Irish folk musical instruments - Wind of Water - folk rock group, live music of pagan Rus' and medieval Europe. The whistle is the basis of Irish folk music The basics of playing the whistle - how to learn to play

Irish pipe (whistle, literally a whistle, which is generally correct if you blow harder) - one stick and nine holes. Six working holes allow you to extract seven notes of natural major. The second and beginning of the third octave are played by blowing. Special combinations allow you to take flats. They are made in many keys - A, Bb (bagpipe tuning), C, D, Eb F, G (this affects the size); the rest are on order. They mainly use C and D - for songs in C/Dm and D/Em, respectively.

Vistulas come in two main types - cylindrical And conical. Cylindrical ones are a metal tube (made of bronze or nickel) with drilled holes and a plastic mouthpiece. They have a bright sound. Main brands: Generation, Feadog, Waltons.

Professional cylindrical vistas are made entirely of aluminum. An original strong sound that no longer hung, but was not yet a flute. Brands: Howard, Chieftain.

Conical vislas (known as Pennywhistle - they got their name because some smart citizens, playing these same vislas in public places, managed to earn a few of these same pennies) - as can be seen in the photo - a tin sheet rolled into a cone, soldered along the seam with reverse side, with a wooden insert in the mouthpiece. A characteristic rather soft “hissing” sound. Also available an octave lower (low whistle). When playing with other instruments, it creates a feeling of “depth of sound.” Brands: Clark, Shaw

Scottish Bagpipe (Great Highland Bagpipe) full size kills all living things within a radius of 3 meters from the bagpiper. Attempts to play it in small halls like Magnifique end in complete paralysis of the public. It actually consists of a bag "a (i.e. bag), a mouthpiece, several drones (drones - producing a characteristic sound of a constant tone, usually 1 bass, 2 tenors) and a chanter, usually in Bb, on which, in fact, a melody is played.

Speaking of melody. If anyone doesn’t know, let us explain: in addition to the fact that this is a show, it is also music, and if you are not able to remember the melody, this does not mean that the bagpiper does not remember it.

To prevent people from dying at concerts and home sessions, it was invented small bagpipe. Its main difference from the big one is the quite acceptable strength of the already ambiguous sound perception (I’m delighted with it... the first 10 minutes). In addition, it is much easier to blow into it, so it is better to learn the intricacies of the game on it.

Speaking of training. Along with lung training, at first it is recommended to use practice chanter(the same chanter as in bagpipes, but with a mouthpiece), which is easier to blow into, and there are not so many worries - blowing, pressing, playing... and all at once!

Guess what it is?

You can hardly guess - this is , or, in Russian, an electronic training chanter that imitates Scottish bagpipes. On the right side there is a headphone jack. Supports natural sounds C and D. Available with a black or transparent body (apparently similar to the slots on Hi-End equipment for observing the magical glow of lamps and other cool things). If you are seriously planning to train in places that are inappropriate for this (on the way to / from work / to your girlfriend / or when she has just fallen asleep, and even more so if “she” is not she, but, say, her mother-in-law!) maybe Maybe this device will help you.

For big fans of smoking a pipe during a concert, another tricky thing has been invented - Uilleann (Elbow) Pipe (Irish bagpipes). As you probably already guessed, you don’t need to blow into it. Air is pumped using bellows. The standard tuning is D, but any tuning can be made upon request.

The UP is as far removed from the Scottish bagpipes as the Boehm flute is from the visla: the chanter allows you to take semitones, so the tuning becomes unprincipled. In addition, the reed allows you to blow an octave higher by blowing. With the help of additional regulators on drones, it becomes possible to do all sorts of interesting things like playing chords.

In addition to the full UP package, there are half packages - without additional regulators, and student packages - without drones.

A traditional Irish percussion instrument, usually a wooden frame covered with natural leather. Hold with your left hand, resting on your belly; They hit with the right hand, holding a stick in it like a fountain pen so that with sliding blows up and down, both ends of the stick hit the skin (basic technique).

Sticks, in addition to the standard shape, can be pretentious and even more pretentious with a shifted center of gravity.

The nature of the sound changes significantly depending on the angle at which the blow occurs and the position of the left hand on the inner surface of the skin. There are tuneable and non-tunable models with a diameter of 14-22 inches.

