Because it is a Friday Night and I am bored and stuck in with nothing better to do, I just gave the kettle a resounding rendition of Danny Boy on my Low D whilst making a cup of tea. Then it struck me! Do any of you whistle whilst doing domestic chores, or do I just need to get out more? Thank god I’m on the town tommorrow night!
Umm . . . What’s unusual about that?
I keep several whistles near my computer, and my favorite reading chair, and other stategic spots.
I also keep a couple of whistles in my car so I have something to do while waiting for lights to change.
I don’t keep any in my bedroom, because I’d like to stay married. 
We keep all of our whistles in the bedroom. It is ONE of the things we do together. I like to play my low D for Renee, it makes her coo.
In my first marriage, I had the whistles in the bedroom. In this one, they stay in the living room. Guess which marriage is better?
(Edit: This marriage is better!)
Thank God it’s not just me! The car, why didn’t I think of that one? As for the bedroom, well, now all the intimate lowdown dirty whistling gossip is starting to come out! Keep it coming …
I often sit here at the keyboard, either working or “playing” and have whistle at hand… Interesting to read while whistling… leads to some … um… ‘folk process’ moments… LOL!
I go entertain the budgie at least once a day, and annoy the kids when we drive somewhere (two of them are old enough to drive now!!!)… and I’m the passenger with the whistle, and the captive audience… heheheeeeeeee
I whistle while waiting for my computer to perform complex tasks. Unfortunately, my latest is wa-a-ay too fast, so I don’t often get to finish a piece.
I also play while reading C&F, and I’m learning to work the mouse for scrolling while playing notes that don’t require my right hand. This works well with slow airs, but I don’t think I could manage with fast tunes.
One thing that’s not working out so well is playing while watching TV in my bedroom. I often lose track of story lines because I can’t hear the dialog over the whistle–even with the quieter Whitecap. No problem playing while reading, though. Again, page flipping has to be done when the right hand is free.
I’m still looking for the ideal way to have one on me at all times around the house. I tried a neck strap, but it swings out at inopportune times, like when I’m leaning over the stove. It smacked my wife in the head once while I was giving her lunch, which ended the experiment.
I have a belt pouch from the Whistle store, but no matter where I put it on my belt, it gets in the way when I sit down in my office chair, which has arms.
I tried combining the belt pouch with the neck strap, worn bandolier-style, producing a shoulder-holster effect, with the whistle hanging under my left arm. That’s the best so far, but it’s still a bit of a hassle.
The only whistle I’d dare just stick in my hip pocket is the Village Smithy. My memory/attention span is not reliable enough to do that. Unfortunately, the one I really want to have with me at all times is the Jerry-tweaked Gen, which probably wouldn’t survive a load of over 200 pounds.
I’m thinking of having a whistle pouch sewn onto the outer right calf of all of my jeans.
Anyone have the perfect solution?
I whistle when I drive, but not the car. Just the boat. It takes three hours to drive out to our cabin on the Sound, and nobody can hear me over the diesel motor. And I play at work. My high school students actually ask for a tune from me on their birthdays!
But the kitchen is the best, as long as I don’t forget which utensil I’m stirring with.
I sure don’t miss soaking all those reeds and all the warmup. Isn’t this why we all play whistle, because it’s the ultimate in convenience music?
Jennie
Darwin, I can’t believe you accidently smacked your wife in the head with a whistle. I know this is a serious matter, but have just spent the last couple of minutes rolling around on the floor laughing. I hope it wasn’t a low D…sorry gotta go, started laughing again…Kate
I often play while watching the TV. The problem is I like to watch shows like The Last of the Summer Wine. I don’t know about you but I have to listen real close to some of the dialog in order to understand. I don’t know if anyone other me has noticed but some of the British TV stars have some kind of accent. It makes it very difficult to understand when I am playing the whistle.
However, no whistles in the bedroom, crossword puzzles maybe but no whistles. I have two in the car though.
Ron
A nice topic! Ahhh when to play.
With me - probably because I played so long for money and had to - now I wait until I have an urge to play. Like waiting for dinner to settle before drinks.
Anyway I don’t have a lot of tunes on TW like I do on other things but the few I know I like to nail it to the floor when I do play them. I think I got that habit from a Co Down Ireland fiddler I once knew. He would never play a tune unless the floor was shaking with the fire of it, and the crowd going wild for more. IOW I tend to add bits to what I know RATHER than sitting down to learn a totaly unfamiliar fingering or tune.
But sometimes I love to noodle a few notes of airs I heard so long ago I have almost forgotten them, eg ‘She Moved Through The Fair’
The problem is I like to watch shows like The Last of the Summer Wine. I don’t know about you but I have to listen real close to some of the dialog in order to understand.
Yeh Ron, Last of the Summer Wine is Yorkshire dialect, I am from the South of England and have a soft southern drawl, can’t understand 'em either! It’s like the difference between Texas and New Joisey! (Tongue firmly in cheek Yorkshire people!).
I keep various flutes, whistles and drums in my
- living room
- computer room/study
- kitchen
- car
- bush caravan
awaiting the urges.
Sometimes when I am watching TV I’ll hear a piece of background music that grabs me and I must grabs a tube and try it out. I heard a beautiful Dorian line on that BBC series “Midsomer Murders” last night.
Going out more won’t stop this unless you get punched up.
I heard a beautiful Dorian line on that BBC series “Midsomer Murders” last night.
Why is everyone watching English telly? It’s crap, you should be whistling instead, not as well! No wonder I’m bored on a Friday Night, maybe I should be watching ‘Midsommer Murders’ or ’ Last of the Summer Wine’, on second thoughts there are limits …I feel another cup of tea coming on. Perhaps I can vacuum and whistle ‘The Irish Washerwoman’ at the same time, now theres a thought …
English T.V. is pretty crappy…at the best of times.
“The Bill” has become a soap…
More blow than suck on the Washerwoman though…?
Slan,
D.
No, nor the Village Smithy either, fortunately. I think it was probably just the Feadog or the Dixon, both of which are relatively light weight. Still, it startled her when all she was expecting was a bowl of soup.
I would not expect any Dorian lines in “The Bill”. You need to be selective about your programs.
Old habits die hard…
The theme tune is a bit tricky without a synth…
A cell is a cell however…
And a soap is a soap,alas.
Slan,
D.
I have a gun rack on the wall in the living room loaded with flutes and whistles-I play what beckons at the moment. My kids talk to me as though i were not even playing and expect answers immediately as I’m playing, and give me strange looks when I don’t answer them. I play through t.v.shows and nobody even notices because they have been hearing it since they were in the womb. My wife just mostly wants me dead with a silver whistle through my heart-when I play through t.v. We agreed that I could play during commercials, but she still seems irritated.
I try not to play in the same room as someone watching TV, and I stop to let my kids practice their piano.
My wife and I have a tacit agreement - I don’t walk into a room she’s sitting in and start whistling (unless I ask her permission first). But if I’m whistling, and she walks into the room, I’m going to continue. I know I’m doing well when she walks in and sits down.
She has much more tolerance for my lower whistles, but has a few high whistles she doesn’t mind listening to.