ever hear of an earworm? It's just a word for songs which get "stuck in your head." Not surprisingly, this started happening with tunes as I started listening to more and more Irish and

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1147287192614340202006-05-10T14:43:00.000-04:002006-05-10T14:55:18.556-04:00

The Dublin Irish festival is, I think, the best ITM entertainment value in the midwest U.S. It's simply amazing how many great bands you get to see for eight bucks a day, when you'd have to pay several times that amount to see any of these groups individually. I also got to interview Colin Melville of the Tannahill Weavers. Here's my roundup of posts on last year's festival, for those who

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1146532412270654162006-05-06T21:05:00.000-04:002006-05-06T21:06:34.340-04:00

I mentioned earlier that Bardic Circle is a beginner-friendly session. Here's a shining example: Larry Shicks, one of the guys from that session, showed up one day and told me he'd made me a whistle. So I bought him a pint, which seemed like a good way to say thank you. That's it on the right, and there's a close-up of the fipple at the end of this post. Click on the pictures to enlarge them. The

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1146165800371162022006-04-27T15:12:00.000-04:002006-04-28T15:15:56.643-04:00

One of the things I like about learning to play the tin whistle and Irish and Scottish music is that my constant need to memorize new tunes (and songs, as I like to sing) is giving me a real mental workout. My day job also requires me to remember large amounts of information, but memorizing tunes seems to work a different part of the brain. Research indicates that "mental exercise" can reverse

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1145995642289034742006-04-25T15:55:00.000-04:002006-04-26T13:39:41.580-04:00

I went to a new (for me) session yesterday. It's a slow session, and very different from Bardic Circle, the other session I attend. Bardic Circle started life as a beginner's session and is still very beginner-friendly, but many if not most of the regulars have now been playing together for several years, have a pretty wide repertoire, and the tunes are not generally played slowly. I spend most

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1144698134266041332006-04-10T15:32:00.000-04:002006-08-16T09:06:49.076-04:00

I've been experimenting with putting my right (bottom) hand pinkie finger on the bottom of the whistle, below the bottom hole. My teacher had recommended that I do this ages ago, but it never felt natural, and putting my third finger down on the bottom hole when I play a C♯ (or sometimes B, etc.) always seemed to work well enough. Until The Atholl Highlanders. Playing A-c♯-e repeatedly is just a

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1143728785699342822006-03-30T09:23:00.000-05:002006-04-13T16:21:21.900-04:00

Some sad news from IRTRAD-L: Francie Mooney (Proinsias Ó Maonaigh), died last night (Tuesday 28th March) at 8pm in his home in Cois Cladaigh, Gaoth Dobhair, Donegal. Husband to Kitty, father to Mairéad, Gearóid and Anna, a teacher, writer, footballer, actor and musician. A warm and wise man, generous with his knowledge and music. He was a teacher and inspiration to very many musicians and singers

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1142608654557625492006-03-17T10:07:00.001-05:002006-03-17T10:24:46.030-05:00

Here are some links to free, streaming radio programs featuring Irish music: Fiddler Liz Carroll interviewed by NPR's Melissa Block. She doesn't play a lot, but she does demonstrate a couple of fiddle ornamentations. Available in Real or Windows Media formats. Clare FM has some music shows througout the week (Windows Media format) and, better still, downloadable MP3s of their trad programs. RTÉ

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1142471250626227572006-03-15T20:04:00.000-05:002006-03-15T20:08:29.563-05:00

Alan Ng has been plotting the frequency of tune rhythms recorded each decade: Click the image to access his full report which includes the top ten tunes per decade and more.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1142016616482075132006-03-10T13:41:00.000-05:002006-03-10T13:50:16.526-05:00

I found this Chiffboard post and the discussion that followed worthwhile. It began with the following quote from Willie Clancy: Get a grasp of the Gaelic tongue and develop a love for it. Go to the Gaeltacht and the old people who have it and learn it. I feel that a knowledge of our language is essential if you are to express the true spirit of our music and, as the saying goes, "Don't settle

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1141938618951276572006-03-09T16:07:00.000-05:002006-03-09T16:10:18.966-05:00

Did you buy "Live from Dublin" by the Chieftains? If so then their label owes you a new CD and possibly some cash.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1141233871839402112006-03-01T10:39:00.000-05:002006-03-01T12:30:51.953-05:00

Every time I play this tune I ask what I've gotten myself into. With four parts, and some tricky fingerings, it's the hardest tune I play right now. That it lends itself well to speed doesn't help matters much. My teacher says it's a good tune for me to practice as it will help me clean up note transitions which involve moving most or all of my fingers at once, since there are a lot of those in

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1140145558478441552006-02-16T22:00:00.000-05:002006-02-16T22:11:17.590-05:00

I've been working on cleaning up the transitions between notes, especially when lots of fingers are involved, e.g., low B to high D. One thing I've noticed which really hurts this transition is allowing the fingers on my left and right hands to "float" at different distances from the whistle when I play the B. In other words, if my left hand middle and ring fingers are a half inch from the tone

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1138395444260388122006-01-27T14:36:00.000-05:002006-01-27T16:12:16.880-05:00

I've been doing some research on the origin and use of the words "pennywhistle" and "tin whistle." It seems that usage was uncommon until the 20th century. Robert Clarke began selling his instruments around 1843, but his company was advertising them as "Clarke London Flageolets" or "Clarke Flageolets" in 1900. I checked some early 20th century reference books, and neither the dictionary nor the

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1138113694681477802006-01-24T07:52:00.000-05:002006-01-24T09:41:34.710-05:00

I found a Grey Larsen article online, Advice for Flute and Whistle Players on Finding Good Places to Breathe in Irish Dance Tunes [PDF], which covers some of the same material I discussed in my comments on breathing as ornamentation in more detail: Players of instruments other than flute and whistle may want to bear in mind that although they can, and often do, play in a non-stop manner, their

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1120080041805243892006-01-23T12:09:00.000-05:002006-01-23T14:48:25.326-05:00

The Contenders The Hoover Whitecaps The Hoover Whitecap is a line of replacement fipples handmade by Mack Hoover, which sell for about $25 each. They're available in "quiet" and "regular" varieties. Pictured at right are both variations. The "regular" model, mounted on the whistle in the photo, has a somewhat larger window than the "quiet" model. The Blu-Tac™ Tweak For this tweak, make a small

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1136986136383603052006-01-11T08:24:00.000-05:002006-01-11T08:28:56.400-05:00

Whistlesmith Daniel Bingamon is hosting a raffle for the Porcupine Health Clinic, the only independent Indian community-controlled health clinic in the US, on his site. Your donations to a good cause can win you a good whistle!

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1136919586154227002006-01-10T13:58:00.000-05:002006-01-10T13:59:46.180-05:00

I just wrote a Wikipedia article about Frankie Kennedy, the late cofounder of Altan.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1135197858237922242005-12-21T12:31:00.000-05:002005-12-21T15:44:18.250-05:00

A few weeks back my teacher said I should learn a new tune, but that I should pick something other than a jig since my current repertoire leans heavily towards jigs. After considering a number of reels, I chose John Ryan's Polka, mostly because I didn't really get polkas. I have a hard time recognizing polkas, much less playing them right. The 2/4 time signature sounds a lot like the 2/2 of a

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1134489980689460872005-12-13T23:16:00.000-05:002005-12-18T20:01:57.956-05:00

Kwela is a genre of music created in South Africa in the 1950s, and characterized by an upbeat, jazzy pennywhistle lead. The name is a Zulu word for "get up," and the police vans which patrolled South African townships during the Apartheid era were slangily known as "kwela kwela vans." It seems that folks who ran illegal gambling games on the streets of the townships sometimes used kwela bands as

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1133979105888906162005-12-10T22:07:00.000-05:002005-12-10T22:36:55.980-05:00

This site has been around for some time, but it's new to me. It links MP3s posted by various bands — mostly smaller groups — and includes a short blurb about each band and information on where to buy their CDs if you like what you hear. All linked downloads are legal. For some reason they don't link their Atom feed, but it's here if you'd like to subscribe.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1133975318021457682005-12-07T12:08:00.000-05:002005-12-07T12:53:38.543-05:00

This will be a somewhat unusual record review. First things first: I like The Chieftains. They're a great band and seem to be fine people. "Live from Dublin" is a tribute to Derek Bell, their long-time harpist and all-around interesting guy. But I'm not going to buy it, because their record label, Sony, chose to include software which is not beneficial to people who legally own the CD, behaves

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1133755664132163722005-12-04T22:39:00.000-05:002005-12-06T14:27:41.626-05:00

I was in Santa Fe, NM, a week ago for my brother's wedding, so while there I tried, without any luck, to find a session to sit in with. The closest thing I found was Celtic de Santa Fe, a dance school; the owner gave me the name of a local musician she knew, but by then it was Thanksgiving and I had to give up. But I did manage to practice a little. I was playing really badly, and at first I

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1133299898419984192005-11-29T15:48:00.000-05:002005-11-29T16:31:38.470-05:00

When I was at the Aptos, CA session last week someone started a polka. The name of the tune was "somebody Ryan's"; I think it might have been Peg Ryan's. I half-jokingly asked if "she" was related to John Ryan, at which point folks decided to play that tune as well. I've just learned the tune and wanted to play along, but the session was playing it about three times faster than I could manage.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1131981635580724772005-11-14T09:52:00.000-05:002005-11-16T16:28:14.196-05:00

