Oak Pennywhistle In D (Oak Classic Pennywhistles) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm not a professional musician, and I wanted to buy this just to fiddle around with it (and it was cheap, that was a plus). I found some websites that had sheet music for it, showed you how to play certain songs. Its great for that, its simple and the sound is very full. I'd recommend it if you wanted the instrument for the sound. The range of the instrument is lacking, some Pennywhistles in D give you a higher range, but not this one. Its not horrible, but if you're looking to hit some higher notes, you might want to look elsewhere.

All in all, its great.

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Product Description:
One of the premier pennywhistles in the world, created from premium triple-nickle plated solid brass tubing polished to a lustrous shine and capped with the unique Oak adjustable turnable mouthpiece. Ideal for playing traditional folk and Irish music, the Oak Pennywhistle is among the easiest of all the instruments for beginners to play.

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Traditional Irish Tin Whistle Tutor: Book Only (Penny & Tin Whistle) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a very nice tutor for the Irish Whistle.Ms. Cotter assumes you dont know anything about music, and starts from the beginning, not only teaching how to play the whistle, but also the basics of reading sheet music.Tonguing, time & rhythm, breathing, articulation, slurring, ornamentation (including cuts, rolls and the casadh) are all covered using nice irish tunes as examples.There is also a small section on slow aire playing, which is the slow, haunting style that you often hear on movie soundtracks.
After the tutorial, Ms. Cotter lists the music for 100 Irish tunes.It is a nice mix of tunes--many are popular tunes that are often played during pub sessions, and others are very nice but less well known.
I started from scratch with this tutorial, and made very quick progress.However, I also had the accompanying CDs:one CD that walks through the teaching part, and two CDs playing the 100 tunes.IF YOU ARE NOT VERY VERY FAMILIAR WITH IRISH MUSIC, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU GET THE ACCOMPANYING CDS.I cannot tell if these CDs are also available on Amazon...it looks to me like only the book tutorial is offered.
Why is this important?One of the unique things about irish folk music is that unlike classical music, the basic irish tune is almost never played as written...the soul of irish music and whistle music is how you embellish and customize the tune to your own style.In her written tutorial, Cotter covers how to play cuts, rolls, and other ornaments, but you have to HEAR it played to really understand and learn how to play this music.
So, to sum up, this is a great learning tutorial when you get the CD's too.I've heard that L.E. McCullough's Irish Whistle tutorial is also very good, and also comes with a bunch of good session tunes.Im going to get McCullough's next, since his list of session tunes seems to be the "bible" that a lot of players use and refer to during pub sessions.

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Product Description:
A complete method for the Irish tin whistle with an appendix of 100 choice Irish airs and dance tunes.

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Mandolin Pickers Fakebook Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this and returned it.I can't read mandolin tab.If you're like me and need standard notation for your mandolin music, buy the fiddler's fakebook.Same songs, similar introductory material, and it's in standard notation.That's where I'm going now, to order the fiddle book.But if you read tab, this book will suit you fine.

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Product Description:
Contains over 250 jigs, reels, rags, hornpipes, and breakdowns from all the major traditional instrumental styles. Special introductory materials on regional styles, interpretation, and ornamentation. Includes an extensive discography.

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Irish Whistle Tune Book (Penny & Tin Whistle) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you only want to buy one book of tinwhistle tunes, this wouldn't be a bad way to go.About half of the 34 tunes are ballads and airs, and the other half are dance tunes such as jigs, reels, polkas, hornpipes and mazurkas. Most of the tunes are quite distinctive and catchy. They are also in an informal, easier to more difficult order. The companion CD (available from 'Sheet Music Plus') has all the songs, played on whistle & low whistle, flute and guitar. I don't have the tutor by the same author, but I suspect that combined with this book one could become well steeped in Celtic whistling and music.

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Product Description:
Forty-two of the finest old Irish Dance Tunes, Song Airs and O'Carolan pieces in easy setting and easy traditional keys (D, G & A). Suitable for beginners on most traditional instruments.

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130 Great Irish Ballads (Book and CD) (Music Sales America) Review

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(More customer reviews)I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good handy collection of the classic Irish songs.It has the classics, from "The Minstrel Boy" to "Sally Gardens" and (of course!) "The Wearin' of the Green."Some that vary a lot are found here in particularly good versions--you can find variants of "Bunclody" (under various names) and "Lark in the Morning" anywhere, but not often versions this good.There are also some quite striking items that were new to me--such as "Monto," which will radically change your stereotypes of the Victorian period, and "Home by Bearna," a local song which is achingly beautiful.The book certainly brings home the sad history of Ireland--most of the songs are about emigration, lost loves, and patriot martyrs.
There are also useful notes with some new information to me--e.g. that the tune of "Danny Boy" was collected from a Miss J. Ross in 1855, and nothing like it has ever turned up before or since.
Bad points:the songs are in no particular order, and the order on the CD is different--it appears to be ordered according to the ways the melodies flow into each other (as in an Irish dance set), and I wish the book had had that order.The CD provides only the 1st verse of each song.The singing on the CD is forthright Irish pub style--not the greatest (as another reviewer indicates) but very much better than mine, so who am I to complain?I bought the book to learn the songs--I have plenty of Irish music CD's already.
If you apprenticed with the Chieftains and moved on to the Wolfe Tones, you don't need this book and probably don't want it, but if you are newer to the game and want a fine introduction to Irish songs, this is as good a one-stop place as you'll find.The songs are so beautiful that the collective force of 130 of them together is overwhelming.

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Product Description:
In this book you have everything you need to play and sing some of the greatest Irish ballads ever written ¯ the lyrics, guitar chords and simplified music score, plus a CD featuring the first verse and chorus of each of the ballads. A virtual "Irish Balladeer's Kit"! Also includes photos and great background information on each tune. "Whether you're a professional entertainer or want to learn the songs for private parties, this is a must for you" ¯ Daniel O'Donnell

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Dubliners Songbook (Music Sales America) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a usable songbook for musicians good enough to know how to find the errors.It covers most of the best known tunes by the Dubliners, and although I haven't found any errors in the melody lines, there are numerous errors in the chord symbols (for example, the first two chords of The Patriot Game are a semitone above what they should be).Also, the publishing quality is minimal - very little effort was put into making this look good.

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Product Description:
Over 40 songs in the versions made famous by the world-renowned Irish group. Includes fascinating profiles of the members of the group, plus photographs. Includes: Rocky Road To Dublin, Wild Rover, The Holy Ground, A Jar Of Porter, and The Patriot Game.

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Celtic Thunder (Piano/Vocal/Guitar Artist Songbook) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am thrilled to get my hands on this songbook!I already own the DVD and both CDs, and have seen "the lads" twice during their first US tour.I am looking forward to future tours and additional recordings to add to my collection.

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Product Description:
Not a group but a show, Celtic Thunder is a collection of traditional and contemporary Celtic music at its finest. Featuring five male vocalists, the show was first staged in Dublin of August 2007, and has since been a mainstay on PBS stations. Our songbook includes 18 tunes arranged by Phil Coulter: Caledonia * Come by the Hills * Heartland * Ireland's Call * The Island * Lauren and I * The Mountains of Mourne * Remember Me * Steal Away * and more.

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