Because I have an incurable case of WhOA, I have a strong desire to have an “A” whistle. I also would like to try my hand at building a whistle. Combine these two together and you get the desire to make an “A” whistle. I have checked the “Bloody Hand” site which implied that an “A” whistle can almost be made. I would like to hear experiences and get hints from others have tried to build an “A” whistle.
Hi rkottke
Since no one has answered… Do you know about Pete Kosel’s flute calculator site called Flutomat ? At the bottom of the “frequencies” column, change the keynote to “A” and click “calculate”. All of the measurements will be ready for printout. Here is the link
http://www.cwo.com/~ph_kosel/flutomat.html
If you have any trouble with the design or construction, there are plenty of “experts” here to step you through the rough spots. You can change the bore diameter and thickness slightly to accomodate available tubing.
Did you want this instrument for consorts with bagpipes? If so, you will need to modify the frequencies of the toneholes and I can direct you to suitable sites that deal with “The Highland Scale”.
Thomas Hastay.
Which ‘A’ size do you need, A below High-D or Above High-D or A below Low-D?
Hey Thomas, I’m interested in the Highland scales you are referring to. Where can I find them?
constance
Oops! double post.
constance
To Daniel_Bingamon, I was planning Mid-A. I had gotten your book early last year when the urge to built whistle hit me before but was sidetracked by work and family. I have the 10/22/02 printing of your book, do you have any changes, additions, or advice to add?
BTW, I currently have a Dixon Low-D which I love to play but as my hands get older, it is getting harder to play. Therefore I am considering if the Mid-A whistle works out to try to build a keyed Low-D.
Make sure to use a reasonably sized tubing… say preferably at least 5/8" even or more. I use Aluminum tubing for mine… 3/4"
Reason being: The lower or longer the whistle, the larger the tubing you’d like so the volume will be there for you AND you’ll be able to keep the volume constant when working with metals.
I’d just go grab some of the large copper tubing (what 3/4" I think? It’s been so long now since I’ve done copper tubing)
Drill it out according to some of the online measurement ratios, and you’re in. I can give you some rough measurements, but they’d only be very rough starting points and you’d end up running through a few pieces since my measurements are for my materials, with a tuning slide, and not copper specifically:)
Take care,
John
I made a mouthpiece by taking the fipple from a sweetone C (about $4 at elderly music)and putting it into a 1/2 inch pvc connector. It took some teflon tape to make it fit.
Then I made a tube using the dimensions from the flutomat calculator. I made one in A and one if F. The notes were there, but each note could be 20 to 30 cents sharp or flat depending on breath control. The top 3 notes of the second octave were flat no matter how hard I blew.
It was an interesting experiment and only took a couple of hours. I even made an A using the 8 hole design. This one was my best attempt. The extra holes aren’t played. They move the bell note up the tube to strengthen it.
Angelo
The extra holes aren’t played. They move the bell note up the tube to strengthen it.
D/G tunes on A whistle also works similarly
Yep, that’s what I was referring to in using larger tubing… the lower (longer) the whistle the larger the tube to get a clearer and stronger bell note, OR you can use a design such as you have used (to a degree)… works pretty well eh? Interesting!
Have fun with your experimenting! Keep us updated…
Take care,
John
To answer your question:
On page 57, the dimension 1.23" should be 2.23" - nearly all the books have this correction marked. It’s also on the website - it applies to high whistle. The Mid-A is pushing the limits of the tubing size but it will still work.
I have another book out now on making brass high whistles. It doesn’t cover any theory like the main book. It’s simply a construction guide.
I don’t have any books together on doing the keyed Low-D. It’s quite an involved process. When making keys, I suggest making one or two first, like a Eb key or a key to help reach the Low-D. This is a good start when getting into keys.