I once saw Cathal McConnell at at concert playing two pennywhistles at the same time. He taped them together, and taped over the first three holes on one of them. He harmonized them beautifully, and it sounded really nice. Does anyone here know how to do that, or know of a website explaining how?
Try it for yourself. I don't claim to be able to do it as expertly as Mr. McConnell, but it is not difficult to get pleasing effects with two whistles simultaneously.
Having taped up the top three holes of one of the whistles (I have never seen Cathal tape the two whistles *together*, but I imagine this would help to avoid dropping one of them whilst playing.), you can start just by playing the tune as if you were playing one whistle - right hand on the bottom three holes of the 'taped-up' whistle and left hand on the top three holes of the other. But, whilst you are playing the melody on one whistle, the other whistle will be sounding a note as well, so you need to choose that note to produce a harmony or drone. Since each whistle is played with just three fingers, there aren't that many harmony notes to choose from, so just go ahead and experiment.
why am I asking this? I am a whistle player myself (obviously) and because of a physical defect I play in a four fingers left hand-2 fingers right hand way. It works for me. But I would like to know if there are any players around who come to have similar problems or solutions. Just out of curiosity. I have a practise set pipes wich I had fixed specially for me, and I would like to have a flute, but I know, I'll have to get that fixed too. So I really would like some hints or comments or reactions from people (if any) with similar experiences
Fre
Here's another simple trick to try. Take two whistles either a 3rd, 4th or 5th apart (the 4th gives a nice medievally sound), hold one in each hand and play in unison. Fundamental harmony, right off the bat.
With a little practice you'll be able to play the bottom four holes on each, for a total of five notes (but be careful not to drop them when playing the "ti".
From there you can work on playing each one a little more independently. I sounds hard, but it isn't really. It's just like playing two handed piano on a piano with less than two handfuls of keys, except that on the whistles you can play an interval without using any fingers at all. It doesn't get much easier than that. If your whistles are a third apart lifting a finger on one of them gives you a fourth and two fingers a fifth.
Have you never heard tell of Charlie Hoare from the county Roscommon, who could play four whistles simultaneously, together and at the same time?
There was a great piping tradition in Charlie's family, and he was a handy musician at the age of 13. He was also a great thinker and innovator.
I first saw Charlie use four whistles in the Sheepwalk Inn, Frenchpark, in 1984. I would be lying if I denied to you that he only really "played" one whistle; the others were used as drones and regulators.
Charlie taped the two gobflutes together. He would use one as the chanter, the other as a drone (usually a whistle with all its holes sealed).
The two nose flutes acted as regulators. Charlie had a huge collection of whistles in various keys. They would have some or all of their holes sealed, or would be played at the open te or 7th note. Charlie also devised a system to open or close the nostril with an arrangement of clothes pegs attached to wires, attached to a bellows, which he would pump with his elbow, uillean style.
I once visited Charlie, at his invitation. He played a recognisable, if accurate, version of Harvest Home on an assortment of bottles, filled with carefully measured amounts of liquid.
Charlie also once played me a jig by pumping bubbles from a bicycle pump, through water in the kitchen sink, into a hose which led to some homemade device which looked like an upside down colander. Charlie played the bike pump like a trombone, varying the pitch by the length of his pull. He used his other arm to stop the holes on the colander.
Charlie was very fond of drink. He was a lovely but expensive man to know. He died in 1992 from cirrhosis, and perhaps a broken heart. He is very sadly missed.
My record is three whistles, because, quite frankly, it has never even occured to me to stick one up my nose.
In my own defense I must say that this is likely because, despite its size, my nose does a lousy job of passing air. I'm having a great deal of difficulty with circular breathing, not for the usual reasons, but simply because my nose doesn't work.
"He played a recognisable, if accurate, version of Harvest Home on an assortment of bottles, filled with carefully measured amounts of liquid."
Oh yeah, now this I do. My favorite bottles are Saranac Root Beer. Absolutely wonderful tone. Just a touch of water tunes one to G,. Been messing around with using them in recording. I assume being a bottle player is the reason I was able to crank out a tolerable Haste to the Wedding on Quena the very first time I picked one up. I often amuse myself by watching experienced flute players huff and puff on it without getting a note and giving up in disugust.
The broken heart I understand. I think I'll pass on the cirrhosis.
