Every now and then I read a post that says a low D whistle is essentially a transverse D flute but with an end-mounted mouthpiece. Is the hole spacing between the low D whistle and the D flute comparable then? Or is one easier to finger than the other?
Each instrument is different. Even 2 whistles or 2 flutes will be different.
I find whistles harder to finger than flutes, when they have roughly the same hole layout, due to hand position. In other words, i can manage larger finger spreads on flute than on whistle.
Ditto to Glauber.
Doc
ditto to glauber and doc…actually find the flute easier than low whistle but indeed it depends on the maker.
berti
Ditto all of the above. In fact, in repeated experiments with a Dixon Duo (interchangeable heads, same body) I found it harder to manage the spread in whistle mode – so I decided it’s the vertical-hold thing that makes it tough.
I’ve had the same experience. I have relatively small hands. I own Hamilton, Seery and McGee Metzler flutes. My hands get a little stiff after playing for an hour. I can usually rest for about five minutes and return to playing for another hour or so (when I have time). I’ve owned a Chieftain, Alba and Overton low Ds (serially) and could only play for 15 minutes or so without some discomfort. Of the three, the Alba was the kindest on my hands.
With flute I can usually keep the stiffness at bay if I give a thought now and again to making sure that I’m not keeping the hands stiff or holding too tight. I’ll sometimes vary the right hand position a bit, to change the motion a little. This is possible with the flute because of the way it’s supported. It might be different with larger hands, but there was no way for me to do this with a Low D.
I wonder if the low whistle spacing would be better if the whistle had a conical bore, versus the straight bore?
Does anyone have a conical low whistle?
I thought it would be fun to make a fipple end for say a R&R style flute…
Jon
hm it might make a difference but also it depends on the diameter of the conical whistle.
some members on this forum own copelands which are conical, you could ask them…some of these members also play flute so they could tell you if this is true…
I myself think the conical shape does not bring in much, since I also do have a cylindrical tipple flute and have no problems with the spread itself and have average woman’s hands.
the holesize on the flute does matter a lot more than most people might think for ease of playing, by the way.
berti
I had the same experience on the Dixon Duo as Cathy. Playing a bamboo Olwell has reinforced that. I have given up on low whistles. Anything below G will have to be a flute for me though I wouldn’t turn down a Copeland.
Cheers,
Aaron
Replies here (and in the Whistle forum) have been really informative so thanks everyone!
I see that the Susato makes low whistles with an angled head:
I wonder why more whistle makers don’t do this. Maybe they could even make a low whistle that’s held just like a transverse flute.
I have a side blown Hastrick whistle / flageolet in D. The spacings are the same as a flute, and it has a tapered bore.
Whatever I try to play seems difficult.
Too bad Hastrick stopped around the mid-1800s! (According to Langwill’s…I don’t have that knowledge independently, you know)
Sounds like we could have used his instruments today.
Then again…
take a look at this monstrosity:
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=dcmflute&fileName=1100/1170/dcmflute1170browse.db&action=browse&title2=DCM+1170:+++Henry+Hastrick+/+English+Triple+Flageolet+(Composite)&displayType=3&recNum=0&itemLink=D?dcm:3:./temp/~ammem_3h1s::
You need several hands!
We still can use his single side blown whistles, or similar modern versions, if anybody wishes to make them.
No doubt Headwizer can understand.
I’m not exactly sure what a side-blown whistle looks like.
Are there any photos somewhere to link to?
Best mental picture I can make (and I’m sure it’s not accurate) is a piccolo or a fife with a fipple mouth piece attached to blow through by way of clamp or clip (of which the post-Civil War fifers of considerable age were supposedly fond of on their old fifes…because of their lack of teeth!..and the mouth pieces were made of lead…yum).
Yes. I would like to see one as well! Where can I go to view one?
Thank you
David,
Try here:
http://www.flutina.com/products.html
These are modern made though, not antiques. I emailed the makers last year, apparently their ‘flutinas’ are only made in the key of C. I did mention to them that D would be more useful but didn’t hear back from them. I think someone on the whistle board actually bought one, but I can’t remember who it was.
hope this helps.
In close, the flutina looks just like a regular flute:
I wish they’d give more details about how the whistle is built into the tube. On the whistle board, someone said that that the flutina was basically a toy. Seems to me that there is a market for a high quality side-blown low whistle.
DCM 0820 for those of you who don’t bother to read the standard works.
Bainbridge’s second patent.
I think in this particular case I believe it’s marketed specifically as a flute ‘trainer’ for youngsters to get used to flute fingering, posture etc., before they progress to a ‘real’ flute with all its attendant embouchure difficulties. A good idea in that respect I think, since it surely must be difficult to keep children interested in an instrument if they can’t get a decent sound out of it straight away.
As far as the flutina goes, yes, they’re very careful not to say how it works. Probably afraid someone will copy it. Here’s the review:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=18905&highlight=flutina
I believe you blow into the blowhole, not across it. I assume there is a blade inside there somewhere, and the blowhole is a disguised fipple.
(Actually, Chuck describes the mechanism well in his review, so read it.)
Don’t expect it to be anything more than a toy.
g