the pennywhistle is a wonderful first instrument. after...
TRANSCRIPT
The pennywhistle is a wonderful first instrument. After completing Pennywhistle Band Book 1, you will be well prepared to move on to flute,saxophone, clarinet and any other instrument of the band or orchestra. It is also a great instrument in its own right. The pennywhistle can be yourlife-long musical partner. Music is a gift you give yourself and others. Enjoy!
Pennywhistle Band is a comprehensive classroom method that introduces music notation and the fundamentals of playing a musical instrument in an ensemble. The lessons are presented in clear and easysteps that reinforce understanding.
ISBN: 978-0-9906160-0-9Copyright © 2014 by Callicoon Whistle Company P.O.Box 265 Callicoon, NY 12723
International Copyright Secured All Rights ReservedPennywhistle Band Book 1 written by Donald Castellow PennywhistleBand.com
Book design and illustrations by Katy Keen katykeen.com
Members of the flute family include the silver or metal flute,wooden flute, fife, recorder, piccolo and the . . .
The flute is believed to be our oldestmusical instrument. In 2009, a 40,000 year-old flute was found in a cave in Germany. It is carved from a bone.
1
. . . pennywhistle
The pennywhistle has six holes.
Raise your left hand.
Touch your left thumband first finger.
Hold your pennywhistle between your left thumb and first finger,so that your first finger covers the top hole of the pennywhistle.
2
Right thumb
With your right thumb behind the fourth hole,put the pennywhistleto your lips and whisper the word “too.”
3
B
Cover the top hole with your first finger and gently whisper the word “too.” Play the lowest-sounding note that comes out (not the high squeaky ones). The name of this note is B. Play B, say its name – “B.” You have now been introduced!
Now that you are playing, here are some hints to make the notes come out easily.
1. Cover the hole with your fingerprint. It is a natural “bulls-eye.”
2. When you cover the hole, keep your finger straight,
not curved like a claw.
Ouch!
Hand and Fingers
Blow the air in a gentle whisper. Always start the sound with “too”never “who.”
3.
4
A group of people playing instruments together is called an ensemble.When we play in an ensemble, we follow a leader or conductor.
The conductor helps us start, stop, and play music together by giving non-verbal signals: non-verbal means silent,
so that nothing interrupts the sound of the music.
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The 4 most important non-verbal signals:
You are holding your pennywhistleon your lap and silently listening for instructions. Note: listen with your ears and eyes.
1. Laps
2. Playing Position
You are holding your pennywhistleto your lips and preparing to play.Playing Position is silent.
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This is the moment the ensemble begins the tone with a whispered “too.”
3. Downbeat
This is the moment the ensemble stops playing the tone.Stop the tone by stopping the air.
4. Cutoff
“too”
stop
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Playing B, A, and G notes
Posture
1. Sit up straight on the front of your chair. 2. Feet are on the floor in front of you.3. Back is not touching the back of your chair.4. Feel an imaginary string attached to the top of your head, pulling straight up.
Hold your pennywhistle correctly. Cover the top hole with the first finger of your
left hand, and whisper “too” ...B
then say “B.”
While holding the first finger on the first hole, cover the second hole with the
second finger and whisper “too”... A then say “A.”
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Cover the third hole with the third finger,
whisper “too”... then say “G.”G
Right Hand
Keep the top three (B, A, and G) holes covered. Cover the fourth hole with the first finger of your right hand.
Add the second finger, whisper “too.”
Add the third finger, whisper “too.” Now whisper “too.”
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Play a Tune
Whisper “too” one time for each illustration, with a short silence on MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG(Read left to right.)
(Go to next page.)
B A GA
B B B
A A A
B B B
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(Read left to right.)
B AG
A
B B B
A AB
A
G
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Play one “too” on each note.
B
“too”
A
“too”
G
“too”
“too”
“too”
“too”
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Play a long “toooooooo” followed by 4 short “tooʼs” on each tone B, A, G.
