Eva M wrote: > How about the Shetland tune "Spootiskerry"--simple (practically > pentatonic), very rhythmic with lots of repitition. It's alot of fun > to play.....
Yes, I agree (that F# at the beginning of the B part really annoys me because apart from that note it IS pentatonic!), but it's not for the very first lesson. Quite often the people who come into the Beginners Whistle class have never played any musical instrument before, and my aim is to get them playing a decent tune in a very short time, so that they can look round at each other and say "Hey, we're actually playing music!" A couple of Irish polkas fit the bill, such as the one I posted, or "Egan's Polka" (if you miss out the high D in the B part). I keep thinking there must be a Scottish equivalent, a song air perhaps, which is perfect for the job - but WHAT IS IT? After a couple of years teaching beginners the whistle, I'm now re-thinking the whole course, and part of the plan is to start with a handful of the easiest notes to play (on the whistle that's D, E, G, A, and B), introducing the notes that take a little more skill gently and gradually (high D, C sharp, C natural, notes on the upper octave). -- Nigel Gatherer, Crieff, Scotland [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/gatherer/ Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music & Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
