The good news: I’m baaaack! We made it safely across the country from WA. I’m employed. My house has been reclaimed from 9 years as a rental. I have a computer I can slip onto at work to access C&F.
The bad news: I can’t make it through 2 reps. of any tune w/out having to blow moisture from my whistle. My skin and nails are loving the humidity, but this newbie player is very frustrated. I don’t think the soapy water trick is going to do it. The effect is much worse here than in Washington State.
My favorite whistle is brass - and the fastest to gunk up. Is aluminum any better? Wood? Any suggestions.
Soapy water definitely helps, some use the dishwasher detergent JetDry. I am also learning to do a strong inhale with the windway covered between songs. This seems to provide a short period of clog free playing, usually long enough to get through a song.
One thing you might try. When you play the whistle, do not stick the beak of the instrument into your mouth very far - like right on edge. This will prevent your mouth from producing as much saliva. You’ll still have the humidity but I’ve heard this helps some people.
One thing you might try. When you play the whistle, do not stick the beak of the instrument into your mouth very far - like right on edge. This will prevent your mouth from producing as much saliva. You’ll still have the humidity but I’ve heard this helps some people.
I’ll second what Daniel said about not putting the whistle too far into the mouth, that helps me when I’m clogging real bad. It also helps me if I have the whistle just slightly off center in my mouth. It takes some getting used to, but it seems to help.
I prefer the inhale to flinging into the crowd I don’t use JetDry. However, it is for dishes and utensils, so people do taste it, and after that recent thread about American safety labels, it absolutely is safe to consume in miniscule trace amounts. I do use hot soapy water, and haven’t tasted soap yet.
Thanks for the suggestions, all. Re: the hot soapy water - Do you just dunk the whole top in? I tried the sliver of business card thing, but it didn’t seem to be getting where I want it to go.
I’ll try putting less in my mouth or at an angle.
Does the material the whistle is made of make a difference?
The material can make a difference but the shape of the windway may make a bigger difference. In general a curved windway will clog less than a straight one.
I fill the sink, squirt in some liquid soap, and put the whistles in and let them sit for a few minutes. I use liquid soap for hands, not dishwashing stuff. Some people suggest using pipe cleaners (those long fuzzy straw-like things) to get to the inside. Others have suggested hydrogen peroxide as a gentle agent.
I would think that wood is apart from metal or plastic, with wood requiring more care. I would not soak a wood whistle. Also the thickness of the material makes temperature changes more meaningful. A thicker material takes longer to warm up. Warming whistles with body heat is another trick that seems to help with clogging.
Hello Morning girl,
I’m having the same problem, here in Pennsylvania. It seems to have just cropped up with the latest batch of humid weather. I think the East coast in general is the worst for the problem, given the common 70 percent humidity and up in the summer here. Maybe I’m just playing more often, and for longer periods of time to notice too.
I just got an all brass low D, and it seems to be worst on that one, as you had mentioned, but I am experienceing it on all my low D’s. I only have one other whistle than my low D’s, a Generation blue/nickel Bb, that seems not to have a clogging problem.
I did try some of the other suggestions, and one seemed to work, somewhat. I warmed up the brass fipple in hot water, put some baby shampoo on the fipple, and then shook it out to dry. It did last awhile longer before it clogged.
Do you have any more thoughts on this, anyone?
Hi Barry - Yes this East Coast humidity is great for the complexion and growing nails, but… I went home and experimented. The brass one does seem to clog faster, but lasted longer when I warmed it up first and put less of it into my mouth as a previous posters suggested.
'Guess I’ll just have to go out and find a bodrhan player to drip on…
Why only go halfway, in the rain, when you could put it to the ultimate test? Find a large body of water, jump in and whistle underwater-go ahead, give it a go!
We made it safely across the country from WA. I’m employed. My house has been reclaimed from 9 years as a rental. I have a computer I can slip onto at work to access C&F.
I can’t make it through 2 reps. of any tune w/out having to blow moisture from my whistle. My skin and nails are loving the humidity, but this newbie player is very frustrated. I don’t think the soapy water trick is going to do it. The effect is much worse here than in Washington State.
I don’t use JetDry. However, it is for dishes and utensils, so people do taste it, and after that recent thread about American safety labels, it absolutely is safe to consume in miniscule trace amounts. I do use hot soapy water, and haven’t tasted soap yet.