Hi I’m new… So I thought I would take a chance to introduce myself and ask some beginner questions.
About a year ago I am walking through Target when I pass by a kiosk with “mood music” samples that is playing some kinda of flute thing that I just love. My wife told me that it wasn’t a flute but she wasn’t sure what it was… and so it began. I went about asking knowledgable people who assured me it wasn’t a flute but they weren’t sure what it was. I finally found a friend who happens to be a World Music geek and he told me it was an Irish Tinwhistle. Great I said, how much and where do I get one. He said he guessed $100 and had no idea where to get one. Well living on a seminary student salary, I didn’t even try to find one. A few months later, while watching Elton John Live by Request, I thought I would give finding one of thse whistles things a shot. Google. Chiff and Fipple. The Whistle Shop. Cheap! Sweet!
That brings me to my questions. I found a local Celtic shop and bought the only whistle they had, an Oak D. Question 1. How do I care for it? Question 2. Is it really hard to tounge low notes? (I can play them in the middle of a slur but can’t tounge them quickly.) Question 3. Any advice about how to control jumping from octave to octave? (Exercise in the book I am learning from has me trying to slur up and down octaves and it is good and hard.) I have only been at this for two weeks, so if the answer to these questions is, “Keep practicing…” I’ll understand.
Anyway, howdy. Y’all seem to have a nice group here.
Better questions than most newbies. Yep, questions that deserve answers…
Question 1. How do I care for it? Question 2. Is it really hard to tounge low notes? (I can play them in the middle of a slur but can’t tounge them quickly.) Question 3. Any advice about how to control jumping from octave to octave?
Caring for the ‘cheapie’ instruments is not hard; just shake out the spit/ambient moisture that accumulates in the fipple(mouthpiece) once in a while
The low notes will be sort of hard to hit at first; you just need to learn to control your air pressure. This is the same thing for octave jumping.
So, practice, practice, practice.
Wow! Coal in the stocking. Thanks. 
Leluka,
Welcome to the board - it’s good to see you here! Here’s my $0.02.
Question 1. How do I care for it?
Don’t sit on it. Don’t ding the fipple (the bit inside the window that your breath hits and that makes the noise), I guess, also. Other than that, it’s pretty much common sense. If it gets really grungy, wash it out with some warm water. Errr. That’s about it, really. They’re pretty hard to damage, actually.
Of course, case instructions for wooden whistles are greatly different, but pretty much for an Oak this is all you need.
Question 2. Is it really hard to tounge low notes? (I can play them in the middle of a slur but can’t tounge them quickly.)
Question 3. Any advice about how to control jumping from octave to octave?
Both of these do come with practice. If this is the first wind instrument you have played, then basically it’s about mastering controlling your breathing. Also, make sure that you are covering the holes fully - a small leak around your fingers can make a note squeak. That said, you don’t need to press your fingers down hard, just make sure they are actually on the hole. Tounging the lower notes is harder as the tendency is to put too much air through and so you will jump up an octave.
The lower notes require less air. As you play more, you will just start feeling the difference.
Keep it up, it’s incredibly rewarding.
Richard
PS: Seminary in Dallas… are you at DTS?
Walden, you are sooooo funny! 
This guy asks questions about … uh … never mind…
BSF: If you’re getting squeaks and octave hops, you need better breath control, or a more forgiving whistle. It’s a matter of practice. But you knew that.
A slur still has distinct notes in it. It is not the same thing as a slide, which is a (somewhat) smooth transition from one note to another, generally accomplished by sliding (imagine!) a finger off of or onto a hole. There are also “breath slides”, but those take more practice. But you knew that.
Look at the threads listed here and see if you can find one about “scoiltrad” (may not be the correct spelling), and read it. It speaks to a learning methodology.
Don’t give up. It’s a simple instrument, but not a simple track to mastery.
Oh, yes… practice. A lot.
Cheers,
serpent
Yes I am a student at DTS.
This is actually the first instrument I have ever played. The learning process has been interesting. I find myself practicing for an hour at a time and not even noticing. It could be the novelty of the thing but I doubt it.