A family of mandolins other than the usual small one mandolins includes big sister mandola, mother mandocello and dad mandobass- put aside the smile! One day a little mandolin was seduced by a tomboy banjo. The fruit of their young love, which appeared after the allotted time, was called mandobanjo. Such a turn of events could not but affect the closest relatives. Uncle sitar was so upset that instead of ADADA he began to sound like ADGAD, and at times even like DGDAD, and auntie bouzouki- what names do these Greeks have! - I even acquired an extra pair of strings so as not to stand out from the orderly ranks of the mandolin family. Meanwhile, the excesses of the banjo pervert did not end there. Attracted by classical forms, he dishonored the venerable guitar, leaving a daughter as a memory of his ardent African lover guitar banjo. Fearing retaliation from the indignant public, the banjo made a weak attempt to make up itself - it acquired a 5th string (5 sizes smaller - apparently taken from some child) and changed the tuning to GDGBD. But this did not help him avoid answering: caught by an angry crowd, he was... well, in general, they tore off his frets and pulled nylon strings onto the neck.

The mandolin is built the same way as a violin - GDAE. In addition to the classic Italian shape with a pear-shaped body (round back), in folk music a model with a flat body (flat back - for example, the mandola) is more often used. And no wonder. You can confidently hold an instrument in your hands, the back of which is an elongated hemisphere, and even covered with varnish, only in a sober state, sitting in the classic “leg-to-leg” position. Such demands on the musician, as you understand, did not lead to the strengthening of a sober lifestyle, but to the emergence of an instrument that stands firmly between the legs. The new design is called "Celtic".

The tenor mandola is built in the same way as the alto - CGDA and looks like a grown mandolin. True, in Irish music the octave mandola (the Americans call it octave mandolin), tuned as GDAE an octave below the mandolin, is more often used.

The mandocello is built an octave below the tenor CGDA mandola. It looks correspondingly an octave larger.

Mandobass is being built by EADG. Looks, hmm... accordingly.

Sitar (sittern) in lately, like other instruments in the mandolin family, changed its design to flat back, so the main difference remains the presence of 10 paired strings, which can be built as one pleases, and a shorter and wider neck (in fact, there can be more and less - from 8 to...). There are options for setting ADADA, ADGAD, DGDAD, plus a capo is often used.

Bouzouki is a Greek version of the lute. Traditional Greek ones are built by CFAD. Actually, they used to be made with six paired strings (DAD), but now the Greek makers mostly make eight-string CFADs with a pear-shaped body (round back).

Irish musicians, in their desire to rebuild all such instruments in GDAE, did not ignore the bouzouki, at the same time bringing the design to a common denominator. The advent of flat back models made the bouzouki very similar to the octave mandola, only the bouzouki had a longer neck. Such an adaptation led to the fact that the line between the “Irish” bouzouki and the octave mandola lay somewhere around the 58th centimeter of the fingerboard scale, so that everything shorter is a mandola, everything longer is a bouzouki. The sound of the “Irish” variety is more open and bright than the Greek one, and it is more comfortable to hold.

The tenor banjo is widely used not only in traditional Irish music, but also in traditional jazz. It has a smaller scale than the G banjo and four strings tuned CGDA, but virtually all Irish players tune lower - GDAE, an octave below the mandolin and fiddle. Instruments with a shortened scale (17 frets instead of 19) are more popular, since their fingering corresponds to that of a violin.

The 5-string banjo is commonly used in bluegrass and country music, but has diversified into being used as an accompaniment in songs from a variety of genres. The most common configuration options are gDGBD and gCGDB. It is distinguished by the presence of a 5th string, slapped on the side of the fifth fret on the side of the bass strings. Fretless banjo, usually with nylon strings, was previously used to play together with the violin due to its more consistent sound.

Mandobanjo or banjolin (mandobanjo or banjolin), as the name implies, is the result of an improper liquidation of a pogrom in a music store: a banjo resonator, a mandolin neck, the sound - well, you have to hear it.

Guitar banjo is an ideal solution for a guitarist when he wants to make banjo sounds, but is too lazy to learn. Actually, a guitar neck, 6 strings, the same chords, and the sound...

What is commonly called in Italy violin, and in Russia a violin, in the hands of an Irish musician, turns into fiddle. So if someone on stage calls someone Fiedler, this is not a competition of young Jewish talents, but a concert of Irish music.

Based on materials from the group's website Army of the Seeds (Slua Si)

Tin whistle FAQ

I want to buy a whistle. Which one should I get first?
Take one of the inexpensive models (read which ones below) in the key of soprano D (D).
The key of D means that with all the holes closed, the whistle gives the note D as its lowest note, and the first seven notes of the D whistle form the D major scale. This is one of the most common keys in Irish music, and if you don't plan to play in a band any time soon, this one key will last you a very long time. Recordings of tutorials and video lessons are also almost always recorded on real whistles.
The soprano range is made up of small pipes about 30cm long, look for those. There are also healthy pipes in the key of tenor D, these are low whistles, and if you have no experience playing wind instruments, I don’t recommend buying one as your first instrument, although in principle you can start playing them, it’s just more difficult.
As for makes and models, you'll definitely like the Tony Dixon Traditional, Carey Parks (Ghost and Every models) or Susato (I especially recommend the Kildare V series Susato). If you don’t have any money at all, you can take Clarke Sweetone (not to be confused with Clare), this is the best whistle that you can get for such little money. There are also cheap whistles from Generation, Feadog, Walton, Clare, Oak brands, but you most likely won’t like them (you can, of course, run into a good whistle from these brands, but there is an opinion that it’s easier to win in sports lotto). If you are not familiar with the methods of making wind instruments and are holding a flute in your hands for the first time, correct the characteristics of a low-quality whistle in better side(“tweak”) you most likely won’t be able to.

I want to buy a whistle/lowwhistle. Where can I buy it?
If possible, take it offline, so you can evaluate the quality of the tool before purchasing. If you live in Moscow or St. Petersburg, there is a small chance of finding high whistles in regular music stores. The main office of the online store ta-musica.ru is located in Moscow, which sells various ethnic instruments, including whistles and low whistles; in Novosibirsk there is a similar online store dpshop.ru by Danila Panfilov. If these two stores don’t have what you need, I advise you to purchase whistles directly from official websites or directly from the masters, avoid various intermediaries such as Aliexpress and Amazon. Here you will find many links to websites of foreign manufacturers: http://whistle.jeffleff.com/makers.html. Russia also has its own masters. Alexander Karavaev makes good metal customizable whistles and low whistles https://vk.com/whistles_workshop, Anton Platonov, among other things, makes good plastic, plastic-metal low whistles, wooden high whistles https://vk.com/antplatru.

How to choose a whistle? What to look for when choosing?
Read the section Choosing a whistle

I want to buy a whistle, but I'm not confident in my abilities. Is it difficult to learn? Do you need to have a music education? Where do they learn to play the whistle?
In itself, the whistle is a very simple instrument, and mastering it takes basic level Anyone can, even a child. Therefore, everyone can play easy, well-known melodies on the whistle. However, we should not forget that the whistle is most often used to play Irish folk music, and this is a very deep and complex genre with many of its own unique features, in which the capabilities and potential of the whistle are revealed most fully. This leads to the answer to your next question - in ordinary Russian music schools You are unlikely to meet a teacher who is well versed in the nuances of Irish folk music; do not think that traditional tin whistle playing is no different from, for example, classical recorder playing. Specifically, traditional whistle playing is taught at a serious level by very few enthusiastic musicians, conducting lessons individually, often via Skype. However, do not be discouraged - Irish music has been composed and played for centuries by people who have no music education, and the tradition of its study is almost entirely based on the perception of music by ear and attempts to repeat what was heard. All you need is good tool, access to traditional music (in our digital age you will not have problems with this), basic knowledge that can be obtained from self-instruction books and desire. The whistle is one of those instruments that you can successfully master on your own. The overwhelming percentage of whistlers have learned to play on their own, and you will learn too.

How loud is the whistle?
Different models of whistles can vary greatly in volume. However, in general, the whistle is not such a loud instrument, so you most likely will not have problems with your neighbors, especially if you refrain from playing at night. In this regard, it is noticeably more difficult for bagpipers and saxophonists. If you still fear for the peace of people around you, take a closer look at models such as Clarke Sweetone or Tony Dixon Trad, these are fairly quiet instruments. Susato whistles, on the contrary, have a reputation for being loud (although there are nuances here, for example, the V series whistles sound quieter than the S series). If you intend to perform on stage with a group, you will most likely have to use a microphone, otherwise you may not be heard over some instruments.

Is it possible to start straight away with lowwhistle?
It's possible, but be careful. Don’t immediately take a huge low D, start with a low G. Be careful before ordering low whistles on the Internet - first find out the distance between the holes and figure out whether it will suit you. Be prepared right away for problems with recording audio supplements to textbooks - they are all recorded on real instruments, so if you want to play along with them, you will have to change their key in audio editors.

Which hand should I close the bottom three holes and which hand should I close the top three?
On tin whistles, it doesn’t matter which hand you use to cover the lower three holes - left or right, but if you plan to switch to other wind instruments (Irish flute, transverse flute, recorder, bagpipe...), keep in mind - these instruments are usually made for right-handers , for left-handers - only on separate orders, so it is better to close the bottom holes right hand, and the top ones - left.

Does the whistle require any special care?
If you suddenly got a wooden whistle from somewhere, then yes, you need to wipe off the moisture after playing and saturate the instrument with oil from time to time, just like in the case of other woodwinds - google for example how to care for a wooden recorder, the same is true for wooden whistle. Some whistles (for example Clarke Original) have a wooden block (fipple), the condition of which would be better to monitor. With other materials (metal, plastic), no special, regular care is required, especially if you treat the instrument with care - don’t leave it anywhere, wash your hands before playing, don’t play after eating/smoking a cigarette. Whistles made of metal and plastic are usually simply washed with cool water from time to time. Try not to tempt fate by exposing the instrument to sudden temperature changes. Interesting fact- if you generously wet the inside of the whistle and the body of the whistle, the sound of the instrument will improve for a while. Don't overdo this, remember that water may soften the glue holding the fipple/whistle in place. Do not put plastic whistles in hot water; cheap plastic can change its shape. Wooden instrument In general, keep away from water and wipe off any accumulated moisture after playing.

I bought a whistle of a non-standard key and cannot find fingerings for it.
All whistles have the same fingering, no matter if you are holding a C-whistle, a D-whistle, or an E-lowwhistle, play as if you were holding a soprano D-whistle. The only difficulty may arise when playing the note “natural C” for soprano re-whistle and similar ones in other keys. These notes are famous for the fact that their fingerings can vary greatly from one whistle model to another.

What is the difference between high whistles and low whistles?
In size and, as a result, ranges - high whistles are soprano and mezzo-soprano, they are smaller, have a higher, louder sound, all lower ranges are low whistles, they are larger, have a lower, uterine sound. Lowwhistles like to be used to play slower tunes, such as airs. Due to the large distances between the playing holes, lowwhistles are held differently, the so-called piper grip - in which most of the holes are covered with the middle phalanges and not with the pads of the fingers. As a rule, low whistles have a higher air flow and are generally more difficult to play.

When should you play C (natural C), and when should you play C# (C sharp)?
In short, natural C is usually played in melodies written in the key of G major (one sharp at the treble clef on the staff). More strictly: natural C is played in melodies in A-Dorian, G-Ionian, Mi-Aeolian or Re-Mixolydian natural modes. Melodies in other natural modes are more likely to be in B-Aeolian, A-Mixolydian, Midorian or D-Ionian modes and will be played through C-sharp. If you want more details, read the "Basic Information" section in the main article on the whistle or any book on music theory. Natural modes in Irish traditional music are well covered in Gray Larsen's book, A Basic Course in Irish Flute and Tinwhistle.

How can I check with the tuner that the whistle is configured correctly?
If your tuner (device or special program) does not show notes explicitly, but only outputs frequencies, then you can use frequency tables, for example from the Wikipedia article “Octave system”
The lower octave of the soprano whistle D corresponds to the second octave, the upper - to the third octave. Lowwhistles have a range shifted to the first or second octave. Don't worry about small deviations (15-20 cents), this is acceptable.
By the way, knowing the frequencies of notes in one octave, you can easily calculate the frequencies of the same notes in other octaves - for this it is enough to know that the frequency values double when moving to an octave higher.

I checked the tuner and noticed that my whistle does not work, what can I do?
If you have a solid whistle, only a tweak can help. If the whistle has a movable, removable whistle, try moving it up and down. If you have a whistle with a plastic whistle that is attached and cannot be removed, but is clearly separate from the body, you can try placing the whistle in warm water, softening the glue and moving the whistle. Use this method at your own risk. Temperature can affect the tone of the whistle environment, which again can be compensated for by changing the position of the whistle.

Where can I find sheet music for a whistle?
Notes for the whistle are fundamentally no different from the notes of other wind instruments, the same recorder, however, there are special collections (whistlebooks) of melodies (mostly Irish folk) for the whistle which may even contain fingering patterns for closing holes under each note for beginners. I advise you not to get used to these schemes and master reading music. However, do not overdo this either - the musical notation of folk music is not quite the same as the musical notation of classical works; folk performers perceive the musical notation of a melody not as the only correct version of the melody, but as a kind of basis, a starting point from which one can build on and change the work according to your preferences (this is how variations of folk melodies arise). Ornaments are rarely recorded in folk music notation, because... every musician plays them as he wants and where he wants (moreover, there are not even established musical notations for cuts, strikes, rolls and some other ornaments due to their specificity). If possible, learn to read abc notation; folk music is often recorded and stored in this format.

Use overblowing.

What is overblowing?
This is an increase in the force of the blown air stream to play notes of the upper octave.

With a continuous increase in the force of the blown stream, when transitioning from a note of the lower octave to a note of the upper one, in the middle of the transition I hear an unpleasant overtone.
Many budget whistle models suffer from this. Try playing a note in the upper octave with an attack, skipping that unpleasant gap...

