…big.
Just got my first low D and I was stunned at how big it is. I expected it to be approximately twice as big as a high D. I’m going to have to rexamine my understanding of the physics princlples involved. Is there a squaring of the numbers somewhere in the formula?
Yes, big. Piper’s grip helps me.
Also it’s a good idea to slant
the right hand so that the ring finger
covers the 6th hole on the pad of
the finger, but the first finger
covers its hole nearly at the crease
of the second knuckle. This keeps
your wrist straight. It takes
awhile, but finally you can
play a low D about as fast as
a high D. Take your time.
Much good fun!
Yeah I have to work on the hand positions, because already my right wrist hurts.
And I measured them and the low is exactly twice as big as the high, it’s just an optical illusion. Still, the bigness is overwhelming at first.
On 2002-08-25 00:35, FJohnSharp wrote:
Just got my first low D and I was stunned at how big it is
I thought the same thing at first, then decided I shouldn’t have been so surpised as it’s about the same size as a standard flute.
What got me all amazed was when I picked up a low-low A. It’s about eight inches or so longer than the low D.
On 2002-08-25 00:35, FJohnSharp wrote:
…big.Just got my first low D and I was stunned at how big it is. I expected it to be approximately twice as big as a high D. I’m going to have to rexamine my understanding of the physics princlples involved. Is there a squaring of the numbers somewhere in the formula?
I’m not exactly comparing apples to oranges here, but I just picked up my Burke low D, and a Dixon high D and sure enough the length and diameter of the low whistle are pretty close to 2X that of the high-- pretty close, allowing for design variations between the 2 whistlemakers. The squaring comes in when you consider the AREA of the whistle. If I recall my high school math, area=pi r squared. When you double the radius of a D whistle, the resulting low whistle has a cross sectional area which is 4 times that of the high one. This makes a much larger feeling,fatter instrument. You can’t fool physics…
Irish flute and low whistle are about the same length, true, but there is a vast difference in the way you hold them.
The right hand reach isn’t so bad on a flute because you are able to position your hand “straight-on” to the flute.
On a low whistle, the same reach can be almost painful because you are holding it vertically and can no longer approach it without angling the wrist and fingers.
You play low whistle for an hour or so and then pick up a flute, the flute will feel small in your hands!
Best wishes,
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
LOL You should see my BASS A!!!
On 2002-08-25 08:57, peeplj wrote:
Irish flute and low whistle are about the same length, true, but there is a vast difference in the way you hold them.The right hand reach isn’t so bad on a flute because you are able to position your hand “straight-on” to the flute.
On a low whistle, the same reach can be almost painful because you are holding it vertically and can no longer approach it without angling the wrist and fingers.
You play low whistle for an hour or so and then pick up a flute, the flute will feel small in your hands! >
Best wishes,
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
This really depends on the person. When I play low-D, my wrists are nearly straight. In fact, when I play a D flute, my right wrist is slightly cocked away from me. 'Course, I also very comfortably play with fingertips on a low-D, so it would seem I’m not normal.
–quote–
This really depends on the person. When I play low-D, my wrists are nearly straight. In fact, when I play a D flute, my right wrist is slightly cocked away from me. 'Course, I also very comfortably play with fingertips on a low-D, so it would seem I’m not normal.
–endquote–
Well, I don’t know about the “not normal” part, but I think you got it right the first time: every person is different, and an approach that works well for one may not be ideal for another. I probably just have shorter arms than you! After all, my legs are just barely long enough to reach the ground when I stand up straight!
Peace and best wishes,
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
[ This Message was edited by: peeplj on 2002-08-25 17:21 ]