For every “downer” blog post I write (the last two have been relative downers), I intend to write two “upper” posts because I want my readers’ energies to vibrate at higher levels. Keeping our spirits up is the only way to make sure we remain proactive, working on the policies that uplift people, animals and the planet.

 

So, this blog post is about teaching myself to play the Irish tin whistle.

 

I consider this an upper topic because it introduces additional music into my life, and all uplifting music is an energy booster.

 

I bought a tin whistle in the tune of D on Amazon and a tin whistle songbook with 80 campfire songs, more than half of which I have never heard. But the ones I have heard are all wonderful, so for the past week I have been spending 15 to 20 minutes every night before going to sleep practicing them.

 

 

Practicing with my tin whistle was downright painful at first, but in a funny way.  My first puffs elicited tinny shrieks that alarmed the cats until I figured out that I didn’t need to send a gale through the instrument to make it operate.  That was a relief.  (I learned to play the clarinet and saxophone as a teenager. Those instruments require more breath and finesse than a tin whistle does, by far.)

 

Getting the breath just right at first is still a challenge. I start out giving it too much, but at least I know how to dial it down now!

 

The tin whistle song book shows both the sheet music (which I no longer can read) and the finger placement, so I go by the finger placement. There are only six holes in the instrument, and the finger placement is crucial. Slowly but surely, I’ve mastered the art of keeping the tips of my fingers off the holes (a holdover from playing the guitar years ago) and can now play the following songs without massacring them:  America (My Country ’tis of Thee), Auld Lang Syne, Away in a Manger, Clementine, God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen, He’s Got the Whole World, Home on the Range, Jingle Bells, Kum ba yah, Michael, Row the Boat Ashore, Oh Susannah, Over the River and Through the Woods, Red River Valley, Scarborough Fair, Silent Night, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, The First Noel, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Up on the Housetop, and When the Saints. 

 

That ain’t too shabby for what amounts to about total two hours of practice so far, so learning the tin whistle isn’t exactly rocket science. If I can do it, anyone can who has both hands and lungs in working order.

 

I can’t play them without looking at the fingering charts yet, though. I assume that skill will come as I develop muscle memory along the way.

 

Two of the notes trip me up. One of them is created by closing off all but the top hole; the other by closing off all but the bottom hole. And there’s a note that tripped me up earlier but no longer does. It’s created by closing only the second and third hole from the top.

 

These notes occur often in most of the songs I know, so my challenge is making them happen seamlessly and properly. I’m getting better every day. That’s what keeps me going.  The difference between last week and this is stark, and smile-bringing.  I like to make progress fast. From now on, it’s just a matter of finessing what I’ve learned and getting my muscle memory going so I can eventually play without looking at the book.

 

It’s exciting!  I look forward to nightly practice and to eventually being able to play these songs (and more) around a campfire.