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Written in Folk Roots issue 28, 1985

BOOK, with 2 flexidiscs
GERALDINE COTTER
Geraldine Cotter's Traditional Irish Tin Whistle Tutor
Ossian Publications, ISBN 0 946005 12 5 (1985)

A musician of classical conditioning came one day upon a traditional whistle player warming up before a performance. "Oh", he said - and not to himself, for that was not his wont - "I didn't think whistle players ever practised".
      The tin whistle is an instrument of elegant simplicity of form, capable of great expressive sophistication. Geraldine Cotter's book is an excellent point of access to the basic techniques and to an understanding of Irish styles of phrasing and ornamentation. All the tunes, from the first exercises to the appendix of "100 choice Irish airs and dance tunes" are interesting. The importance of creativity and variation is repeatedly emphasised, with warnings against slavish imitation, either of the dots or the versions of the tunes on the two accompanying flexidiscs.
      For the complete beginner the first stages, including learning to sight read melody lines, could take some time to master, and some of the ornaments look tricky in print, and indeed in execution need practice, control and experience, but there's enough instruction in this package to take a learner from ignorance to competence and the beginnings of an understanding of both the Irish tradition and the way of music in general.
      No mention is made of tuning, or of tone sweetening. Not all players mess around with the fipple of their whistles, but anyone intending to play with others needs to know about getting in tune, and a softer tone can be an improvement. (As the introduction comments, the Clarke's whistle has a particularly good tone, but only comes in C; one day perhaps the makers will try some in D, and be surprised by the sales). It might also be worth saying that the flat 7th fingering may vary on whistles other than Generation.
      Good, though, not just for beginners but even for snooty classical recorder players.

 
© 1985 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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