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  • Beginner
    • Lesson 1: Getting Started on the Tin Whistle
    • Lesson 2: Holding and Blowing the Tin Whistle
    • Lesson 3: Tin Whistle G and Metronomes
    • Lesson 4: Tin Whistle F# and Squeaky Sounds
    • Lesson 5: Tin Whistle E and Half Notes
    • Lesson 6: Tin Whistle D, Whole Notes and 3 Blind Mice
    • Lesson 7: Tin Whistle A, Legato and Breathing
    • Lesson 8: Tin Whistle B and Tied Notes
    • Lesson 9: Tin Whistle C# and Dot's
    • Lesson 10: Tin Whistle C and the Key of G
    • Lesson 11: Tin Whistle High D and 8th Notes
    • Lesson 12: Easy Tin Whistle Songs and 3/4
    • Lesson 13: Tin Whistle High E
    • Lesson 14: Tin Whistle High F#
    • Lesson 15: Tin Whistle High G
    • Lesson 16: Tin Whistle High A
    • Lesson 17: Tin Whistle High B
    • Lesson 18: Tin Whistle tunes using both octaves and 2/4 Time
  • Novice
    • Lesson 1: Tin Whistle Breath Control and Tone
    • Lesson 2: Tin Whistle Tonguing
    • Lesson 3: Tin Whistle Low Hand Taps
    • Lesson 4: Tin Whistle High Hand Taps
    • Lesson 5: Tin Whistle Songs with Taps
    • Lesson 6: Tin Whistle Cuts
    • Lesson 7: Slow Airs and Tin Whistle Slides
    • Lesson 8: Ascending Tin Whistle Cuts
    • Lesson 9: Tin Whistle Polka's and 2/4 Time
    • Lesson 10: Descending Tin Whistle Cuts
    • Lesson 11: Tin Whistle Repeats, Intros, Endings and Triplets
    • Lesson 12: Tin Whistle Marches
    • Lesson 13: Tin Whistle Tuning
    • Lesson 14: Tin Whistle Vibrato
  • Advanced
    • Lesson 1: Tin Whistle Long Rolls
    • Lesson 2: Tin Whistle Jigs
    • Lesson 3: Tin Whistle Short Rolls
    • Lesson 4: Tin Whistle Reels
    • Lesson 5: Tin Whistle Hornpipe
    • Lesson 6: Tin Whistle Slip Jigs
    • Lesson 7: Tin Whistle Crans
    • Lesson 8: Tin Whistle BCD Triplet
    • Lesson 9: Tin Whistle Slides (Jigs)
    • Lesson 10: Tin Whistle Double Cuts
    • Lesson 11: Tin Whistle Finger Bounces and Descending Taps
    • Lesson 12: Tune Interpretations and Variations
    • Lesson 13: Practicing
    • Lesson 14: Transposition and Different Keyed Whistles
    • Lesson 15: Low Whistles
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    • Slow Airs >
      • Dawn of the Day
      • Mo Ghile Mear
      • South Wind
      • Down By the Sally Gardens
    • Marches >
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      • Irish Rover
      • Mairi's Wedding
    • Polkas >
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      • Britches Full of Stitches
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      • Morning Star
      • Wind that Shakes the Barley
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      • Donnybrook Fair
      • Sporting Pitchfork
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      • Fig For A Kiss
      • Lilting Banshee
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LESSON 3: TIN WHISTLE BREATHING


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The tin whistle and flute are the only Irish traditional instruments that are not suited to non-stop playing. We play the same tunes as fiddles, accordions, pipes etc.... and the tunes have no built-in breathing places. We must create our own by leaving out or shortening notes. The trick is to decide to take a breath somewhere it will enhance the tune instead of taking away from it. 

Breathing in Irish traditional music can sometimes pose a bit of a challenge. Many tunes are very fast and it can be confusing where to take a breath. So in most cases it will be up to you to decided where you can take a breath without it ruining the effect of the tune. You must learn which notes to leave out or shorten so that it doesn't ruin the tune. This is simple in Slow Airs, but its very difficult in faster tunes such as jigs and reels.   

Good Breathing techniques and exercise:
  • When inhaling use your mouth not your nose (you can inhale much faster through your mouth then your nose.)
  • Your bottom lip should stay in contact with whistle when taking a breath.
  • Don't allow air to be released through nose while playing.
  • Take a breath and play a steady low G and time yourself. Work on seeing how long you can hold the note using proper breathing techniques. i.e.. when inhaling use your mouth not your nose, keep bottom lip on whistle and don't let any air come out your nose. My best time is 31seconds. Try and beat me.​

​Where to take breaths in tunes?
​

Here are some general rules about where to breath in tunes:
  • Do not take a breath between short notes.​
  • Take breaths during long notes or at the end of a parts.​
  • Breaths should never be on the beat.