What is playing a note with an attack?
This is an articulatory technique that allows you to play the beginning of a note more cleanly. This is a slight movement of the tongue from which the process of blowing an air stream into the whistle begins; this movement is obtained, for example, when pronouncing the word “Tu” in a whisper.
Similar term in English- “Tonguing”

How to learn melodies?
Just like poetry - divide the melody into small fragments, memorize each one separately and then combine them into one melody.

And some other countries.

Whistle

Sound example	The sound of a plastic whistle
Classification	Longitudinal flute with whistle device
Media files on Wikimedia Commons

Build

The whistle is a diatonic instrument with a range of approximately 2 octaves. The fingering is simple, fork fingerings and half-hole closures are rarely used, with the exception of the lowered seventh degree allowing playing in the second key. With the help of complicated fingering you can achieve an almost complete chromatic range.

The most common tuning is D (D of the second octave), tinwhistles are also produced in most keys from G (G of the second octave) to G (G of the first), instruments in A and G are sometimes considered low whistles.

Story

The history of the instrument is lost over the centuries, since such flutes date back to prehistoric times and are found among almost every people on Earth.

Actually, “tin” - that is, a tin whistle - appeared in 1843 in England. Poor farmer Robert Clarke had a wooden whistle and wanted to make a similar one, but from a new material tinplate(tinned tin), which had just appeared then. The new instrument was so successful that Clark decided to start his own business. He traveled around England with his son, carrying his tools and materials in a handcart. Stopping in cities and villages, especially at markets, Clark, in front of the population, rolled up tin whistles from a sheet of tin, creating a conical tube, which was then closed at one end with a wooden stopper - a whistle was obtained, then holes were cut in the tube. Clark immediately demonstrated the instrument, playing tunes on it for the audience. The pipe cost one penny, which is where another name comes from - penny-whistle. Sometimes Clark's pipes were bought by Irish sailors and other people from the Green Island, who brought them home. This is how the tin whistle came to Ireland.

In Ireland, everyone liked the pipe because it was very well suited for playing Irish folk music. The production of Robert Clark has survived to this day, brand whistles Clarke enjoy continued popularity around the world, especially as a tool for beginners.

Subsequently, tin whistles began to be made from various materials, from metal tubes, brass, aluminum, etc. Various types of plastic and other materials.

Tin whistle became widespread throughout the world in the 60s and 70s of the 20th century in the wake of a revival of interest in folk music in Ireland and beyond. Almost all famous folk groups used the tin whistle in their activities. New companies and master manufacturers of tin whistles have appeared.

Application

Despite the seeming primitiveness of the device, the tin whistle - in the context of Irish folk music - is a rather sophisticated instrument with much greater capabilities than it seems at first glance. The technique of playing it, most likely, was influenced by the technique of playing the Irish bagpipes. uilleann pipes, which has a long tradition and is quite complex. Many Irish musicians became famous thanks to their masterful playing of the whistle, for example Mary Bergin, who recorded two albums in the late 70s under the name Feadoga Stain 1 & 2 (Tin Whistles 1 & 2), which have had and continue to have a significant influence on whistlers around the world.

Modern whistles

These days there are many various types teen-whistles. These are the tin conical whistles that have survived to this day. Clarke, and common brass ones with a plastic whistle Generation, affordable plastic whistles Dixon And Susato and wooden whistles from professional manufacturers.

Low Whistle

Low-Whistle- low-whistle is a variation of teen-whistle. It is characterized by a lower setting and larger size, more demanding breathing and less mobility. Has a deeper and thicker timbre. Therefore, low whistle is often used to play slow melodies. Metal, plastic or wood are used to make whistles.

The most common key is D (D of the first octave, an octave below the usual tinwhistle). Made in most keys from G (first octave G) to G (minor G). The lowest tones are very rare and are sometimes called "bass".

Story

It is likely that low-whistle-like longitudinal flutes existed as early as the 16th century, but this fact remains controversial.

The inventor of the low whistle in its modern form is considered to be an English jazz musician and instrument maker. Bernard Overton, who in 1971 made a low whistle for a famous Irish musician Finbar Fury, who lost his bamboo whistle while on tour. Having made the first two low whistles, which Fury actively used in performances, Overton began to receive orders from other musicians.

The beginning of the mass popularity of low whistle occurred in the 90s of the 20th century after the famous dance show Riverdance, in which the musician Davy Spillane played this instrument.

Buy a whistle at your local music store or online. Tin flutes are sold in all possible keys. The most common whistle in D plays the octaves D and G major. The second most common whistle in C plays the octaves C and F major. The lowest note of the whistle, when you close all the holes with your fingers, is called the key - on the whistle “D” the key is the note “D”.

