What an interesting observation. The common assumption dogma is that 1 in 10 people are left-handed. However research out of the UK implies that it may be as high as 15% of the population. However, even this number is trumped by the 4/9 seen in the photo - WHY?
Well, maybe the reason could be the possible paucity in the school system of ambidextrous instruments. I suppose that the right-handed string layout of violins, cellos and other string instruments could be reversed, but I know that for the guitar (at least) this is not recommended because of differences in the bracing under the soundboard. I also expect that flutes are handed, while many brass instruments may be relatively easily used by left-handed folk. BUT the whistle, well I cannot think of any detrimental effects of playing it in either the left-handed or right-handed position!
This is just my hypothesis. Maybe someone has some facts to refute it.
I don’t alter the windway on Feadogs or Generations, though I do make an adjustment to the soundblade height that may affect back pressure slightly in some cases. Also, on the tweaked whistles, there will be more of a range of pressure that will produce a clean note, which could make it easier to play in tune. That also could make it a little less frustrating for a less accomplished player.
As Charlie pointed out, C# and especially the second octave G, sound sort of “dirty” on Feadogs. (This is the term Tony Hinnigan used in his evaluation of them.)
This also tends to be true with Generations, though with them, there’s considerable variation with regard to how clean those particular notes sound. It’s one of the things one looks for in picking a Generation. Feadogs, on the other hand, are pretty much all alike, in my experience.
If you’ll study the pre-plastic Generations and other whistles made the way they were up to the 1950’s or so (non-tunable, solid metal plug) like those being discussed in another thread, I think you’ll find they don’t tend to have specific notes that play significantly less cleanly. I just went through five of them I keep on hand, going back to a mid-1800’s Barnett Samuel, and including a metal Eb Generation, and I find this to be the case.
The LH or RH on-top configurations really have little or no relation to handedness since the fine motor skills required are virtually the same either way.
The 4 of the 9 might be in for an unpleasant surprise when they decide to play flute (even keyless ones), pipes, or whistles with offset tone holes.
Not trying to downplay the usefulness of your reviews, Charlie, and it’s true that beginners might be interested in reviews from another beginner. I just mainly wanted to note that the quality of a whistle can vary greatly based on your level of playing. A whistle that’s out of tune for a beginner can be perfectly in tune for a better players, because knowing how hard to blow and having the right fingering can make huge differences in a whistle’s tuning.
Whistles are different from many other instruments in that you “grow into” the instrument. As was noted, with violins, if you start with a Stradivarius, you’re going to start with a better sound. You will never make a cheap Chinese mass-produced violin sound like a Stradivarius. With a whistle, it’s true that the more expensive instruments sound better as a beginner, but as you gain mastery over the instrument, you can make a Generation sound better than one of those $400 hardwood whistles.
That’s why experience plays a big part in reviews, because when you buy a whistle, you shouldn’t buy it based on how good it sounds without any work on your part. In fact, this can be counter-productive. I guarantee you that somebody who has learned to make a $10 Generation sound amazing will sound better than somebody who has exclusively learned on an extremely forgiving $400 whistle.
Granted, people will be more likely to give up if they’re starting on an instrument where you really have to work to make it sound good. Is that a bad thing? I don’t think so. Good music isn’t easy to make, and never will be. If somebody gives up because they can’t get a good sound out of an instrument immediately, then they don’t have what it takes to be a musician. You have to have the dedication to learn to use your instrument and make it sound good. If you don’t have that dedication, then you really don’t have what it takes to do anything but tootle to yourself in your room.
Not trying to sound “holier than thou” or like I’m some sort of awesome musician (I’m not), just my feelings on being a musician.
Again, I am inclined to agree with most (maybe all of what you say).
That’s why experience plays a big part in reviews, because when you buy a whistle, you shouldn’t buy it based on how good it sounds without any work on your part.[\Quote]
What??!!!??? What you’ve written doesn’t make sense - are you saying that you need to demo a whistle before purchasing? Or that reviews should not be trusted? I expect that you do trust reviews.
Granted, people will be more likely to give up if they’re starting on an instrument where you really have to work to make it sound good. Is that a bad thing? I don’t think so. Good music isn’t easy to make, and never will be. If somebody gives up because they can’t get a good sound out of an instrument immediately, then they don’t have what it takes to be a musician. You have to have the dedication to learn to use your instrument and make it sound good. If you don’t have that dedication, then you really don’t have what it takes to do anything but tootle to yourself in your room.
Isn’t this a little elitist? If people who fall into the category of musician you mention are excluded, then we can kiss goodbye to any kind of large scale music education in schools. This attitude is quite sad, when we should be aiming to encourage more musicianship.
Not trying to sound “holier than thou” or like I’m some sort of awesome musician (I’m not), just my feelings on being a musician.
That is how you came across in your previous post but this was obviously unintentional on your part. My “reviews” were also based on my feelings of being a musician afterall I have played classical guitar for over 15 years, although I still can’t figure out which end to blow into javascript:emoticon(‘:lol:’)
I think that in six months or so, I should write a follow-up entitled “A very mediocre whistler’s take on Burke, Thornton, … whistles” That is assuming that I do actually begin to approach mediocrity.
Anyway, what’s your take on the number of left-handed whistlers in Peter’s photo? Now there’s a Master’s degree thesis for a socially minded musicologist.
Anyway, what’s your take on the number of left-handed whistlers in Peter’s photo? Now there’s a Master’s degree thesis for a socially minded musicologist.
They have a left handed teacher (Brid O Donohue). And interesting enough one or two of the whistlers playing right handed in the picture in there are actually citeogs.
It doesn’t really matter, some of them have moved on to other instruments without a problem (I have been teaching the girl second from the right in the picture the pipes for a number of years, she’s right handed but plays left handed on both pipes and whistle, she’s also a fine concertinaplayer and handy enough on the piano) .
They have a left handed teacher (Brid O Donohue). And interesting enough one or two of the whistlers playing right handed in the picture in there are actually citeogs.
Those kids have great teacher, what an amazing source of inspiration for them. Both my parents are left-handed, but I am not, which seems to rule a simple Mendelian genetic cause. Both had some problems as kids in a society that tended to favour right-handedness. I wonder how much that has changed and whether the left-handed players would be been encouraged to play whistle as right-handers 60 or so years ago.
Anyway, we’ve drifted off-topic - not that I mind in the least bit. Maybe left-handedness could be discussed in another thread as other readers may find the subject very interesting.
Peter, does Brid’s class ever make downloadable audio MP3s?