​Below is a Jig written out normally on the top and below I have notated where a whistle player might take breaths in the tune. The big green breath marks that look like commas are where you could possibly take a breath. That doesn't mean you should take a breath everywhere you see a big green comma, there are way more spots you could take a breath then you will need. Choose which ever ones you like best. Its good practice to vary where you take breaths so your playing stays interesting to the listener and doesn't sound mechanical. i.e. you might decide to take a breath in the second bar the second time you play the tune but not the first. Listen to other tin whistle players and you will start to notice how important breath placement is and how you should go about it.

The trick is learning which notes are indispensable and which you can leave out or shorten without affecting the flow of the tune. Note omission and note shortening will eventually become second nature to you, when you are approaching low air supply you will feel it in your body and you will improvise on where to take a breath in a musically tasteful way. This is something very hard to teach but as you improve and play tunes more you will just kind of figure it out. ​
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  • Login
  • Beginner
    • Lesson 1: Getting Started on the Tin Whistle
    • Lesson 2: Holding and Blowing the Tin Whistle
    • Lesson 3: Tin Whistle G and Metronomes
    • Lesson 4: Tin Whistle F# and Squeaky Sounds
    • Lesson 5: Tin Whistle E and Half Notes
    • Lesson 6: Tin Whistle D, Whole Notes and 3 Blind Mice
    • Lesson 7: Tin Whistle A, Legato and Breathing
    • Lesson 8: Tin Whistle B and Tied Notes
    • Lesson 9: Tin Whistle C# and Dot's
    • Lesson 10: Tin Whistle C and the Key of G
    • Lesson 11: Tin Whistle High D and 8th Notes
    • Lesson 12: Easy Tin Whistle Songs and 3/4
    • Lesson 13: Tin Whistle High E
    • Lesson 14: Tin Whistle High F#
    • Lesson 15: Tin Whistle High G
    • Lesson 16: Tin Whistle High A
    • Lesson 17: Tin Whistle High B
    • Lesson 18: Tin Whistle tunes using both octaves and 2/4 Time
  • Novice
    • Lesson 1: Tin Whistle Breath Control and Tone
    • Lesson 2: Tin Whistle Tonguing
    • Lesson 3: Tin Whistle Low Hand Taps
    • Lesson 4: Tin Whistle High Hand Taps
    • Lesson 5: Tin Whistle Songs with Taps
    • Lesson 6: Tin Whistle Cuts
    • Lesson 7: Slow Airs and Tin Whistle Slides
    • Lesson 8: Ascending Tin Whistle Cuts
    • Lesson 9: Tin Whistle Polka's and 2/4 Time
    • Lesson 10: Descending Tin Whistle Cuts
    • Lesson 11: Tin Whistle Repeats, Intros, Endings and Triplets
    • Lesson 12: Tin Whistle Marches
    • Lesson 13: Tin Whistle Tuning
    • Lesson 14: Tin Whistle Vibrato
  • Advanced
    • Lesson 1: Tin Whistle Long Rolls
    • Lesson 2: Tin Whistle Jigs
    • Lesson 3: Tin Whistle Short Rolls
    • Lesson 4: Tin Whistle Reels
    • Lesson 5: Tin Whistle Hornpipe
    • Lesson 6: Tin Whistle Slip Jigs
    • Lesson 7: Tin Whistle Crans
    • Lesson 8: Tin Whistle BCD Triplet
    • Lesson 9: Tin Whistle Slides (Jigs)
    • Lesson 10: Tin Whistle Double Cuts
    • Lesson 11: Tin Whistle Finger Bounces and Descending Taps
    • Lesson 12: Tune Interpretations and Variations
    • Lesson 13: Practicing
    • Lesson 14: Transposition and Different Keyed Whistles
    • Lesson 15: Low Whistles
  • Tunes
    • Slow Airs >
      • Dawn of the Day
      • Mo Ghile Mear
      • South Wind
      • Down By the Sally Gardens
    • Marches >
      • Minstrel Boy
      • Irish Rover
      • Mairi's Wedding
    • Polkas >
      • Kerry Polka
      • Britches Full of Stitches
      • John Ryan's Polka
    • Reels >
      • Rolling in the Rye Grass
      • Morning Star
      • Wind that Shakes the Barley
      • Dunmore Lassies
    • Jigs >
      • Donnybrook Fair
      • Sporting Pitchfork
      • Humours of Glendart
      • Fig For A Kiss
      • Lilting Banshee
    • Hornpipes >
      • Off to California
      • Boys of Bluehill
      • Harvest Home
  • About