Format: Book (480pp) & 2 Companion CDs that gives the reader, listener and player a once rarely explored (until now) complete history of the Irish Flute and Tin Whistle. An excellent historic and 'how to play' teaching guide for the aspiring young Irish musician, and the professional musician as well.
"In this art, the key to all insight is listening." - Chapter One, Grey Larsen
And in truth that is what this book requires. The reader must not only listen to the well-played companion CDs, but must also listen (between the lines), of well-written (musically voluble) historical text.
An encyclopedia of Irish musicology that at times borders on scientific musical anthropology, which covers such topics, as (just to name a few): The physical relationship on holding and blowing the tin whistle, warm-up exercises, long tone exercises, clearing the windway, articulate and inarticulate breathing, circular breathing, heavy breath pulsing, breath slides, breath vibrato, and the subtle breath pulse… and now I'm out of breath, but there's more: Equal-tempered intonation, ascending rolls, double-cut rolls, long rolls, short rolls, slides, melodic ornaments, traditional materials, nontraditional materials, strikes, trills, staccato, and yes, somehow (and I'm not sure how) - the polka, and there's still much, much more!
Enhanced with numerous photographs (both historical and instructional), and containing over 190 pages of musical notation… plus 2 CDs. The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Tin Whistle offers to the reader, listener, and player, a library of 'musically Irish' information that has been condensed into one informative book!
And one final note: On the last page Mel Bay Publications has a circular emblem that simply states " Excellence in Music Since 1947." And now after 'listening' (reading) this book, I've become (and hopefully you will become)… a 'Mel Bay' believer!
01/05/04 >> 
