Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Taking Requests

I do apologize for not being more attentive to this website. It's hard to manage more than one blog and since I'm not actively teaching the whistle right now, my focus has not been on maintaining this site. (Ironically, I reckon I am passively teaching the whistle, given the number of emails I get each day about the online lessons)

I have a few days to myself so I thought that I would make this offer, sort of a "mea culpa" for being lax on this site. So here's my offer:

  • If there is a tune you want me to teach, write it into the comments and I will do my best to make a quick lesson out of it. These won't be of the quality of the Fordham lessons, given that I'll do them at my computer. Nevertheless, I'll do my best to make it clear and concise.
  • If there is a tune you want played, put that below and I'll do my best to get it recorded.
In either case, I ask for one thing: if you know where the sheet music to the tune is, could you put a link to it? If I don't know it already, I'll have to learn it to teach it (teaching in a high school has made me adept at this!). I'm glad to do so but, if you have the notes handy, it'll make my life a lot easier.

I can't promise to get to all of them but, if I know what's desired, I'll do my level best to be of assistance.

Happy Easter!

38 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Ryan ive been following you a bit here and there on You Tube and came across your Wild Rover video. but its a bit fast for me to get all the notes. I have a hard time with sheet music and find it easier to use the Dots for each note any help would be great thanks!

Cheers
Ryan

Unknown said...

Could you teach The Butterfly slip jig and perhaps a favorite slow aire or two?

Randy

Christoph said...

Hi

I like The Butterfly too, and wish you could teach that song.

I hardly searched for a sheet music of The Sally Gardens which you play on a Youtube-Video, but I haven't found anything, so a teaching would be very nice. You play it so fast and with much ornamentations, I couldn't listen or watch the tones out.

And maybe you can teach also The Lochaber Badge, it's an easy one, but I don't know how to make it more irish. When I play this song, it always sounds like a pop song.

Big thanks for all your teaching videos, it helped very much in the beginning, and sometimes also now.

Chris

Unknown said...

I really appreciate your posting these lessons online! I have been looking for Dennis Murphy's Polka. It probably has other names. Thanks, TW in KY

Rich said...

Is there any chance you could please teach The Lonesome Boatman by Finbar and the Furies?

I think this would be a very popular tune as a lot of people seem to want to learn how to play it on the whistle and it's very moving.

Great lessons, I can't say enough good things about them, thank you for the time!

Rich said...

Sorry forgot to add a link to the sheet music as requested in your post;

http://unitedireland.tripod.com/id236.html

Anonymous said...

Hey Ryan thanks to you i am now trying to learn playing the tin whistle :-D . .

But one of my big dreams is to learn how to play The Rocky road to Dublin :-D so thats is my request :-)

Best regards

Laust Kohsel
Denmark

gerard said...

Hi Ryan,
Do you have notes for The Lark in the Morning for tin whistle.
Many thanks for all your help
Caoimhe

Therese said...

Hi Ryan, I really liked your Wild Rover it really helped a true novice. I have seen your Butterfly vedio but it is too fast for me. I would love to see you break it down and maybe help us add a couple of ornamentations.

Anonymous said...

The Man of the House
Reel in Em

Anonymous said...

Hi Ryan

I think your blog and youtube videos are great. I am starting to learn the tin whistle and you are a great help. I am really enjoying learning to play this instrument with your help and it is great to celebrate my Irish heritage too.

I would like to learn how to play "She Moved Through the Fair". Have you covered that in one of your lessons? If not, could you cover it in a future lesson and post the notes on your blog?

Best wishes

Jackie

Anonymous said...

Hey, if you could post any Flogging Molly song I would be glad! For example Devils Dance Floor, or Drunken Lullaby .. Any is good :) Thanks
Simon

Anonymous said...

i would love it if you could play michale prestons reel

Leo McManus said...

Hello Father,

Can you do Cooleys Reel, I have a problem with the breathin' and turn blue and collapse part way through, (not'in to do with the Guinness!)

Sheet Music:

http://breizhpartitions.free.fr/en/download_score.php/102_Cooley%E2%80%99s_Reel

Good Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEC_SdTUE6c

Leo

Anonymous said...

I have taken an interest in learning the tin whistle and your videos on YouTube have been extremely helpful as I don't read music.

As far as teaching a song goes, I loved the video of you playing Silver Spear and was wondering if you could post a lesson on how to play that particular song.

I tried to teach myself but I, apparently, wasn't reading the letter notations correctly because it sounded nothing like your version.

Thanks!
~Amanda~

Ziva said...

Are you still taking requests? I've recently started playing the tin whistle after years of piano playing, and your videos have helped me tremednously. I would love to learn how to play the tin whistle part of Toss the Feathers, the Corrs version. I can't seem to find sheet music for it, and I can't figure it out just by listening to the song.

gerry said...

Hi Ryan, I was sent a link of your site a couple of years back and I took up the whistle again not that I was any good but your lessons were just the kick start I needed. Thank you.
My request is for 'Lark in the clear air'
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/7632

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eyEutcK3hc

thanks again

Andreth4288 said...

Hi ryan, Love your music could you possibly do a tutorial or play "stolen kiss" from lord of the dance
Please? it's my absolute favorite song in the world!
thanks,
Andrea

Anonymous said...

Hello Brother Ryan I have a simple request: I'd like to learn the Lord of the Rings whistle parts. Great site, even if you can't update often! I just bought my first Feadog whistle and am using your videos to learn

Anonymous said...

hi ryan ,
really enjoy your videos .
could you please do michale prestons reel
thanks
ray

Unknown said...

