My DIY whistles

Whistle
1

Hello all, a newbie / lurker here.

A bit of a preamble - I’ll start off by saying I’m not really into whistles for the traditional aspect. I make my living as a drummer / percussionist, and also play some keys and winds. I’m always looking for instruments to increase my sonic palette, and while I respect where some designs come from and their traditional use, I’m more into discovering my own thing on them.

I have always loved the low-pitched instruments, having played bass clarinet, bassoon, and bari sax in my past (I have a lovely silverplate 1923 Beuscher hiding under the bed that may see the light of day again if I get the urge). So of course I’m drawn to the lower whistles, which sound gorgeous. I looked at some of the DIY info on the Net, including going back through three years of discussion on this forum (thanks so much to those that imparted their knowledge and wisdom). But I thought naw, I’ll buy a Low D and be done with it. But my order for a Susato through a Canadian dealer fell through, so I took that as a sign from the universe that perhaps I should try and make one after all.

But make one? Why not a whole bunch? :smiley: My first two were made from the frame tubing of old bicycles. I’ve been helping run our local community bike recycling shop for years and thought it’d be cool to make an instrument from the scrap parts, and here was my chance. The first one was just a test, as I wanted to try out the excellent exofipple idea, and it worked! So the next one was made from the top tube of an old bike of mine that had been hit by a taxi (I hate taxi drivers). It’s a tad challenged aesthetically, but it’s in G (tenor) and sounds quite nice. Then I made one from an old aluminum broom handle, then out of PVC.

I’ve posted the details to my blog:

http://drumbent.blogspot.com/2010/09/diy-tin-whistles.html

Then, after finding out that indeed there are whistles below low C, I made a bass in A. Yes, it’s one heck of a stretch for my fingers, and I’m not using any kind of pipe’s grip! Though I’ve figured out how to cheat a bit and use my pinky finger to reach the lowest hole, and am getting used to that. But boy, with the large holes and finger spread there’s a learning curve so as not to always chirp the notes. Details at:

http://drumbent.blogspot.com/2010/09/more-flute-whistle-creation.html

I’ll eventually post some sound clips.

And of course I’ve got to keep exploring, so I’ve made a pvc shakuhachi (now that’s one tough embouchure!), and also want to make a native flute, a quena, and also a fujara (large overtone flute). And since these instruments are not trad. whistles in the sense of this forum I’ll post about them in one of the other forums.

Cheers, and thanks again for all info I’ve picked up from the designers and builders here! :slight_smile:
Mark

2

I found your blog post yesterday and really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!

I too played the contra-alto, bassoon and bari. I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making a low D or bass G whistle, but my soprano D’s don’t sound very good above low A. Until I get that figured out I don’t really want to go to the trouble.

I thought the exofipple design was very odd. Then again I’m a novice whistler (and I’ve the website to prove it :smiley: ). Do you get a clear tone out of it? Is it airy at all? Is it hollow sounding like I imagine it to be? I think a hollow-sounding low whistle would be pretty awesome for slow airs and marches.

I can’t hit YouTube from where I’m at, but I found a video the other day of a man playing a base G whistle that sounded amazing! I’d love to play one, I just don’t want to spend $200 on one :smiley:

Kinda OT, but that sax on your blog post is just gorgeous! How’s she voiced? I’ve only ever played Selmer baris and they always sound very airy above high G, and too throaty below low E.

3

I never tried to make a small one, as I find them a bit too, well, just not my style. I would like to think the larger instruments, having larger dimensions in general, have more leeway for DIY fiddling.

I though it odd at first as well, but it’s brilliant because you can instantly adjust it! Just attach with tape, and then if it’s too airy (as mine first were) then pull it off and either simply make another windway or adjust the existing one. It definitely needs to be wider / taller at the mouth end, and narrowing / lowering towards the hole, but you have to experiment. As I mentioned in my first post, I did not find a regular windway to sound terribly different from the exofipple, and I currently prefer the exo’s ease of adjustment. It just looks odd, but does not sound it (to my ears).

Yes, that’s probably the Japanese fellow playing one. That’s what inspired me to create my bass A, and you can do it too. After all, it’s just cheap plumbing pipe! A bass G would be nice, but I’d either have to learn piper’s grip or figure out how to add a key or two!

I used to play a Yamaha 61 series (w/low A), and like pretty well all those horns it does not have the same bottom end as a low Bb. That’s because the bell opening stays the same, but is moved done one semitone. Now, in most modern playing one does not want a ton of low end from any sax, or at least the sound tech doesn’t. :wink: But I personally love the sound of this old horn over any new one. The high end seems fine, and I think the mouthpiece makes more of a difference (as with all winds) that anything else. I use a Selmer E for regular stuff, a Selmer H for louder, and even have an old 1920’s Henton piece that is very similar to the one that would’ve come with the horn. It is so closed that the horn almost sounds like a loud bassoon! (I kinda like it…) And it perhaps gives an idea of Mr. Sax’s original sound intentions.

Mark

4

I assure you, the instrument has a lot to do with the sound when you’r using a sax that’s been beaten up by high-schoolers for the last 20 years :smiley: The only baris I played were owned by my school. Same for the bassoon and contra-altos. I only owned my alto and tenor saxes.

Ah, fond memories.

Anyhoo, I ended up making a low D out of PVC (without the exofipple) last night as my whistle order did not come in yesterday :frowning: You’re right about the larger whistles having more room for DIY. Within 30 minutes I had a mouthpiece that sounded good, if not a little airy.

I made all of the holes in a straight line, which was a big mistake. They’ll be easier to reach if the bottom hole of each hand is offset to fit the hand more comfortably. Have you tried that in your whistles? I’ll be doing that in a low D this weekend.

My wife much prefers the sound of the low whistle, but she still doesn’t appreciate anything above the high G :smiley:

5

I certainly have, because a low D would be pretty hard to play otherwise! And for the Bass A the offset holes are essential. I’m amazed I can play it at all with just fingertips, but I’m tall with long fingers so it helps. I guess I could learn the modified piper’s grip, but years of drumming have left minor callus pads that naturally desensitize compare to fingertips.

6

Ohh, pretty! I never thought of putting a bend in it like a sax. That’s a great idea!

I finally got my first non-DIY whistle, and I really like it. I don’t think I’ll be making any more out of PVC unless the neighborhood kids want to.

I wounder if adding a small bell to the end of the shaft would improve the tone?

7

You can do that with PVC whistles as well. In fact, my big Bass Whistle uses a drain trap (‘U’ shaped - for those who are hydraulically challenged) to invert the mouthpiece and shorten the length of the instrument.

Bass Recorders also have elbows in their tuning joints.

8

I’ve made a change on the bass whistle…

And made two more bodies for the Low D pvc whistle:

Details at http://drumbent.blogspot.com/2010/10/even-more-whistle-flute-creation.html. :slight_smile: