First Lessons Tin Whistle

The tin whistle has an alluring voice — yearning, melancholy, joyous, playful — both youthful and ancient. Its music can sound like wind, birdsong, flowing water. With this book, you can learn to make beautiful whistle music: • even if you’ve never played a musical instrument • even if you don’t read music • no matter how young or old you are First Lessons® Tin Whistle is for beginners and for those who have tried to play the whistle (also known as a pennywhistle) but need more help. This book leaves no stone unturned, offering valuable insights and detailed instruction you won’t find anywhere else — expert guidance that will smooth your way and steer you clear of the pitfalls newcomers often encounter. In addition to music notation, this book offers two highly accessible alternatives: • A much-improved tablature system • Suit Code — a new and inventive fingering shorthand using the suits of the deck of cards With this book you’ll get: • Access to audio and video downloads • 23 tunes from Irish, Scottish, Northumbrian, Welsh, English, Breton and African American traditions, along with melodies from Beethoven and Dvorák • An introduction to Irish tin whistle ornamentation Grey Larsen is a master musician who performs and teaches internationally. He has played the whistle since the 1970’s and has written nine books, including the best-seller The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle. The author recommends using a tin whistle in the key of D with this book.

CONTENTS

• Making the Best Use of This Book
• Further Offerings
• What Is a Tin Whistle?
• Acquiring a Tin Whistle
• Anatomy of the Tin Whistle
• Let?s Make Some Sound
• Whistle-Friendly Notes and Scales
• The Names of the Notes
• The Relaxed Whistle Hold
• Why Use the Left Hand as the Top Hand?
• Seven Steps to Finding Your Personal Whistle Hold
• Alternatives to the Bottom Hand Pinky Anchor Point
• Training Your Bottom Hand Pinky Using a Rubber Band
• Resting Position for the Fingers, and Economy of Motion
• Tin Whistle Embouchure
• Clearing the Windway
• Breathing and Posture
• Tuning the Whistle
• Using Your Tongue
• Conjunct and Disjunct Tonguing: Connected and Disconnected Notes
• Tonguing a Low-Register Cs
• Exploring Air Speed and Pressure
• Try Disjunct Tonguing
• Try Conjunct Tonguing
• Playing a Low-Register B
• Exploring the Extreme Low End of the Air Speed Range
• Exploring the Extreme High End of the Air Speed Range
• How Do We Increase Air Speed?
• Vibrato
• Two Groups of Three Holes, and the Fingering Patterns We Use
• Suit Code: A New Shorthand for Tin Whistle Fingerings
• Hot Cross Buns, in A major
• Minimizing Finger Movement
• Why Is It So Important to Memorize Fingerings and Note Names?
• Merrily We Roll Along, in Two Keys
• Finding and Sealing Finger Hole Air Leaks
• Feel the Buzz
• Hot Cross Buns, in G major
• Tin Whistle Tablature
• Shady Hollow
• Learn Your Fingerings by Heart
• Practicing
• Lonely Island
• Introducing High-Register Notes
• Lonely Peaks and Valleys
• Introducing Bottom Hand Fingering with the Note Fs
• Adding Standard Music Notation and Introducing Slurs
• Smooth Sailing
• Found a Penny on the Road
• Introducing the Note E
• An Dro
• Introducing the Note D
• Two Fingerings for High D
• Largo from Dvor k?s Ninth Symphony
• The Spade, At Last
• A Deeper Look at Tuning the Whistle
• Moving Groups of Fingers, and ?Crossing the Break?
• Introducing the Note Cn
• Joy to the World
• Ode to Joy
• Using the Two High D Fingerings
• A Fingering Chart
• The Londonderry Air/Danny Boy
• Letting Go of Suit Code
• Bonnie at Morn
• Letting Go of Tablature
• Morning Has Broken
• Amazing Grace
• Scarborough Fair
• Simple Gifts
• All the Pretty Little Horses
• An Introduction to Irish Tin Whistle and Flute Ornamentation
• We Shall Overcome
• Star of the County Down
• The High Caul Cap
• The Leitrim Fancy
• Collections of Easy Tunes for Tin Whistle and Irish Flute
• Continuing Your Journey