Hi everyone! I just picked up the tin whistle a few days ago as an extention of a course on the Irish diaspora I’m taking at the moment (my college has a winter session–lucky me). In terms of a musical background, I sing, play the violin, and know a little bit of guitar.
This is my first time playing a wind instrument, and I’m trying my best to gain some basic facility, but I’m having trouble getting my low D and E to sound like they should! Sometimes they sound in the higher octave when I don’t mean them to, and sometimes it’s in the right octave. I’m guessing that it’s an issue of breath control, and I was advised to “breathe low,” but I’m not really sure what that means. I can usually get them to sound properly if I just descend the scale, but I find them difficult to start out on, or in the context of a tune.
Please, be gentle! I’m very new at this! I’m learning on a Waltons D (thanks, PhilO).
Try to stay simple (my forte) on this - it’s really a matter of relaxed trial and error until you consistently get the sounds you want. For the lower octave, blow a controlled stream of air with moderate force and with your lips loosely pursed; change the force and amount of pursing until you get that sweet spot response and then concentrate on maintaining that embouchure consistently so you don’t either jump up an octave or get almost no sound from the low D or E. The required approach will also change from some whistles to others, so try for awhile on one whistle. You can get the higher octave by attacking a bit more vigorously, which is more about tightening the pursing of your lips thereby forcing the stream of air more narrowly and quickly as opposed to just blowing harder. This is very important and will also entail a good bit of trial and error until you get that upper octave sweet spot consistently.
It might help to say what whistle you’re learning on; some entail additional little issues (some require a good deal more volume of air and diaphragm support, others are more easily overblown into the upper octave, etc.) Enjoy
Lots of folks think the Walton’s D is one of the nicer and more consistent cheap whistles. I have one that plays pretty well, although I eventually chose to do a few tweaks. (Search threads for more info on these).
Yes, it’s all about breath control, and the only way to master it is by exposure. The lowest notes take very little air, and it’ll take practice to get them sounding clear consistently. Likewise, you’ll have to get control of the upper octave to avoid screeching and such. Work at scales, hold long notes, play simple tunes that you know by heart… You’ll be surprised how fast you start to “get it”, and you’ll have a ball. It’s very addicting, but in a good way. Enjoy!!!
Sit upright and resist the urge to bend your neck forward, which just causes you to tense up. I don’t really know what I’m talking about, but it’s the same with harmonicas. You have to coax, not force, that upper octave out, and if the cat runs out of the room when you’re playing the high notes you’re not quite getting it!
One thing that might help you get the feel of what you are trying to do is to whistle a tune with your lips—like My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean—something that has some big jumps. Notice what you do with your throat, cheeks, lips, tongue, and breath when you whistle the really low notes as compared to the high notes. One whistle I have it was hard to get the high notes, one it was hard to get the low notes. You will, I believe, be blowing somewhat more gently on those low notes but there will be other changes in the shape of your mouth as well. Play around and you will get it, don’t worry. It won’t happen overnight—you’ll get them more and more often–just as you get them sometimes now—and finally you will always get them.
Welcome to the forums, by the way. I hope we were gentle enough .
please let us know how it’s going. when i was first learning, i could make some of the most awfult ear splitting squawking sounds with a whistle. when my dog saw me pick up a whistle, she would get up and politely move to the farthest corner of our house or even go outside for some fresh air. i can’t make those same sounds now, even when i try.
It turns out my breath control wasn’t the bigger part of the issue: I wasn’t adequately covering the holes! I’m a violinist, and so I’ve developed a tendency to curve my wrists rather than flattening them, which was giving the air too much of an opportunity to escape through the top holes! Now that that’s fixed, I’m having a much easier time of things.
I’m really lucky because the course that I’m taking is being taught by two instructors from the University of Limerick (who diagnosed my fingering problem), but we only have them here for the next three weeks! I’m glad I’ve found a place that I can come to for guidance once they’ve gone.
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