I too would like to see a lesson on the half-holing technique for C-natural.

I've not seen any videos on half-holing anywhere else.

All your lessons are great!

Monty

ian said...

Hi there Fr Ryan,
I am of Irish decent and love Irish Scotish and English folk music. I have no musical back ground and hav found your lessons very useful. I am now playing alongside my third eldest son who is lerning to play the guita at school and we find it good fun. He also likes to play some of your easier tune with me on our tin whistles.
As you update your videos etc I would really apreciate you adding a link to the sheet music with ABC and tabs this would help me a lot
Thanks once again for all you work , which I can tell you is very much appreciated.
Whishing you a happy and holy Christmas,
Ian Stuart

Unknown said...

Hey Ryan
I recently started learning tin whistle and your videos are a great inspiration to me. My favorite is the "rocky road to dublin" video. It makes me wanna drop everything else i might be doing and start playing!
Any chance you could do a tutorial for that? Or if you dont have the time just give some sheet music for that?

Thank you for all your work!

Unknown said...

Hello Ryan, greetings from Germany!
My interest for the tin whistle awoke several years ago on listening to the Pogues ("young ned of the hill"). Last year's birthday-present was a tin-whistle. And now (prepared by your videos) I'd like to play my favourites, currently it is "Spencil Hill" played/sung by Christy Moore and Shane Macgowan. It is not so difficult to play the melody, but in the background of their video on youtube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iUEwB4ME3I) you hear a whistler, for example between minute 2:00 and 2:40. I would like to learn his part(s). Can you help me by video or by "paper"?
Greetings
Alex
PS:Beeing greedy, my next question would be, of course, "young ned of the hill" (again not the melody but the accompaniment) (excuse my poor english)

clanmccann said...

Hi, I love your tin whistle lessons, thanks for posting them.
Can you play a decorated version of "Lark in the Morning"?
Also I would like O'Sullivan's March if you have time.
thanks very much
Margot

SeaSideRobin said...

Heyo,

To Ryan / and or anyone else looking for sheet music. I've been using a wonderful site that has a compilation of hundreds of irish tunes in ABC format and sheet music. Here's the link: http://tunedb.woodenflute.com/

Easiest way to find a tune is to search by name and use the advanced search to narrow it down to the keys of D or G.

Robin

Patrick said...

Brother Ryan:
Thanks so much for your music ministry and sharing it with others. I hope that you follow in the footsteps of Fr. Mitch Pacwa... my favorite SJ priest! I was wondering if you have heard Martin Doman's St. Patrick's Breastplate? I just heard it one week ago and fell in love with that awesome tune. I wasn't sure which wind instrument was playing until just researching it and I was very happy to stumble upon your online posts. Very talented - keep up the great work and Seminary studies. Here is the link to the sheet music. Key of F. Can you get all of the notes out of a D whistle?

http://catholicboston.com/pdfs/domanbreastplatesheetmusic.pdf

You can listen here https://files.me.com/ptnopainmd/hfrv9y.mov

Rod, U.K said...

Thank you Ryan this site you have made is helping me tremendously as I have never played the tin whistle, nor do I read music. I to find the dots on the whistle for each note helpful. My Grateful Thanks again .Rod U.K

Anonymous said...

Hi Ryan,Thanks for all the videos. I'm learning the wooden flute and a lot of that information is helpful,especially about cuts and rolls. Craigs Pipes would be my request. Thanks-David

David said...

Hi Ryan,Thanks for all the videos. I'm learning the wooden flute and a lot of that information is helpful,especially about cuts and rolls. Craigs Pipes would be my request. Thanks-David

MiketheBook said...

Hi Ryan, I love your site. My favourite whistle tune is an air by the Scottish group Capercaillie and is called "Lordship of the Isles," from their CD "Blood is Strong." I would love you to teach it.

Momma Bear said...

I'd love to Learn to play Be Thou My Vision. I'm in your beginners basic lesson 2. I can play The Dawn of the Day. Thank you!!!

Roger said...

Hi Ryan! Thanks for your fantastically informative videos! I'm a 'struggling' beginner, but thanks to you, I'm improving! Is there any way you could record a tune for me? I compose tunes and play them at local ceilidh's and sessions on my bouzouki. I've any easy tune called 'Moggs Eye' which would sound fantastic if you played it!!! Please have a listen/try and it would make my year!!! Thanks again Ryan. Here's the link: http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/11476 thanks again!!

fino said...

I have transposed "The Strayaway Child" to 1 sharp and am using the octive b to be able to play this on my d whistle. Have you tried this? I can send you the sheet music.

thanks
fino

fino said...

The Strayaway Child. I have transposed this to one sharp and it can be played using the octive b note. I can send the sheet music via email.

thanks
fino

Adela said...

Hello, Father.
Thank you so much for your free lessons.
One day, I casually saw your tutorial through the youtube and it really helped me and inspired me. A lot of tutorials don´t teach step by step nor play slowly for the people like me(newbee).
Many times I still play like a duck singing (Bb & D) but I really do wish to do well to able to play with other people.
Father, I wanted to ask you if you can help me by playing slowly "The kesh jig" if it is possible. Thank you so much once more. God bless you.
-Korean girl from Spain

Vako said...

Hi Ryan
I came across this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8pzlK3ZCYI
and fell in love with the first half :) The Kerry Reel, aka The Green Fields of Rossbeigh. I would really love it if you could make a tutorial on that! Or just your quick take on it :)

Thank you!

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