[ This Message was edited by: Leluka on 2002-12-19 15:28 ]
The good news is that by starting out on an Oak, you have one of the finest of the inexpensive whistles.
The bad news is Oaks do take very precise breath control and are not an easy whistle to learn to play on.
The good news from that, though, is as you learn to play you are learning proper breath control because the Oak demands it.
The key on the lowest notes is to drop the jaw and open the throat. You need large amounts of slow-moving air. Also make sure you are sealing the tone holes with the fleshy pad of the finger and not the very tips, so that you don’t leak air. If your fingers are leaking, the lowest notes become impossible to hit.
Best wishes, and good luck with that shiny whistle!
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
Hi Leluka,
It seems that your questions have been thoroughly addressed, I just wanted to say welcome, and good luck with your playing. The whistle is a seriously rewarding instrument, I hope you have fun.
Best wishes, Adrian
Have you read the section of the main C&F page on tweaking? I’ve found that Oaks benefit greatly from the standard treatment – clearing out the airway, and especially the sticky-tack tweak. It really helps the octave jumping.
Oh, and BTW, most people can comfortably sit on an Oak – the “triple” nickel plating makes them very durable. A Clarke is an entirely different story, but is more forgiving breathwise.
Welcome to the board, Leluka! Those low notes are sensitive, aren’t they? Try using less attack…less ‘Tah’ and more ‘Dah’.
In the practicing of my resident beginner, Tyghre, I tell him to start at the G note, not the D, and proceed downward. It makes it easier to regulate your breathing.
There is little cause to do octave jumps at the outset. Is that what you’re doing? Low D to hi D, low E to high E? I think I can do that through G, slurring from the low to the high without tonguing, but the G is tough and anything above I tend to tongue. If you mean going up the scale, DEFGABCD…that comes with breath control too, and losing the fear of hitting a lousy note.
Have fun! Practice a lot. . .it does come in time!
On 2002-12-19 17:01, peeplj wrote:
The good news is that by starting out on an Oak, you have one of the finest of the inexpensive whistles.
I couldn’t disagree more. My first whistle was an Oak. It was the screechiest darn whistle I have ever played. It’s a miracle I stuck to the whistle after that. That said, I have heard parise for Oak whistles, and at this point I am almost sure the problem with my Oak was a quality control issue and not a design issue. So we really have no way of knowing if the original poster got a gem or a lemon. The involuntary octave jumps and weak low notes could be results of beginner wind or of a dud whistle. My advice is to stick with it for a while and see if it improves. If it doesn’t get a Sweetone whistle, which, in my opinion, is, if not the strongest sounding inexpensive whistle, definitely the easiest for a beginner to manage. And it costs about $5. In fact, get one anyway, even if the Oak improves. Then you’ll be able to work on double-whistle tricks. Good luck and welcome to whistling!
Jessie
Ditto on the Sweetone endorsement Jessie!
Everyone who is anybody KNOWS that the Sweetone is the BEST inexpensive whistle on the market. (How’s that for stirring the pot?)
I usually rinse out my whistle with cool water after each practice session and sling the water out of it. Then I stand it up in my whistle jar to wait until next time.
Cheers!
Paulsdad
[quote]
On 2002-12-19 15:21, DrRichard wrote:
Leluka,
Welcome to the board - it’s good to see you here! Here’s my $0.02.
Question 1. How do I care for it?
Don’t sit on it. Don’t ding the fipple (the bit inside the window that your breath hits and that makes the noise), I guess, also. Other than that, it’s pretty much common sense. If it gets really grungy, wash it out with some warm water. Errr. That’s about it, really. They’re pretty hard to damage, actually.
Welcome to the Board Leluka. I’d just like to clear something up here to not make you confused. I believe Dr.Richard made a Booboo on the above quote. When he wrote “Don’t ding the fipple (the part that makes the noise.)” I believe he meant to say don’t dent the “Blade” also called the “Lip.” The “Fipple” does not make any noise, except for maybe breath noise. The Fipple is what keeps the air from escaping out of the end of the whistle, it also channels the air to the Window, and then the Blade. A lot of those “Pure Moods” type songs contain Low Whistles too so if you have large hands you may want to look into purchasing one of them too. If you want to learn some very helpfull hints check brother steves site. I don’t remeber the URL off the top of my mind but if you go to my site http://personal.buildpage.com/awenwoodwi then go to the “Whistling Links” page and you can go to Brother Steves Site from there.