I was at a Renaissance Festival this past fall and stumbled upon a stand with a bunch of different flute/ whistles. Some were pretty standard, others were personal creations of the maker, and others were from different countries. One that I think supposedly came from a different country looked awfully familiar. When I asked the guy working the booth (not the maker), he agreed that I was right. It was simply two Susato D whistles welded together with a few of the holes covered up. Sounded cool, but kinda shady being passed off as something fancier than it was.
Moral of the story. If you don't feel like tinkering with whistles and such yourself, run a search online and you're bound to find somebody who has already done the tinkering/ Frankensteining.
p.s. I actually bought a Quena from the booth and sadly fall into the category described by KFG. Someday I'll get back to it.
Around one year and a half ago I joined a session in Sandy Bells in Edinburgh. After some sets of tune, a man with a familiar face came in the pub. That was Cathal! Unfortunately we took turns in sitting on a chair and playing, but we chatted for a while drinking the same brand of whiskey. After introducing me to John McCusker who was accidentally drinking in the pub (!), he showed me how to play two whistles at the same time. I don't remember well, but I think he used D and Eb whistles. I never fancy doing that, but that was really lovely.
There used to be an old guy that regularly busked in Argyl St in Glasgow playing 2 whistles simultaneously, mostly playing scottish tunes. He was a very recognisable figure & actually appeared on at least 1 promotional poster as part of a collage of Glasgow life (I think it was for "the Evening Times"). What always impressed me was the fact that 1 whistle was a generation & the other a clark, that must take some doing.
btw I haven't posted here & have only been lurking for a couple of weeks, so "hello everyone".
- Chris
Morris dances were traditionally danced to the pipe and tabor,played by the same person.The pipe had three holes,and the tabor was a drum.I suppose that some of the musicians showed off by leaving the drum aside and playing on two pipes at the same time.There's nothing new under the sun.
Charlie also devised a system to open or close the nostril with an arrangement of clothes pegs attached to wires, attached to a bellows, which he would pump with his elbow, uillean style.
Charlie played the bike pump like a trombone, varying the pitch by the length of his pull. He used his other arm to stop the holes on the colander.
Jean Duvall just released an album of compositions for one-handed whistle. Great tunes, great album. At the release party he played a few with two whistles, one hand each.
When I was 19 I was in an experimental band where the only preparation required was not learning how to play the instrument you would be playing on stage. We didn't have any songs or anything, just a poet and a drummer (who was allowed to know what he was doing) and then three of us whose job it was to produce improvised melodic grooves. I used to play (among other things) two whistles. It wasn't hard, and it sounded cool. That's my favorite band I've ever been in.
I have seen Cathal do this as a "showpiece", and in fact I think I still have a recording of him playing the "Pinch Of Snuff" using 2 whistles at Aberdeen Folk Club in the 1980s sometime.
[ Typical Cathal - he turned up for the gig the previous week, a week early!]
I was told he was shown how to do it by an American uillean piper named Bill [ or Phil ] Ochs.
Four Fingered Fre - you might be interested to know that the only solo whistle recording of Scottish music yet made, to my knowledge, was recorded by Alex Green, formerly of Aberdeen, who has a similar situation to yourself, courtesy of an accident in a sawmill . Alex is still playing and teaching, and uses a lot of tongueing ornamentation to compensate for his unfortunate limited ability with what fingers he's left with.
Kenny - I have Alex Green's CD. I met him at a folk club in Findochty (or somewhere else along that stretch of coastlne) last February. He's a unique player - plays whistle in what sounds to me like the Northeastern fiddle style.
"....the only solo whistle recording of Scottish music yet made..."
That hadn't occurred to me, but I certainly can't think of another one. When's yours coming out?
To see just how far the whistle can be pushed musically you might want to check out Billy Novik's recording. It's think it's out of print, and I don't remember the title, but a lot of libraries have it.
So far as I know it's the only solo whistle jazz recording.
There's a whole nother dimension to the tin whistle to be found in Kwela music, popular in Southern Africa in the 60s.
But Chiff and Fipple (see Links) would be the place to find out more about that.
Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
I once saw Cathal McConnell at at concert playing two pennywhistles at the same time. He taped them together, and taped over the first three holes on one of them. He harmonized them beautifully, and it sounded really nice. Does anyone here know how to do that, or know of a website explaining how?
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by Sam2
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
well... first, take some tape. then, tape them together. then tape over the first three holes on one of them.
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by daiv
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
Try it for yourself. I don't claim to be able to do it as expertly as Mr. McConnell, but it is not difficult to get pleasing effects with two whistles simultaneously.
