What am I doing wrong, I just received my Dixon D whistle, it seems that sometimes I play it and it sounds great, then other times low E,D gets squeaky, what would cause that? Or is it my breathing? I don’t know. HELP!!!
How are your other whistles? Is it just the Dixon, or do you have problems on those notes with other whistles, too? Telling us a bit more will enable us to help you better.
Hi Roy! I just realized you also are in CT.
The Dixon breath requirements are soooo sensitive. I find that when I’m playing mine, if I get tired or impatient I can’t really control it as well as I’d like, and get bad sounds.
If you’re interested in some of the sessions here in CT, please email me and I’ll get you details. Beginners are welcome, especially at the slow session in Glastonbury.
The only other whistle I have is a waltons D and It squeaked on most of the notes, this whistle is by far much better. I think it might be my breathing. It seems that I can play the higher of the low note F# G A B, and they have a much louder sound, if I play the E and D at the same breathing they squeal. I hope I am making sense.
You can also check to make sure your fingers are getting a good seal which was my primary problems with the lowest tones on any whistle. On the dixon you might check the tuning slide, on mine it needs to be a little more than half way out to to be in tune. This also tends to stablize the octave jump especially for the D’s and E’s.
Roy
2 things. First off, get a pipe cleaner and clean your mouthpiece.
2nd. tips on breathing that will change everything!!
Put your whistle down. Now whistle a tune on your own. Whistle a high note, now a low note. Pay attention to your tongue position. Notice how low it has to go in your mouth to get a low note? That space in your mouth is the secret to the universe!!!
Now pick up your whistle. Cover all the holes. Gently and steadly blow into the mouthpiece. Lower the middle of your tongue so that you have a space almost big enough to put a ping pong ball into your mouth. See how rich the sound on your whistle becomes? Even on the high notes you should have some space, that is where the silk in the whistle comes from, that space. It is almost like the whistle doesn’t want you to blow directly into it, it prefers to take a stady airflow from that reservior above your tongue and it is your job to keep that reservior full and the pressure on the air steady.
Whistle placement in your mouth is important too. If the whistle is too far back in your mouth, it is hard for that resovior to be tapped into as you may be bypassing it. Simply bringing the mouthpiece out a little may do you a world of good.
If the problem persists, then you may want to try another whistle just to make sure the problem isn’t a physical one! Just borrow a friends and see what happens, or by a cheap whistle from your local music store or street corner whistle dealer!
Best of luck!
Sandy Jasper
On 2002-09-12 12:31, Sandy Jasper wrote:
Roy2 things. First off, get a pipe cleaner and clean your mouthpiece.
2nd. tips on breathing that will change everything!!
Put your whistle down. Now whistle a tune on your own. Whistle a high note, now a low note. Pay attention to your tongue position. Notice how low it has to go in your mouth to get a low note? That space in your mouth is the secret to the universe!!!
Now pick up your whistle. Cover all the holes. Gently and steadly blow into the mouthpiece. Lower the middle of your tongue so that you have a space almost big enough to put a ping pong ball into your mouth. See how rich the sound on your whistle becomes?
Best of luck!Sandy Jasper
Sandy is a Genius, Sandy is a Genius, Sandy is a Genius, Sandy is a Genius!!!
Hi Roy
I have a Dixon Soprano D too and I have the same problem on occasion. I LOVE this whistle..it is awesome. But, as you said, you have the same problem with your other whistles. I think we many times expect a new whistle to cure a problem that is really US!! I read Sandy’s post and think she is right on! She kindly gave me some similar advice then I first started and it was all a great help. That being said, I think you will end up finding that the Dixon makes it easier to correct this problem and then when you go back to your other whistles..(out of curiousity!) you will find the problem much diminished with them too!
I agree, Sandy IS a genius!!!
Sandy Jasper, thanks so much for the tip – I will try it as sson as I get home (I’m at work at ATM and have no whistle at hand).
Sandy is blushing…
thanks!
I’m still a total beginner myself, but I remember having the same trouble with the lowest notes on my Walton’s D when I started learning the whistle last year. Lee is right, at least in my case…I wasn’t sealing the holes completely (as well as not breathing properly, I’m sure). The following exercise from a “teach yourself recorder” (!) book was invaluable in helping me with this:
*Start with just one hole covered–the top one (B on a D whistle) and practice blowing into the whistle until that note sounds perfect every time.
*Next, cover the top two holes (B & A) and play B and A, alternating between them, until they sound good and you get a consistent, clean sound every time.
*Continue down the holes, next covering three and playing those up and down until they are all clean and consistent, then four, etc. on down until all six are covered. (It can also help to say the name of the notes in your head or out loud as you play them. I had played the piano for years but it was a big switch for me to go from piano keys to whistle holes, so saying the notes out loud really helped me learn them.)
Doing this exercise for several days really helped me get a good seal on the holes and learn the notes, as well. It was the turning point for me. Before that I had been trying to start with the bottom D and work up and was getting totally frustrated because I couldn’t get a note out or when it did come out, it squawked or something of that nature. Doing it the above way, starting with just one hole, really helped me out a lot.
Hope this helps…
MCM Transatlantic Whistle Detective Agency - no case too small.
Branches in London and Salt Lake City
[ This Message was edited by: Cees on 2002-09-12 17:07 ]
Thanks everybody! Sandy has solved my problem, even my waltons sounds better now.
Cees, I also tried your exercise and that has helped me too.
Glad it helped…
On 2002-09-12 13:41, roycustomknives wrote:
On 2002-09-12 12:31, Sandy Jasper wrote:
Roy2 things. First off, get a pipe cleaner and clean your mouthpiece.
2nd. tips on breathing that will change everything!!
Put your whistle down. Now whistle a tune on your own. Whistle a high note, now a low note. Pay attention to your tongue position. Notice how low it has to go in your mouth to get a low note? That space in your mouth is the secret to the universe!!!
Now pick up your whistle. Cover all the holes. Gently and steadly blow into the mouthpiece. Lower the middle of your tongue so that you have a space almost big enough to put a ping pong ball into your mouth. See how rich the sound on your whistle becomes?
Best of luck!Sandy Jasper
Sandy is a Genius, Sandy is a Genius, Sandy is a Genius, Sandy is a Genius!!!
\
Yep, she got it from me
I wasn’t genius enough to work the “Quote” part though.
One other thing to help:
ALWAYS lower breath pressure as you come down the scale. We beginners often make the fatal mistake of having upped pressure for the higher notes we then have too much for the lower ones. The result may not be overblowing into the upper octave, but it’s still too much for the lower and you get a squeaky result; change breath pressure as you go up and down the scale.