''Hold your whistle correctly.''" The whistle should be pointed downwards at an angle of 45 degrees. Your dominant hand should be on the bottom and your other hand on top. The little fingers are not used in playing, but play a supporting role or are used in playing the largest (and low octave) whistles. The big ones fingers support the whistle from below. Cover the holes of the whistle with your fingertips. Place the tip of the whistle between your lips - not your teeth!

''Learn to play different notes.''' A standard whistle takes two octaves. In the case of the D whistle, this covers the notes from the second D above middle C to the fourth D above middle C. In theory, by blowing a particularly strong stream of air it is possible to hit higher notes, but in practice the sound turns out to be too loud and out of tune. Typically, each raised finger and open hole on the whistle produces a higher note. Take a look at the D-whistle tablature below. White circles indicate an open hole, black circles indicate a closed hole. The + sign under the tablature means the second octave.

''Play the notes in a low octave. Take the whistle and close all the holes with your fingers. (You don't have to press your fingers too hard, just make sure your fingertips are completely covering the hole.) Blow the whistle while keeping your tongue in position as if you were saying “too.” The resulting sound is the “key” (that is, the note “D” on a “D” whistle). If you blow too lightly, the note will come out too thin; if you blow too hard, the whistle will play in the second octave or produce a sharp whistling sound. Learn to blow a steady stream of air to produce a nice low sound on the right note. Remove finger by finger, thus going through all the notes in the scale until you get to the note at which all the holes on the whistle are open (C-sharp). To support the whistle with all holes open, use the little finger of your dominant hand.

Play the notes of the second octave. Close all the holes again with your fingers and blow into the whistle with double force. If you can't hit a note in the second octave, try opening the first hole (closest to your mouth) a little - this tactic will help you with all the notes in the second octave. As in the first lesson, open all the holes on the whistle one by one, playing the scale in the second octave to the highest note (C sharp). The higher the notes, the harder you will have to blow.

Learn to play a melody! If you don't know how yet, learn to play music from sight, using notes.

More practice! Practice the purity of notes and smooth transitions between them, as well as special gadgets for your playing:

Cut - Before playing a note, play a higher note for a split second. Quickly remove your finger from the hole and put it back so that the listening ear does not even have time to register the tone.
Strike - Same as cut, but instead of playing a higher note, you play a lower note.
Slide Between Notes - Allow your finger to slide off the hole to smoothly transition to a new note.
The Vibrato effect is achieved by varying the air flow. The faster you blow, the higher the tone, the slower the lower, and changing the intensity will allow you to produce a vibrating sound. Don't blow too hard or you risk going into the second octave. Vibrato can also be done by opening and closing the second hole from the mouth. For example, when playing the note A, quickly lift and lower your finger from the second top hole to create a vibrating sound.

The instrument now known among Irish musicians as , , or tinflute , has a long pedigree in the historical annals of folk music.

Such pipes were first known in China, about 5000 years ago. Their design came to Europe around the 11th century. The oldest surviving examples are 12th-century bone whistles, recently discovered during the High Street excavations in the old Norman quarter of Dublin.

The various types of whistle flutes that were the progenitors of the modern tinwhistle are often mentioned in the stories and laws governing ancient Irish society. There is a story in which Ailen, leader of a magical tribe Tuatha de Danann, uses feadan to awaken the inhabitants of the Supreme King's palace Tara, so that he can carry out his "Vengeance on November Eve", held annually (one can only guess what kind of event this is).

Players on feadan also mentioned in the narrative of the King of Ireland, found in the Judicial Laws dating from the third century AD.

A 12th century poem mentions cuisleannach (performers) on cuisle or pipes) often present at fairs even in the pre-Christian period. However, the poet himself describes them rather disapprovingly (perhaps just due to personal hostility, or still because of their game).

More favorable attitude towards cuisle expressed by a 12th century translator in Acallam na Senorach, comparing this instrument with the timbre and sound of a girl’s voice.

One of the most interesting references comes from a poem found in ancient city Teach Miodhchuarta. It contains descriptions of the royal banquets at Tara; cuisleannach classified in the same division as blacksmiths, armor makers, jugglers, shoemakers, fishermen (in short, ordinary people, artisans), and are called their social compatriots.

Thanks to the research of 19th century scientists, some understanding of what these various "musical pipes" that flourished at that time was possible.

Both instrument names are feadan (also called feadog ) And cuisle (cuiseach ), refer to “pipe, pipe, artery, vein”, which were made from the arched stems of plants such as reeds and other herbs, (additional meaning feadan - “hollow stick”)

Manufacturer uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes) Patrick Annellay of Chicago recalled that, as a boy in Mayo, he often made musical instruments from the straw of mature oats, simply by removing the core of the stem, and then shaping the whistle and finger holes with a pocketknife.