Having taped up the top three holes of one of the whistles (I have never seen Cathal tape the two whistles *together*, but I imagine this would help to avoid dropping one of them whilst playing.), you can start just by playing the tune as if you were playing one whistle - right hand on the bottom three holes of the 'taped-up' whistle and left hand on the top three holes of the other. But, whilst you are playing the melody on one whistle, the other whistle will be sounding a note as well, so you need to choose that note to produce a harmony or drone. Since each whistle is played with just three fingers, there aren't that many harmony notes to choose from, so just go ahead and experiment.
N.B. This is not recommended session behaviour.
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by granama
Whistle players who don't play 3-3
why am I asking this? I am a whistle player myself (obviously) and because of a physical defect I play in a four fingers left hand-2 fingers right hand way. It works for me. But I would like to know if there are any players around who come to have similar problems or solutions. Just out of curiosity. I have a practise set pipes wich I had fixed specially for me, and I would like to have a flute, but I know, I'll have to get that fixed too. So I really would like some hints or comments or reactions from people (if any) with similar experiences
Fre
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by Four-Fingered Fre
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
Here's another simple trick to try. Take two whistles either a 3rd, 4th or 5th apart (the 4th gives a nice medievally sound), hold one in each hand and play in unison. Fundamental harmony, right off the bat.
With a little practice you'll be able to play the bottom four holes on each, for a total of five notes (but be careful not to drop them when playing the "ti".
From there you can work on playing each one a little more independently. I sounds hard, but it isn't really. It's just like playing two handed piano on a piano with less than two handfuls of keys, except that on the whistles you can play an interval without using any fingers at all. It doesn't get much easier than that. If your whistles are a third apart lifting a finger on one of them gives you a fourth and two fingers a fifth.
Go. Play. Have fun.
KFG
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by KFG
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
Have you never heard tell of Charlie Hoare from the county Roscommon, who could play four whistles simultaneously, together and at the same time?
There was a great piping tradition in Charlie's family, and he was a handy musician at the age of 13. He was also a great thinker and innovator.
I first saw Charlie use four whistles in the Sheepwalk Inn, Frenchpark, in 1984. I would be lying if I denied to you that he only really "played" one whistle; the others were used as drones and regulators.
Charlie taped the two gobflutes together. He would use one as the chanter, the other as a drone (usually a whistle with all its holes sealed).
The two nose flutes acted as regulators. Charlie had a huge collection of whistles in various keys. They would have some or all of their holes sealed, or would be played at the open te or 7th note. Charlie also devised a system to open or close the nostril with an arrangement of clothes pegs attached to wires, attached to a bellows, which he would pump with his elbow, uillean style.
I once visited Charlie, at his invitation. He played a recognisable, if accurate, version of Harvest Home on an assortment of bottles, filled with carefully measured amounts of liquid.
Charlie also once played me a jig by pumping bubbles from a bicycle pump, through water in the kitchen sink, into a hose which led to some homemade device which looked like an upside down colander. Charlie played the bike pump like a trombone, varying the pitch by the length of his pull. He used his other arm to stop the holes on the colander.
Charlie was very fond of drink. He was a lovely but expensive man to know. He died in 1992 from cirrhosis, and perhaps a broken heart. He is very sadly missed.
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by howsshecutting
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
I played concertina and flute at the same time in my mp3 on the Mighty Craic Online.
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by Phantom Button
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
My record is three whistles, because, quite frankly, it has never even occured to me to stick one up my nose.
In my own defense I must say that this is likely because, despite its size, my nose does a lousy job of passing air. I'm having a great deal of difficulty with circular breathing, not for the usual reasons, but simply because my nose doesn't work.
"He played a recognisable, if accurate, version of Harvest Home on an assortment of bottles, filled with carefully measured amounts of liquid."
Oh yeah, now this I do. My favorite bottles are Saranac Root Beer. Absolutely wonderful tone. Just a touch of water tunes one to G,. Been messing around with using them in recording. I assume being a bottle player is the reason I was able to crank out a tolerable Haste to the Wedding on Quena the very first time I picked one up. I often amuse myself by watching experienced flute players huff and puff on it without getting a note and giving up in disugust.
The broken heart I understand. I think I'll pass on the cirrhosis.
KFG
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by KFG
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
I was at a Renaissance Festival this past fall and stumbled upon a stand with a bunch of different flute/ whistles. Some were pretty standard, others were personal creations of the maker, and others were from different countries. One that I think supposedly came from a different country looked awfully familiar. When I asked the guy working the booth (not the maker), he agreed that I was right. It was simply two Susato D whistles welded together with a few of the holes covered up. Sounded cool, but kinda shady being passed off as something fancier than it was.
