I am new to the tin whistle, tips are welcomed

Whistle
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Hi!

I just received my first tin whistle (Clarke with a plastic mouth-peice) this week. I am frustrated that I can not get the sounds to come out right. The notes are a very unsmooth and almost a shrilling noise, not musical sounding at all. I’m positive it has to do with my breathing/blowing technique, but I can not figure out how to do it the right way. I don’t blow with force, and I’ve tried making T and K sounds with my tongue. I’ve researched techniques on the web and there hasn’t been any description that’s helped me. Any advice? All would be appreciated!

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I am also wondering, is a plastic mouth peice any good? Should I try and change to a more traditional whistle without the plastic?

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Evan, don’t be discouraged.
It takes a while for the whistle to sound like music. You could try another whistle in case that’s the problem, but most likely you just need to practice, and also to become accustomed to the sound of the whistle close up. It’s not the same as the ethereal, haunting sound of the whistle played through a microphone (with reverb) or through the misty air over purple hills. :slight_smile: At least, not until you become a little more expert.
I prefer the plastic mouthpiece, but opinions differ. And by the way, welcome to whistling and to the board.

If I was a blackbird, I’d whistle and sing…

[ This Message was edited by: Blackbird on 2002-06-01 22:35 ]

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Don’t worry…it takes a bit of practice, but it will come. Both under and over blowing can make things squeak and squawk a bit, but it won’t take you long to get the hang of just how much breath you need to keep going to get a nice sound.

You might try just playing one long note at first…practice changing the air flow until you get the sound you want.

Do you sing at all? The breathing principles are the same…take a good lungfull of air and control the flow with your diaphragm and lips. Let the note build in intensity the longer you hold it.

You’ll want to check your finger position too…number one problem I have when I pick up the whistle again after a long lay off (and the problem I had the most trouble with when I first started playing) was not covering the holes completely. Even a little air escaping can cause squeaks or a note out of true. Focus on keeping the pads of the finger gently but firmly over each hole…again it takes a bit of practice to “feel” this so you’re not either leaking air or squeezing the whistle, but the more you practice, the easier it will be.

If you’ve been playing for a while and things suddenly get squeaky (or no sound comes out), you’ve probably got condensation built up in the mouthpiece. You can get rid of this in two ways…either by covering the apeture and blowing HARD (I’m told this can be a bit hard on the blade, however, and it can definitely be hard on the ears if your hand slips!), or by holding it upside down and giving it a few good shakes.

I prefer a plastic mouthpiece, myself. That’s what I’ve always had, until I bought a Clarke out of curiousity a few years ago. I don’t like the feel of a wooden block against my lip, and I don’t like the breathy tone my Clarke puts out (though I’m not sure if that’s the fault of the mouthpiece or something else). Plastic definitely is NOT substandard with this instrument, however…many of the very best whistlers use plastic-headed whistles (and some very nice whistles, such as the Susatos, are ALL plastic).

Redwolf

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About the plastic mouthpiece.
The plastic mouthpiece generation is, by some, considered the most traditional whistle out there. And has the most traditional sound as well, when you get a good one. Great players like Paddy Maloney play generations with plastic mouthpiece. And by the way welcome to the board. And about your breathing, my advice is to just practise until you get it right.

Jack Murphy

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“Practice” is perhaps the very best advice of all. It’s not unusual, when you first pick up ANY instrument, for it to sound rather “unmusical.” I’ve noticed when my daughter learns a new piece on the piano (she’s very much a beginner), at first, even when she hits the right notes, it doesn’t sound all that pleasant…she doesn’t have a feel yet for how the tune should flow, or for how much pressure she should put on the keys. The more she plays it…the more confidence she has in the piece…the more musical it sounds.

Here are a couple of exercises that might help with breath control:

First, take in a nice lungful of air and play a few nice slow scales, going all the way up and down on one breath. Don’t even worry about tonguing (making the “tuh” or “duh” motion with your tongue) right now…just focus on playing smoothly and with the same intensity on each note.

