Sample Pages :

Introduction – About this tutor- The Irish whistle

Part One

Beginning the Whistle

Holding the whistle – Blowing the whistle – Blowing your first notes – Left hand notes – The note B – Exercise 1 – Left hand notes – continued – The note A – The note G – Exercise 2 – Song : Mary Had a Little Lamb

Unit 2 : Right Hand Notes

Song : Hot Cross Buns – Song: Oranges and Lemons

Unit 3 : The Second Octave

Exercise 1- Exercise 2 – Exercise 3- Song: Au Clair de la Lune

Unit 4 – Scales

1 Scale of D – 2 Scale of G – Tunes using the new note – Good King Wenceslas

Unit 5 – Rhythm, Articulation & Breathing

Playing Irish music on the whistle – rhythm, tonguing and breathing-

Rhythm – Rhythm exercise 1 – Rhythm exercise 2- Rhythm exercise 3 – Tonguing – Tonguing exercise 1 – Tonguing Exercise 2 – Tonguing Exercise 3 – Song : Courtin’ in the Kitchen – Song – Mairi’s Wedding- Song : The Bog Down in the Valley – Song : Cockles and Mussels – Breathing – Breathing after long notes- Making breath spaces – Some More Tunes

Unit 6 – Putting it together 1

Time! –  Practicing – Attitude

Part Two

Unit 7 – Irish Traditional Music

Simple system – Combining elements – The Basics – Rhythm – Types of tunes- The structure of the tunes – Ornamentation structure and rhythm – The Details – Making choices – Fast tempo – Ornamentation

Unit 8 – Listening to Irish Music

Listening – Why is listening so important? – What to listen fo r- Instrumentation- Repertoire – Style and technique – Building familiarity – Some players and recordings

Unit 9 – The Jig

Rhythm and tempo – Some jigs – Note Accent and Articulation – Jig Rhythm 1 – Basic Jig Accent – Some More Rhythmic Exercises – Jig Rhythm 2 – Accent on the off-beat – Articulating the off-beat in jigs – Placing the off-beat in jigs – Note Accent in Jigs – More Examples – Phrasing –  Breathing at phrase ends – “Overflowing” phrases – breathing after phrase ends – Breathing and Phrasing – More Examples

Unit 10 – The Hornpipe

Rhythm and Tempo – Some hornpipes – Accent and articulation – Hornpipe Rhythm 1 – Basic Hornpipe Accent – Hornpipe Rhythm 2 – Accent on the off-beat – Placing the off-beat in hornpipes – Note Accent in Hornpipes – More Examples – Phrasing and breathing

Unit 11 – The Reel

Rhythm and Tempo – Some Reels – Accent & Articulation – Reel Rhythm 1 – Basic Reel Accent – Reel Rhythm 2 – Accent on the Off-beat – Placing the off-beat in reels – Note Accent in Reels – More Examples – Phrasing and Breathing – Breathing at long notes and phrase ends – Removing notes in reels – Phrasing and Breathing – More Examples

Unit 12 – Ornamentation

Ornamentation 1 – The Cut

Fingering Chart – Cuts – Use of the Cut – The Cut in Jigs – The Cut in Hornpipes- The Cut in Reels

Ornamentation 2 – The Tap

The Tap – Fingering Chart – Use of the Tap – The Tap in Jigs – The Tap in Hornpipes – The Tap in Reels

Ornamentation 3 – The Slide

The Slide – Fingering Chart – The Slide – Fingering Chart (continued) – Use of the Slide – The Slide in Hornpipes – The Slide in Jigs – The Slide in Reels

Ornamentation 4 – The Roll

Fingering chart – Rolls – Use of the Roll – The Roll – Accent and Articulation – G Rol – F Roll – E Roll – A Roll – B Roll – The Roll in Reels – The Roll in Jigs – The Roll in Hornpipes

Ornamentation 5 – The Short Roll

Fingering chart – Short Rolls – Use of the Short Roll – G Short Roll – F Short Roll – E Short Roll – B Short Roll – A Short Roll – The Short Roll in Reels – The Short Roll in Jigs – The Short roll in Hornpipes – The Short Roll in Hornpipes

Ornamentation 6 – The Triplet

The Triplet – Notation and Fingering – Use of the Triplet – FED Triplets on D – The Triplet in Reels – The Triplet in Jigs – The Triplet in Hornpipes

Ornamentation 7 – The Bounce

The Bounce – Fingering Chart – Use of the Bounce – The Bounce in Reels – The Bounce in Jigs – The Bounce in Hornpipes

Ornamentation 8 – The Cran

The Cran – Notation and Fingering – Use of the Cran – The Cran in Reels – The Cran in Jigs

Ornamentation 9 – Combining Ornaments

Tap & Cut – Slide and Cut – Slide and Roll – Tap and Roll

Ornamentation 10 – Staccato Triplets

Ornamentation 11 – Summary

Unit 13 – Other tunes

Polka – Slide – Slip Jig – Set Dance – Barn Dance

Unit 14 – Playing in different keys

Half-holing – Cross-fingering – Whistles in Different Keys

Unit 15 – Playing Irish Music

Repertoire – Choosing your repertoire – Style – Staccato vs legato styles – “Lift” and “swing”- Other stylistic choices – Conscious Choices – Learning by Ear – Advantages of learning by ear – How to learn by ear – Using Sheet Music – Playing in public – Sessions – Sourcing music – Comhaltas Live – Na Píobairí Uilleann Source – ITMA Digital Library

Unit 16 – Putting It Together 2

Learning and playing tunes – Practising

Unit 17 – Tunes

The Haunted House – The Rose in the Heather – The Killavil Jig – The Ship in Full Sail – Saddle the Pony – The Humours of Glendart – Out on the Ocean – The Leitrim Jig – The Frost is all Over – The Rambling Pitchfork – Pay the Reckoning – Club Céilí – The Battering Ram – The Blackthorn Stick – The Mist on the Meadow – The Monaghan Jig – The Skylark – The Ashplant – Jackie Coleman’s – Ships are Sailing – Sheehan’s – Over the Moor to Maggie – The Heather Breeze – Lady Ann Montgomery – The Teetotaller – Saint Anne’s – The Cup of Tea – The Silver Spear – The Humours of Tulla – The Green Mountain – Miss Monaghan – Sean Reid’s – The Wind that Shakes the Barley – Micho Russell’s – The Earl’s Chair – The Galway Rambler – The Home Ruler – Kitty’s  Wedding -Boys of Bluehill

Appendix 1 – Troubleshooting

Sound – Tuning – Rhythm and tempo – Learning tunes – Ornamentation

Appendix 2 – Reading Music

Music Notation  – Basics – Notes and the Staff – Key Signatures – Note Values

Appendix 3 – Bibliography

Appendix 4 – Tracklist

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The following tunes are included in the tutor. Part 1 (Units 1-7) contains easier tunes such as children’s songs and Irish folk songs, aimed at introducing you to the whistle. Irish traditional music itself is covered from Unit 8 onwards (pages 49-286)

Part 1

Children’s Tunes

Irish Folk Songs

Part 2

Tunes used as examples

Jigs

Hornpipes

Reels

Other Tunes

Tune Collection

The following tunes feature in the tune collection at the end of the book, are presented with ornamentation, and played at a moderate pace on the recordings.

Jigs

Reels

Hornpipes

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