Moral of the story. If you don't feel like tinkering with whistles and such yourself, run a search online and you're bound to find somebody who has already done the tinkering/ Frankensteining.
p.s. I actually bought a Quena from the booth and sadly fall into the category described by KFG. Someday I'll get back to it.
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by Jason G
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
Around one year and a half ago I joined a session in Sandy Bells in Edinburgh. After some sets of tune, a man with a familiar face came in the pub. That was Cathal! Unfortunately we took turns in sitting on a chair and playing, but we chatted for a while drinking the same brand of whiskey. After introducing me to John McCusker who was accidentally drinking in the pub (!), he showed me how to play two whistles at the same time. I don't remember well, but I think he used D and Eb whistles. I never fancy doing that, but that was really lovely.
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by slainte
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
There used to be an old guy that regularly busked in Argyl St in Glasgow playing 2 whistles simultaneously, mostly playing scottish tunes. He was a very recognisable figure & actually appeared on at least 1 promotional poster as part of a collage of Glasgow life (I think it was for "the Evening Times"). What always impressed me was the fact that 1 whistle was a generation & the other a clark, that must take some doing.
btw I haven't posted here & have only been lurking for a couple of weeks, so "hello everyone".
- Chris
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by ramblingpitchfork
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
Morris dances were traditionally danced to the pipe and tabor,played by the same person.The pipe had three holes,and the tabor was a drum.I suppose that some of the musicians showed off by leaving the drum aside and playing on two pipes at the same time.There's nothing new under the sun.
# Posted on March 1st 2003 by dafydd
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
Yes, but doesn't a tabor pipe have one hole at the back, which you can't do with taping holes up (unless you use a recorder instead)?
I have also seen European bagpipes with parallel chanters - these work exactly the same as the two whistles trick.
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by geoffwright
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
Charlie also devised a system to open or close the nostril with an arrangement of clothes pegs attached to wires, attached to a bellows, which he would pump with his elbow, uillean style.
Charlie played the bike pump like a trombone, varying the pitch by the length of his pull. He used his other arm to stop the holes on the colander.
f************** brilliant!
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by Ottery
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
Jean Duvall just released an album of compositions for one-handed whistle. Great tunes, great album. At the release party he played a few with two whistles, one hand each.
When I was 19 I was in an experimental band where the only preparation required was not learning how to play the instrument you would be playing on stage. We didn't have any songs or anything, just a poet and a drummer (who was allowed to know what he was doing) and then three of us whose job it was to produce improvised melodic grooves. I used to play (among other things) two whistles. It wasn't hard, and it sounded cool. That's my favorite band I've ever been in.
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by Kerri Brown
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
I have seen Cathal do this as a "showpiece", and in fact I think I still have a recording of him playing the "Pinch Of Snuff" using 2 whistles at Aberdeen Folk Club in the 1980s sometime.
[ Typical Cathal - he turned up for the gig the previous week, a week early!]
I was told he was shown how to do it by an American uillean piper named Bill [ or Phil ] Ochs.
Four Fingered Fre - you might be interested to know that the only solo whistle recording of Scottish music yet made, to my knowledge, was recorded by Alex Green, formerly of Aberdeen, who has a similar situation to yourself, courtesy of an accident in a sawmill . Alex is still playing and teaching, and uses a lot of tongueing ornamentation to compensate for his unfortunate limited ability with what fingers he's left with.
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by Kenny
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
Kenny - I have Alex Green's CD. I met him at a folk club in Findochty (or somewhere else along that stretch of coastlne) last February. He's a unique player - plays whistle in what sounds to me like the Northeastern fiddle style.
"....the only solo whistle recording of Scottish music yet made..."
That hadn't occurred to me, but I certainly can't think of another one. When's yours coming out?
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by granama
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
To see just how far the whistle can be pushed musically you might want to check out Billy Novik's recording. It's think it's out of print, and I don't remember the title, but a lot of libraries have it.
So far as I know it's the only solo whistle jazz recording.
KFG
# Posted on January 26th 2005 by KFG
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
There's a whole nother dimension to the tin whistle to be found in Kwela music, popular in Southern Africa in the 60s.
But Chiff and Fipple (see Links) would be the place to find out more about that.
# Posted on January 27th 2005 by granama
Re: Playing two pennywhistles at the same time
One of my Tinwhistle playing friends plays two at time from his nostrils when appropriately inebriated.
# Posted on February 1st 2005 by CeolCairdeas