After you’ve done a couple of these, do the same thing with tongueing. Again, focus on playing smoothly, going up and down on one lungful of air. Try both “tuh” and “duh” and see which one works for you (I tend to use “tuh” when I want a sharp, distinct articulation and “duh” when I want a smooth, “legato” sound.

Next, do the same thing, only play “staccato” (shortened notes, with an articulation at the beginning and end of each note. You can do this by going “tut tut” instead of “tuh tuh”). This time, focus on giving each note the same amount of breath.

After you’ve warmed up this way, pick a simple tune you can easily play by ear (so you won’t have to focus on reading music while you’re also focusing on getting a good sound). I mean REALLY simple…something like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” As you play, keep thinking “smooth”…keep your tongueing soft and your airflow constant. Breath only at the end of a phrase at first, for example:

Twinkle twinkle little star (breath)
How I wonder what you are (breath)

Once that’s going well, try to play it with one breath for two phrases, for example:

Twinkle twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are (breath)
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky (breath)

Play around with the tune a little. Practice it playing staccato. Practice it without tonguing (molto legato). Speed it up a little. Slow it waay down. The more you play it, and the more different ways you play it, the more confident you will get, and the more musical the whole thing will sound.

Hang in there. One of the very nicest things about this little instrument of ours is that it doesn’t take a long time to get a basic feel for it. Practicing a little every day is better than one marathon practice session every few days. Keep it near you, and play with it whenever you get a few minutes here and there. You’ll be surprised at how quickly it becomes comfortable.

Redwolf

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Slow and smooth. blowing easy and steady is the trick to getting a smooth, mellow note. The plastic mouthpiece requires a little less wind (in my experience) than the traditional Clarke Pennywhistle.

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Welcome to the board, Evan!

You’ll find lots of helpful people here who may be able to answer just about any question you ever have.

I’ve linked a bunch of prior threads on a variety of useful topics in the Matrix section of a site called the Whistle Annex (link to the site is below)…some of it is very basic, some is not…take a look to see if it is helpful for you.

Welcome, and happy whistlin!

DAZED

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Welcome, Evan! A couple of suggestions I gave to my husband when he started out: don’t think ‘blow into the whistle’; think ‘breathe into the whistle’. This gentles down the airflow and gives more control. As a beginner, every time you start practicing, start on the G note, not the D, and work down. The G is typically very easy to ‘get’, but each successive lower note gives you more and more opportunity to misplace fingers. If you have problems with the G, start on the open C# and work down. Once you have played every note downward, and gotten a clear ‘bell note’ D, run a few scales, a few arpeggios, then do the practicing you intended to do. The trick is to get your fingers used to finding the holes instinctively.

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Have you purchased Bill Ochs “Clark Tin Whisle” tutorial? I had been fooling around with the whistle for several months, but didn’t pick up techniques. Once I started using the book, I made remarkable progress. The book does wonders to give you a foundation for playing. Most of the people here recommend it, as well. You can get it through “The Whistle Shop” if you have a hard time finding it locally. I got mine through a folk music shop in Pennsylvania.

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At the risk of sounding like Confusius:

“Listen … {a lot}”


..oh, and Bill Ochs’ book is really good.
Back the technique you learn there with a gradually bigger collection of whistle CD’s.

Boyd.

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Thanks everyone! All the advice was wonderful and encouraging. I did take a look at The Whistle Shop and learned to play the rainy day song they have on the beginners tutorial. I now have a better feel, but still having problems with the consistency of the sound.

The tin whistle is not to be under estimated!

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Don’t worry…you’ll get it. The more you play, the better it will sound, I promise.

One thing I’m afraid we didn’t warn you about, however: Playing whistles is addictive! The more you play, the more you’ll find yourself wanting to pick the thing up “just one more time tonight, just to try out this one thing!” You may even find that it’s taken to following you around…turning up in your backpack, your briefcase, your hip pocket, begging to be played “just a little.” You may even find yourself wanting to get it a friend…maybe one of those Susatos or Clares or Feadogs you’ve heard about and just have to try. Don’t worry…it’s a strange addiction, but fun, and relatively harmless (unless you have very irritable neighbors or a colicky baby :wink: ).

Enjoy!

Redwolf