10 tips to help your child practice the Feadog Whistle at home – part 1

by Joao Ferreira

The vacation has gone. So, it is time to get back to school and set everything up to start next year successfully.

This article addresses directly to the parents. I will write the first 5 tips to motivate and practice our Feadog Whistle with your son or daughter. Next week I will come the last 5.

So, follow these tips, and happy whistling.

1- Find a Good Practicing Spot.

Generally, it’s good to look for a place where you won’t be interrupted and where you won’t disturb others. Look for a room in your house that is relatively quiet to borrow for a few minutes.

2 – Practicing daily for short amounts of time once or twice a week.

Pupils will develop better muscle memory and playing the tin whistle will become easier. Pupils should aim to practice for a minimum of 5 minutes every day but longer if they are enjoying it and have more time available.

3- Isolate challenging parts of the piece of music. 

Sometimes pupils play the whole piece of music and force through the sections they find challenging which results in making a lot of mistakes and can be quite frustrating to play. Instead, pupils should isolate the challenging sections and practice these sections slowly. Then, when they are feeling more confident they can play through the whole tune.

4 – Practice in front of a mirror.

Practicing in front of the mirror is a great way to ensure you are completely covering the holes with flat fingers (knuckles should not be standing up and pupils should be using the pads of their fingers, not the very tips near the nail).

5- Set aside some time to revise easy tunes that they have already learned.

This can be great as a warm up to build up their confidence before they practice their newer pieces of music which may be more challenging.

I believe after these 5 tips, you will inspire your child to learn how to play our Feadog Whistles better and better. Next article, I come with more 5 tips. Browse our website and look for the one that suits you. If you are already a player becomes our fan visiting our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to be aware of tips and further information.

Source: Bunscoil Rinn Chabhlaigh