In response to querries from beginners, much well intended advice is freely given on this Board, and that is a good thing; however at times, I’m not so sure what is meant and whether there may not perhaps be inherent contradictions. There appears to be a great deal of talk regarding cheapies, sticking to one whistle initially, the difficulties in controlling certain makes of whistle, getting pre-tweaked whistles, and the importance of BREATH CONTROL.
First, what is meant by “breath control”? I think it is being mostly used to refer to varying one’s approach, attack or embouchure, diaphragm support, therein attempting to get the right note to come out in its fullest fashion in coordination with proper tone hole coverage, resulting in notes that are in the proper octave and move between the octaves intentionally, sustained at will. Strong notes consistently blown. I tend to also think of breath control as looking at a tune and finding the best places to get some needed air without running out in the wrong places thereby inevitably ruining the shape or feel of the tune. This would include cutting short some long notes and/or omitting one of the triplet (at least as written) notes; this is also fun, because tunes can be altered in interesting ways, some better than others.
Second, how does a beginner achieve the first part of the above working definition? I really think by trial and error and practice that allows for feedback (recording playback, teacher, other more advanced players). However, much of the advice that’s given seems to direct the beginner to avoid much of that trial and error developmental experience, by avoiding learning to adjust to various cheapie whistles and avoiding untweaked whistles. I understand that positive early experience is helpful and that beginners should not try playing whistles that get too much in their way and that they should perhaps avoid whistles that require
too much in the way of, as I think Wanderer aptly put it, “breath gymnastics.” However, it is exactly a certain amount of that “gymnastics” which may actually help learning players develop, compare, adjust, etc.
Third, I think there is a certain amount of almost sterility, in being afraid to try various whistles and having them “cleaned up” or tweaked from the beginning. For me, part of the great joy of all of this has been messing around with a great variety of whistles - preferably cheapies for the beginner or anyone who wants to - and accomodating myself to all of them. Eventually one can then try other types of whistles, like the thick walled aluminum ones that require other aspects of breath control.
What do people think about this? I’m wondering what the learning experiences of some of the more advanced players were/have been? Is my thinking in this somehow off base? Cheapies, by definition, don’t cost much to experiment and play around with, or even stay with always.
Philo
