Im not sure I understand these terms, and hope you can help me.
I have a Dixon plastic Low D conical, I like it , I can after some practice , go up to the 2nd octave up to G,{ A & B not as much}
without having too much hiss , or way increased volume. It does take some wind to play though. I feel it in my diaphragm.
I had a MK Kelpie for a few days. Low F, I like the low octave, but didn’t like the push up to G in 2nd. It seemed I really had to push it, got too much hiss and the volume was too high in 2nd in comparison. may just be my level.
so would a “hard blowere” be more like a mellow dog, where you actually feel the pressure pushing back at you some??
Im wondering because I am considering a Hard blower Goldie
It will be interesting to see what other people think about this. To me, the mellow dog is very easy and free. My impression of the whistles I have (without doing a comparison – just thinking about them) is that my Susato has the most back pressure.
hp, it may just be in my case a switching from low to high whistle. I have been putting in some time on the low Dixon, but when I grab the Mellow or BB, I feel I could go forever.
I guess the Clarke orig, would be the example of no backpressure, correct??
thanks
I just recently started playing, and in a mad fit of “WHOAD,” I bought both a new Mellow Dog and a used Goldie Overton, both high Ds. The difference in back-pressure is extremely noticeable, with the Mellow Dog having low back-pressure and the Goldie having high back-pressure. Right now, the Mellow Dog is my go-to whistle because I’m still learning how to play, so it’s a lot easier to hit the second octave. The Goldie you have to push more to reach the second octave, so as a beginner, I tend to make some awful squeaking sounds. But I’m holding on to the Goldie with the idea being that after playing for while I’ll hopefully get better and want to play longer phrases before taking a breath. Even though it takes more pressure to reach the second octave on the Goldie, you’re not “wasting” as much air because it’s a smaller passageway. Of course, I’m a newbie, so I could be completely describing this all wrong.
I’m in Houston as well, if you’d like, I could let you try my Goldie out before you commit to buying one.
My personal findings re Goldie/Overtons is that unless you play them exclusively, they take a relatively long time to ‘get into’.
I seldom play my soprano D Overton just for that reason, it takes to much effort and concentration to play well when you haven’t picked it up for a while.
I would even consider selling it hint
thanks all, looks like the hard blower is the opposite direction of what Im after. A easy playing , mellow and easy octave shift that is suited to my living room playing. The Dixon I like so , I think Ill wait for for a Burke Viper
Steve
Burke viper indeed does have a good volume balance between the low and high notes, and very low backpressure, not to mention a very fine honkin’ low end! However, you mentioned something about air consumption earlier, so I will go ahead and mention that the burke viper uses loads of air.
I also have a Dixon all-plastic conical-bore Low D and for me the backpressure is negligible. I can effortlessly play high A, high B, high C, even the 3rd octave D. One of the easiest blowing Low Ds out there, seems to me.
I also have a Burke Low D and an MK Low D. Both have easy enough 2nd octaves but both can get a bit finicky on high B, so you have to be a bit careful. It seems to be part-and-parcel of the fact that Burkes and MKs have their 2nd octaves tuned sharper than Dixons and Overtons, meaning that you can’t overblow those high notes or they will be too sharp; especially on the MK you’re blowing high B at the underside of it, not far from the point at which it will fall. This sharper 2nd octave means you have to strongly blow the low octave too, and this strong blowing in the low octave and underblowing of the 2nd octave evens out the volume differential between octaves.
On Dixons and Overtons you have to “blow out” the 2nd octave to keep it sharp enough so you don’t have any finicky issues: high B is blown far beyond the falling-point.
About backpressure in general, to me all whistles have negligible backpressure, and to me it’s a non-issue. I’ve never played a whistle that was past 1 on a scale of 1 to 100 (100 being a stiff Highland bagpipe reed, or a trumpet playing double high C).
Would you say the Dixon uses MORE air than the Burke?? For me at my present level G & F# 2nd octave I have to nurse just right to get a sound I can tolerate. and be a bit ok with. I like the "pureish " overblows I can get on the Becker Low d , but the notes on both octaves lack character , great fantastic whistle, for the price, but not the most interesting tone.
I guess this backpressure I am not completely understanding, but I think Im startin to get it.
thanks for your patience.
I compared by Clarke Original to my Mellow Dog and to me the amount of pressure change required to shift octaves. My Generation C seems to take a hair more. My Susato takes considerably more.
My Dad has his grandfather’s whistle, which is brass with a lead fipple. It is very quiet and sweet and takes almost no effort to shift octaves. It takes so little air to play that I need to inhale from oxygen depletion long before I need more air. It also won’t play the top part of the 2nd octave. Probably dates from the last quarter of the 1800s.
I apologize for not giving a good description of this, Im trying, its just not coming thru.
2 kinds or “more air” to me
the lungs run out of air and have to breath sooner.
more change in force/ speed/?? required to play f# 2nd octave and above. ie my mellow dog, the second octave all the way up is right there, requires only a bit different breath to get there and not sound harsh.
I don’t know what I don’t know, I am realizing that my whistles get better as I get more time under my belt playing/ practicing
I think it kinda amazing what our minds and bodies learn to do, .
at the risk of being cannon fodder, I know I should probably just quit asking and shut up and play. I had a great time playing high whistles last nite, and even got to practice the duo with my wife we are learning for Dickens festival.
I appreciate all the advice, I may be better off if I could be shy and not ask so many questions, but Im not and I love to learn why , something works how it does.
