Hi everybody. I´ve owned a whistle for a week now. I´ve been following the Ochs books, and I´m pretty happy with the results so far. I do have over 10 years of guitar playing experience, but a wind instrument is something I´ve always wanted to learn.
I had some problems with the whistle getting clogged after some playing, but the dental floss- trick seems to have helped with that. Now my problem is the river of drool that seems to flow from my whistle (a Sweetone) after a while of playing. Is this something that you just have to get used to? I just find it a bit distracting when my shirt and the floor in front of me is covered in… well, spit
Hello! Welcome to whistling and to the Chiffboard.
It does get better. I remember when I was just getting started on woodwinds, back in high school, that I had the same problem. I kept playing anyway, and after a while (I forget how long, exactly), it wasn’t an issue anymore. I think I read somewhere that your body learns to differentiate between you putting food in your mouth, so your mouth should produce lots of saliva, and you putting a musical instrument in your mouth, so it shouldn’t.
I just find it a bit distracting when my shirt and the floor in front of me is covered in… well, spit
… it could also be simply condensation. Are you (like me) in the habit of having a cup of warm beverage to hand? Is the space where you play a little cooler than might be (normally) comfortable? It can be suprising the difference a few degrees of ambient temperature or a mouthful of hot coffee can make
Most of the time I (more on the flute than whistle for some reason, no idea why) have to stop playing midway through a tune for a second or two to swallow the pool of spit that has collected in my mouth while playing… Course, I haven’t been playing all too long, so I’m hoping it’ll get better some time soon.
As previously stated, this problem generally improves with experience, and it may be worse with some whistles than others. That is not necessarily due to characteristics of any particular whistle as much as your personal reaction to a particular whistle.
I’d advise several courses of action. Having matriculated from recorder to whistle, I learned to “suck back” at well timed intervals while playing and it is very effective. This may sound gross but most of this WAS in your mouth before it was in the whistle. It is also good practice between tunes, or breaks in playing, to lightly press one finger down over the window between the blade and the windway opening while blowing one quick breath through the mouthpiece. This will clear it pretty well. Be careful where you point the whistle body when doing this though .
The third variation is to hold the whistle by the mouthpiece and give it one quick flick, like a wand, usually in the direction of the bodhran player. Avoid directing it toward the pipers as they are a surly lot. Fiddle and guitar players are usually too far away to worry about. The bodhran players are generally accustomed to this type of abuse though. YMMV.
It can also be how you’re holding the whistle in your mouth. Some “embouchures” end up being a lot wetter than others. Think dry lips and don’t stick it in too far and you’ll end up with less drool coming out the end. It’s possible to have a pool of spit in your mouth but none in your whistle. But if your problem is just one of temperature and humidity creating condensation, all you can do is clear your whistle periodically. (Blow it out on whoever you like, tell them it’s only condensation when they complain, then sit back and watch them not believe you.)
As for having to stop to swallow spit, that does seem to improve with practice. Though I think partly you just get better at finding opportunities to do it.
For the last couple of days after starting this thread I´ve really been more conscious about how I hold the mouthpiece in my mouth, and being more “delicate” really seems to help. Also, tonguing farther back inside the mouth as opposed to tonguing pretty much straight against the mouthpiece also helps a lot. Thanks again for all the answers.
If you can touch the tip of the whistle with your tongue, then the whistle is in too far. The tip should rest on the outside of your lips, and just a little bit in. And tonguing, when you do tongue, should be against the roof of your mouth (the alveolar ridge, really).
Most of what’s here already should help quite a bit (especially flinging it towards the bodhran player!), but I would add to thoroughly warm the whistle before starting to play. Sliding it up my sleeve for a bit is my method. My son rolls his whistle rapidly back & forth between his palms, (like he’s trying to start a fire without matches).
Thank you so much for posting this thread, I was going to ask if it improved with time because I find myself to be a very sloppy whistler, although I would like clarification on the dental floss trick
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YMMV.