I'm in Scotts Valley, CA for a week to meet with some folks at Borland, and as I had a free day yesterday I decided to look for a session. It turns out that there are quite a few sessions in the Santa Cruz area but the only one I could make during my trip was the second Sunday slow/intermediate session meeting at the Britannia Arms Pub in Aptos. Like the session I attend in Columbus, it was very

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1131508534815879542005-11-09T07:00:00.000-05:002005-11-30T12:01:03.273-05:00

My wife, who knits, and loves me, suggested that a knitting needle case might work very well for storing whistles. I purchased one from Joann Fabrics. It has enough pockets to hold three or four metal whistles, but probably wouldn't fit wood or plastic whistles. The slots in the case are also too small for anything pitched lower than soprano D. It also holds my tuner, extra fipples, and

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1131503509790188562005-11-08T21:29:00.000-05:002005-11-08T21:33:13.936-05:00

A snapshot from a pumpkin-picking trip.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1130871284471035342005-11-01T12:06:00.000-05:002005-11-01T19:51:52.216-05:00

At my last lesson my teacher asked me, "Do you [when not playing] think a lot about breathing?" I told him that yes, I do. Ornamentation semantics We talked for a while about the "breathing as ornamentation" idea expressed in that post. He both agreed and disagreed, the distinction being how you define "ornamentation." I could say that ornamentation means: Any conscious modification of a tune or

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1130775053859908372005-10-31T11:05:00.000-05:002005-10-31T11:11:03.850-05:00

I am simply in awe.

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1130035507810611512005-10-22T22:13:00.000-04:002005-10-24T12:44:07.356-04:00

Although my daughter has excellent musical taste, we do from time to time buy or borrow so-called "children's music." And although a great deal of it is, well, horrible, and never gets played again after the first listening, there are exceptions. So the other day my wife tells me that she's picked up a Winnie-the-Pooh CD at the library with some tin whistle on a couple tracks, and our daughter

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1129734507590890522005-10-19T11:30:00.000-04:002005-10-19T11:08:27.600-04:00

Changing how I tap my foot turns out to be extremely difficult! It's hard to think about that and whistle at the same time, so I've been doing it while humming or listening to CDs. I also worked on this when I went to my local session last week (at least, when I wasn't playing). Someone later told me that I looked like I was really concentrating.... I can sorta do it for the first part of the

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1129079408622618642005-10-11T21:03:00.000-04:002005-10-11T21:10:22.966-04:00

The calendar you've always wanted but have never thought to ask for is now on sale. But the effort did not come without certain technical difficulties: Following the success of the previous two years (the 2004 nude accordion calendar "Pulling Out All The Stops" and the 2005 nude guitar calendar "No Strings Attached"), the Folk Arts Council Board decided that in 2006 we should buff up with

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1128451390483162272005-10-04T12:11:00.000-04:002005-10-04T14:43:10.516-04:00

For the last three weeks I've been trying to avoid learning anything new. More precisely, I've been practicing the tunes I've learned thus far, focusing on performance. My renditions of several of the tunes had become a bit sloppy, and my teacher asked me to focus my practice on playing the tunes well rather than new tunes or techniques. It was timely advice. One of the things I noticed when I

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1128218907252428782005-10-01T22:05:00.000-04:002005-10-01T22:47:35.453-04:00

This is a small thing, but it makes a big difference for me: Since I have a full-time job and a family, I tend to practice in the evening. Sometimes night. But I've found it's really worth the effort to practice as early as I can. 8:00 or 9:00 at night is fine. But at 10:00 or later I'm really too tired to focus. Practice is much more satisfying when I'm not too tired to concentrate. Similarly, I

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1127480096498119072005-09-23T07:29:00.000-04:002005-09-23T09:22:32.123-04:00

When I reviewed Cherish the Ladies's show at the 2005 Dublin Irish Festival a while back, I raved about their new vocalist (and bodhrán player), Heidi Talbot. Unfortunately, the only CTL CD she's appeared on thus far has been On Christmas Night, and I've had a permanent nervous reaction to Christmas Carols due to overexposure to Muzak when I worked in a grocery store in high school (the drugs and

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1127317915732416982005-09-21T12:00:00.000-04:002005-09-21T11:53:36.933-04:00

For me, learning how to breathe without breaking the rhythm of a tune is not easy. I've written about this before, but in the months since I wrote that post I've changed my conclusions. Breathing as Ornamentation I've explicitly discarded an assumption which I didn't write about at the time and might not even have been conscious of when I wrote the previous post. As a beginner, my instinct was to

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12501674.post-1126811472173462582005-09-15T15:00:00.000-04:002005-09-15T15:17:26.080-04:00

The Open Directory is a community effort to build the world's largest human-edited Web directory. The tin whistle category was pretty badly out of date, so I volunteered to edit it, and my application was accepted yesterday. I've just started working, and it will take me a while to get everything in order, but I have managed to go through the backlog of submissions and publish those which fit the

Craighttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02430615130349705538noreply@blogger.com2