The gods created whisky to keep the Irish from rulling the world, then gave us TinWhistles to keep us happy.
[ This Message was edited by: Cyfiawnder on 2002-12-19 18:47 ]
Leluka,
Welcome. The folks above have posted the basics things to look for in your method, and that you might just have a lemon. Another thing to check, is your hands. I have very dry hands. I found that if I use a little hand lotion (I steal a little of my wife’s Oil of Olay), rub it into the finger pads, and then wipe off the excess, the added moisture makes sealing the finger holes easier. For me, poor seals are a common cause of problems hitting the low octave, especial the key note (D on a D whistle).
The most common cause of problems with the key note, for me, is tension. If I’m nervous, the air stream is tighter, faster, and less consistent. If I concentrate on the air stream’s tightness, speed, and consistency; then, I just get more tense and my control gets worse. If I stop, relax my sholders, forget about doing it right and just let the notes come through, I can ease down from the first octave G, to f(#), to E, to D.
Imagine just wandering through a quiet woods, late fall, shuffling feet through the fallen leaves, hearing the shush of the leaves awakened from their rest. The breath flows gently for each tone, G down to D. The tone moves around at each note, varing with breath, openning each slowly, each simply being what it is, where it is. Slow: each note tamed with kindness, each given all the leaway available in each breath.
The next finger gently glides down to meet the next note, feeling through the little vibrations that tickles through the next finger hole as the finger slowly descends, vibrations start as the tone starts to slide into the next note in the scale.
This is how my key note was tamed, connected to the scale. Introduced to its cousins and to it’s quick little brother in the octave overtone.
Each note is a lamb in the flock that will grow to be the music. Chase after it and it will scamper away. Shepard each into the fold with gentleness, quieting the busy distractions, nurturing the connection of kin. Patience will connect the new one with its fellows, a bit more joy scampering about over new clover, a bit more warmth huddled together through the storms of each season, a bit more softness at spring shearing.
For me, my music, is laying down my burdens to connect with something that is greater than my understandings. Music is that which is more than words, that which transforms lyric into song.
So take heart, the path of your music is your own, perhaps like mine or perhaps like any of the others here. Each path is unique to the player but we all share in the love of hiking.
Welcome, Whistle while you walk and …
\
Enjoy Your Music,
Lee Marsh
[ This Message was edited by: LeeMarsh on 2002-12-19 21:45 ]
Thanks, Lee.
I thought I was the only bloke who started taking care of his hands with Nivea cream because of whistling, and was kind of hiding in shame… 
On 2002-12-19 21:42, Zubivka wrote:
Thanks, Lee.I thought I was the only bloke who started taking care of his hands with Nivea cream because of whistling, and was kind of hiding in shame… >
Zubivka,
For me its a real schizophrenic care. I want soft pads for whistle and flute; but, hard callus tips for guitar playing.
Personally I like the Avon Silicon Glove. Works real good for whistlin!
Who’d have thought that I’d be picking up beauty tips from the men of the board? 
I love it!! Off to find my Avon catalog…
,
Andrea ~*~
Pardon me, how rude! I forgot to welcome Leluka to the board… we’re glad to have you!! Enjoy your time here-- we’re a bit crazy, but we’re a loveable (and a rather cutie-pie) bunch.
[ This Message was edited by: aderyn on 2002-12-19 23:21 ]
Welcome, Leluka,
you’ve already got lots of advice, I’ll only add two suggestions:
-
Some squeaks may be simply due to not covering the holes properly: the solution is not to tense up, but to practise playing slowly until your fingers are conditioned to find the holes - with experience you will develop the habit of just lifting the fingers which need to be lifted and of just lifting them high enough to be ready to re-cover holes as soon as possible.
-
Do a couple of searches here with the words “newbie” and “beginner” and you’ll get lots of threads with further advice.
-
(Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!) Don’t get suckered into spending more time on this or other web fora than you spend practising.