B
“toooooooo, too, too, too, too”
A
G
“toooooooo, too, too, too, too”
“toooooooo, too, too, too, too”
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Reading Music
We write a note on the page to represent
There are 2 kinds of notes.
The lines touch the top and bottom of the note liketouching the North Pole and South Pole of planet Earth.
1. Note on a line.
2. Note on a space.
Look carefully at a piece of written music. You will see that every note is either on a line or on a space.
a tone
The note on a line is a lot like the Earth with its equator. The line runs across the middle of the note like the equator runs across the middle of the Earth.
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played on the pennywhistle.A
A
We read music on a staff that has 5 lines and 4 spaces.
4 Spaces 5 Lines
Each line and space has a letter namethat represents a tone on the pennywhistle.B, A, and G look like this on the staff.
12345
1234
B is the note on the 3rd line, the B line to be exact. Any note on the 3rd line is always a B.
A is the note on the 2nd space, the A space. Any note on the 2nd space is always an A.
G is on the 2nd line, the G line. Any note on the 2nd line is always a G.
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BA
G
BA
GA B B B A A A B B B
BA
GA B B B A A B
AG
Merrily We Roll Along
BA
G
See how the notes on the staff look like the holes on the pennywhistle.
BA
G
This is a rest. It means silence for the same length of time as one note.
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Have you learned the names of the notes?
= = =
3rd line 2nd line2nd space
Play Merrily We Roll Along again.
BA G
= Rest
silent
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B A G
The Beat
Music has a pulse, or a beat to keep it moving forward. The beat gives music life and makes it fun. When we play Merrily We Roll Along, there is a beat.
Something happens on every beat, either a noteor a rest. We number the beats in groups of 4. beat beat beat beat
1 2 3 4 beat beat beat beat1 2 3 4
Each group of 4 beats makes a measure. Think of a measure as a musical inch.Each one is marked by a bar line.
MeasureBarLine
Measure BarLine
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Each note in Merrily We Roll Along lasts for 1 beat
and is called a quarter note.
= 4 beats = 1 measure
Any combination of quarter notes and quarter rests that adds up to 4 beats can be used to fill 1 measure.
= 4 beats = 1 measure
You can fit 4 quarter notes into 1 measure.
The rest that lasts for 1 beat is called a quarter rest.
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1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
For a note to sound longer than 1 beat, there is a half note which sounds for 2 beats.
= 2 beats = half note
Letʼs make this note sound longer than 1 beat.
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Replace the quarter note and quarter rest with a half note.
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Merrily We Roll Along
This is a half rest.It lasts for 2 beats.
= B = A = G
BA G
= half rest
2 beats
These next tunes use B, A, and G quarter notes and half notes. 21
Hot Cross Buns
Pierrot
A repeat sign means go back to the beginning and play it again.
Follow the repeat sign.
Lullaby
A double bar line at the end of a tune is like a period at the end of a sentence. It means The End.
22 Double Bar, Repeat Sign
Three New Notes: F Sharp, E, and D
12345
1234
F (sharp) is the note on the 1st space, the F space. Any note on the 1st space is always an F.
E is the note on the 1st line, the E line. Any note on the 1st line is always an E.
D is the note on the space below the staff, the D space. Any note on this space is always a D.
F E D
Right Hand
On the Staff:
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FDE
F
F# (sharp) is a special note on the pennywhistle because it has a # (sharp) added to its name.
F#
E
D
F
Right Hand
EE
Donʼt forget – straight finger covering the hole with the fingerprint.
Second finger covers the 5th hole.
Third finger covers the 6th hole.
F#, E, and D
D
First finger covers the 4th hole.
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D
FD
Merrily We Roll Along
EF
D
F E D E F F F E E E F F F
F E D EF F F
E E F ED
E
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Have you learned the names of the notes?
= = =
space below staff1st line
Play Merrily We Roll Along again.
1st space
EF
D
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DEF
Playing With Two Hands
D
BA
G
BA
G
FD
EF
E
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