I was reading an article on using the recorder to play blues http://members.iinet.net.au/~nickl/blues.html
As I read it, it seemed to me that the whistle was a more appropriate instrument. Not that I have anything against the recorder, it has its place.
I know that there are blues-scale whistles being made, but it seems to me that the ordinary major diatonic whistles work well; just as major diatonic harmonicas are used in blues. Bending for those notes is a big part of the blues sound.
Actually, I do fool around with the blues, with my whistles. They sound great in that context.
Noodling with the Blues on whistle is a lot of fun. I like middle-lowish whistles ( G,eg). Whistles with large fingerholes make half holing and bending notes easier.
“Ain’t No Sunshine” sounds great on a low D.
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know…
I Play lots of blues on the street
with a guitarist. I take whistle
seriously as a blues instrument,
mostly played a copeland high D,
which wails…
On 2002-09-02 12:57, jim stone wrote:
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know…I Play lots of blues on the street
with a guitarist. I take whistle
seriously as a blues instrument,
mostly played a copeland high D,
which wails…
Where do you play the blues? I’m gonna come listen.
I find the whole KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid!) approach to the whistle in general and whistle fingerings specifically very conducive to improvisation.
I notice that kwela players seem to place the whistle far into the mouth so the upper lip is able to influence the airflow in the fipple opening. This makes me wonder if the Honer whistles happened to be the brand best adapted to such control? Also, did it have a shorter wind way that allowed more control of tone by letting the mouth have a stronger influence on the tone? I have even heard of fipple flutes that have no roof on the airway so the upper lips functions as the roof, allowing for more control. I think it would be worthwhile to develop a mouthpiece for kwela style playing that might be a good instrument for blues and what ever other music that would sound good on it. It might be interesting to try putting a quena or shakuhachi style mouthpiece on a pennywhistle style body.
Here is the recipe for playing the “A” blues on the “D” whistle:
Play the blues C note leaving ONLY your left middle finger down. It will produce the “true blue” note, between C and C#.
Learn how to slide both ring fingers off S-L-O-W-L-Y for those greasy bends of D to E and G to A.
You may want to tape your right index and middle fingers together.
Do this and you will be playing like an Irish B.B. King in no time!
Thanks, Blackhawk, it’s in St. Louis
at the Soulard Farmer’s Market.
But I won’t be back for a few months.
Blues whistle certainly benefits
from a guitar accompaniment.
It’s helpful to play to BB King
tunes like The Thrill is Gone,
and Everybody Wants to Know.
Bb and A whistles are needed, i think.
The idea above of adapting whistles
so that they are better blues
instruments in intriguing.
I continue to think that there
is real potential here–that
the whistle might be the
next mouth harp, as it were.
Down and Out Blues is really
interesting, if you’re ready
to half hole.