Most likely, the basic principles of such instruments were discovered quite early by many people. Later, as processing technology advanced, more durable materials such as wood and bone began to be used, as well as various whistle designs, and reeds and reeds were invented to produce sound in instruments.

Stone carvings from the 9th to 11th centuries show these flutes straight, or sometimes slightly curved at the base. They had a narrow conical channel that widened towards the base, and were approximately 14 or 24 inches long.

Whistles currently made in the key of Bb (two steps below the "standard" key of D) are 14.3/4 inches long, this is the estimated, but not completely accurate tuning of the then feadog or cuisle .

Harmonic and possibly "overblowed", i.e. "overblown" notes were used, as on similar types of simple flutes throughout the world.

Longitudinal members of the flute family, found first in medieval Brittany and Ireland, were later also discovered in Somerset and Mountoutshire, England. Two pipes made from deer bone had five upper holes; one had two lower thumbholes, while the other pipe had only one. One pipe had a range of one and a half octaves, the second - two and a half octaves. These instruments were restored to working condition and were found to produce a diatonic scale (like modern ). This indicates that in those days it was possible to play simple melodies on such instruments.

Modern belongs to the variety musical instruments called (in the Western tradition) flageolets - harmonics, famous example which is the recorder. To distinguish these instruments from other flutes by their structure, the term “whistle flute” or “whistle flute” is also used. fipple-flute". I would like to draw your attention to the fact that now flageolet called a whistle flute, which has four upper and two lower holes, one of which is an octave.

Fipple (whistle, fipple) - a device formed by a small block, usually of wood, covering the flute channel at the upper end and forming an air channel through which air enters the whistle blade; in some cases this wooden block is not made separately, but is an integral part of the whistle.

Fipples Medieval bone flutes were made of clay. A narrow space was created in the form of a gap between the fipple and the inner wall of the instrument.

The air flow generated by the performer is directed by this system to the sharp edge of the pipe just behind the fipple, thereby producing the sound. This type of flute with a longitudinal air channel became known in Europe in the 11th century, and, according to musicologists, exists today in various forms all over the world.

Early 19th century English finally took shape as an instrument with six playing holes. Some still had a traditional hole for the thumb, but the blowing technique made it possible to successfully do without it.

The Robert Clark Story

Robert Clark lived and worked on a farm in the small village of Coney Weston, in England, as a simple laborer. He was talented musician, and at every opportunity he played the wooden whistle quite well. Maybe precisely because of this, or maybe for another reason, but in 1843 the owner of the farm accused him of dishonesty and fired the poor fellow.

Robert had to find a way to earn his living and also support his family.

Then he became interested in the possibility of making a metal whistle, similar to the wooden one he had. Why metal? And ask modern manufacturers of wooden whistles, why are they so expensive? :) Robert learned about the existence of a new material - “tinplate”, that is, tinplate. This was the name given to steel sheets coated with tin. Tin prevented corrosion of steel, and generally improved the aesthetic properties of the material.

Clark went to a blacksmith he knew and asked if he could get tinplate, and how to make a pipe out of tin “... like this wooden one”? Not seeing any difficulty in this, the blacksmith helped (when did the guys not help?), and Robert turned out to be a good instrument. Moreover, it was so good that he decided to start a business manufacturing !

His home village was not a place where he could open a real business. Therefore, Clark, having collected his tools and other belongings, loaded it all into a cart, and, together with his son (by the way, also Robert), went to Lancashire, where, as he was told, “there is room to turn around.”

So they walked, pushing the cart in front of them, from Coney Weston all the way to Manchester.

When along the way there were villages and towns where there was a market, Clark would stop there and make tin-whistles to sell immediately. In front of everyone, he made his pipes and immediately played them. They say that the buzzing market stood still and listened to our hero play his favorite melody " Danny Boy«.

Sometimes he met Irish laborers who were building railways and channels, and he sold whistles to them - after all, Robert asked for little, and almost everyone could buy this simple musical instrument for themselves. This is how tin whistles came to Ireland, and soon became the most beloved Irish folk instrument.

Having reached Manchester, Robert Clarke set up a factory, and soon became a successful manufacturer. Later he built a new, real factory, two

houses, and even a church in the nearby village of New Moston. By that time he was already quite a rich man...

Still The Clarke Tinwhistle Company produces whistles, and they are still available to almost everyone. The whistle is perhaps one of the most inexpensive and simple musical instruments. Clark called his first whistles “Meg,” a Victorian word meaning a half-penny coin, which was the amount for which the instrument could be purchased from Robert.

The current Meg model is a tribute to those days and is now the cheapest (but far from the worst) whistle in the world.

