On two of my high D whistles, if I’m not careful about playing the high E, I get a higher harmonic note that’s not the first harmonic E note. This doesn’t seem to happen on any other notes. I’m not really sure what I’m doing wrong when it happens other than maybe using too much breath pressure. Is this common for beginners? Is there a name for it?
Thanks,
Bob
It turns out the note is a high B.
Bob
Yes. The difference between the low notes and the high notes are an octave. But if you (could) keep going up higher and higher, the harmonics would get closer together. First you have the octave split, then you jump up only a fith. Then a major third, followed by a minor third, and it goes on and on. It’s moot point, important mainly to brass players. And it winds up being much less of an exact science on instruments like the whistle.
Sorry. Old brass stuff.
Did I explain that right? Did I even give a relevant answere? Did I even understand the question? Not likely.
Yes, that’s definately what I was referring to. The high B is a fifth above the high E, so must be the next harmonic in the overtone series. I’m kind of curious about why this only happens (for me at least) when playing high E. It seems like it would happen on some of the other notes as well.
Bob
I first noticed it when I got an A while trying to play an unvented third-octave D.
A lot of those squeeks and squawks are actually just a 5th above what people intended to play.
Excellent training for breath control. There are many tunes with a high D-high E then high A-high B and back to E sequence.
Controlling the breath to get the third overtone saves on fingering… Also many whistles have these overblown A and B less shriek than by standard fingering.
If you want to avoid it at all costs you may play the high D fingered oxx xxx
and the next E øxx xxx. Half-fingering the top hole gives the proper “venting” which forbids reaching the next fifth.
You could also get a thumbhole. I’m considering drilling one and trying it out. Of course, you will automatically go to hades when you die if you try this. God hates thumbholes.
I’ve also noticed 2nd octave E can be fiddly on some whistles more than others.
There are flutes and whistles which use the overtones extensively. A tabor pipe uses them to play a major scale using only three holes (starting on the 2nd D). A fujara uses the same principle, only on a larger scale with many overtones. There are also traditional overtone flutes with no holes (sometimes the end is covered with a finger to get more notes).
Here’s a video of a Swedish overtone flute:
http://www.tvfolk.net/artistVideo.asp?ID=17&resolution=high
Drill it halfway to the fipple from the first hole (say, F#-sounding) you want to favour. I considered drilling one only for the notes above second G…
Make it much smaller than on standard recorders in C: they use the vent wide open only for their second C#, D and Eb, with these last two tones needing the top index lifted anyway… Anything above is half-holed (i.e. leaving about two-thirds covered). Be aware, that the influence of this hole will increasingly alter the intonation up in scale, which you’ll have to compensate by extensive cross-fingering…
I’m torn between making it tiny , to use just for the octave, and making it a useful size to get a good c nat. I suppose I could do both, making the one for the octave offset and above the main hole. Like the double holes on a recorder. Doesn’t matter. God hates thumbholes so much, He hid my drill.
I am a beginner and although the sqwaks are fewer, my cats can now stay in the room when I play, I hate both of the fingerings for C natural, I have been praticing half hole C and it just makes me want to add a key that covers half the top hole on the whistle. I just can’t seem to cover it consistantly to get the C in tune. Arrrgggh.
I was wondering if God hates such modifications as well? 