How would some of you experienced low whistle players describe good back pressure? What are the pros and maybe even the cons of good back pressure in a whistle?
I find that a bit of back pressure makes it easier to control the pitch of notes, especially in the upper register. Also, with some back pressure, you don’t blow out your lungfull of air so fast, allowing you to play longer passages without needing to breathe.
To me, back pressure is how the whistle talks back to you - a great deal is communicated by the pressure, and it allows me to interact more with the music and instrument rather than simply play it.
That’s very subjective, but it’s sort of how it feels.
Richard
PS: Has anyone else noticed the difference between a thing which plays notes and an instrument? It’s subtle, but to me it’s the reason I play - a good instrument is almost an extension of your body, whereas some instruments simply make sounds.
I’m a fan of good back pressure myself. It can be described as a resistance to your blowing. With it, you can do/control more dynamics (loud or soft) without the pitch dropping, and it feels like you can really lean into the sounds of your instrument. Having good back pressure also implies that you don’t have to worry at all about your embouchure, as the whistle will tend to make the most out of your air, so the efficiency of your effort is very high. Generally makes it more satisfying to play for me.
I think the amount of backpressure you want is mostly a matter of taste. As others have pointed out, it gives you feedback. Something like a Water Weasel gives a lot of backpressure, and I feel like it gives better control over octave breaks, but that may be a combination of the backpressure and other aspects of the design. The Clarke, OTOH, has virtually no backpressure; I find it a little more difficult to control the octaves, but not very much more difficult.
One thing that a lot of people have a problem with is the whistles that have a lot of backpressure AND require a lot of air. The Susato is the classic example of this. Susatos need to be played aggressively, which I like but many don’t.
Charlie
Small naked woman walking on my back?