You can buy one for yourself, or even original version — Clarke Original, and touch the history of Robert Clarke - a man who made instruments for the people...

A little about

The tool, now called (literally: low whistle) is a very close relative of the ordinary whistle (I will not use the expression , which is sometimes used to make a clearer semantic distinction between these instruments). Wide popularity among traditional musicians of our time makes us take a closer look at this relatively young instrument. A richer, more complex, deeper and brooding sound allows for interesting arrangements of works not only in the traditional folk genre, but also in styles derived from it.

Consents regarding origin no, there are three main versions of the origin of the “low whistle”.

Low whistle as a 17th century instrument

The low whistle was first called the "vertical flute" because of its shape. It is a descendant of recorders developed during the 16th century. First had a conical bore and six playing holes, borrowed from early transverse flutes. They were made of wood and were not customizable. At the end of the 17th century, when metalworking reached the desired level, low whistles began to be made from brass and nickel. To do this, as a rule, the metal was rolled into a tube and soldered, like a conical Clark whistle. Some tools already had a slide for setting. These whistles were used throughout the 18th century, and have been found in Ireland, Great Britain, Canada and the United States. The re-introduction of upright metal flutes into Irish music is said to have occurred in the 1970s thanks to the musician Finbar Fury. It is also believed that it was he who coined the term “ «.

Low whistle as an instrument of the 20th century

The low whistle is a recent invention (perhaps no more than 30 years ago); and besides, it was accepted into the Irish tradition even more recently. Using low whistle in shows "Riverdance" contributed to the recognition and popularization of the instrument, but few musicians found this new product suitable for use instead of traditional flutes or regular . Generally speaking, most often used as a “special effects” tool on several individual melodies. Although there are some performers who play exclusively low whistles. It seems to many that a low whistle allows you to get a sound similar to a flute, without the technical effort that a flute requires. This opinion is not entirely correct, since the flute still sounds unique, and not always as easy to play as . It can be safely said that - something between a whistle (in terms of simplicity of play) and a flute (in terms of richness of sound). But this is purely my opinion, let’s move on to the third, most common theory.

Low whistle as an invention by Bernard Overton

In the late sixties, one of the most famous musicians to set the tone on the English folk scene were brothers Eddie and Finbar Fury. The main phenomenon was Finbar's composition called The Lonely Boatman. Finbar himself played in this group on the Indian bamboo flute in A flat. In the end, this instrument, due to physical wear and tear, cracked, and held on in its last days only thanks to adhesive tape and chewing gum. One night, Finbar accidentally sat on his unfortunate flute, finishing it completely.

The need for a new instrument forced Finbar to place an order with an English master named Bernard Overton. At that time he was engaged in the manufacture of transverse flutes. Bernard took up the creation of a prototype in the key of G... When the instrument was ready, Finbar liked it so much that he asked Bernard to make another one for him, in the key of D (below exactly an octave). This was the birth of a dynasty Overton…

Finbar Fury's popularity was high, and at concerts many people asked him where he got this new instrument. So Bernard Overton began to receive his first orders, and soon he left all other work, completely occupied with the manufacture of low whistles. Currently low whistles Overton are manufactured in more than 20 different keys, and special models are also produced (with additional playing holes and non-standard characteristics).

Many manufacturers have started making , more or less copying the models Overton. However, few have managed to come close to the sound of the “space drainpipe,” as this brand of low whistle is sometimes called for its recognizable sound.

A few years ago Bernard Overton decided to give up making whistles in a decision that could have destroyed the fragile market for artisan whistles. Bernard sold the rights to make whistles Overton two people - Colin Goldie and Phil Hardy.
Colin Goldie sticks to being completely handmade and makes his whistles exactly the same way Bernard Overton made them. His instruments are highly respected and in demand due to their impeccable and consistent sound quality. Unfortunately, Birdnard passed away in 2008, and since August 2009, at the request of Bernard Overton's family, Colin Goldie no longer names his whistles. "Overton". Now he uses his own last name - "Goldie", saving highest quality and the unique sound of instruments. Phil Hardy took a more commercial route. Quite quickly he developed a new series of whistles based on the design Overton, but factory-made, not hand-made. Now these whistles are produced under the brand "Chieftain", and, thanks to mass production and a good price/quality ratio, they have become very common. Phil Hardy, however, also produces more expensive low-whistles, completely handmade under the brand "Kerry Pro".
“Here’s PR again!”, you say, but there’s nothing you can do about it... For many years, the terms “ " And " Overton ” were practically synonymous, and I know of no other story that could more adequately tell the birth of this new instrument, one of the youngest instruments in the world. Beautiful instrument - beautiful story, that’s how it is with us... :)