I found something interesting that I just had to buy. I asked the lady that sold it to me, but she didn’t know what it was, either. It looks and sounds like a pennywhistle (maybe sounds a bit like a Generation, slightly more breathy). But it is held like a transverse flute. The mouthpiece looks kind of like a stem sticking out perpendicular to the sealed end. Also it seems to be in the key of C#, and the sticker said “Made in India.”
I can’t wait to bring it to school and show it to my students.
I teach K-5 music and always bring my new whistles to “show them off.” But I know they will ask me all kinds of questions about it.
Anybody know what kind of weird whistle-cousin I have here?
I have a couple things like that. One is metal and in the key of C. It’s out in my car or I’d be able to tell you who made it. A friend of mine gave it to me. He’s a flute teacher in the area and someone just randomly stuck it in his mailbox at work…with a note saying maybe he could use it. He never did, so he gave it to me. I have another one I won off of eBay awhile ago. It’s plastic and fingered like a C recorder. It sounds wonderful in the low register…but the high register’s a complete disaster…not in tune at ALL.
What they are? I have NO idea! Some sort of flute with a fipple…got no idea what to call them. Right now I just call them my weird whistle-like toys.
Melody Flute… a patent elementary school fife with a windway to channel the breath, so it can be played like a fipple flute. Same purpose as Flutophone and Tonette… get children interested in instrumental music before they reach the age to enter beginner band. Mel Bay publishes a book for teaching with these.
I think it means kindergarten through grade 5. In other words schoolchildren from the age they enter school, up to around the age of ten or so.
Thanks for the info, everybody. I got it at the music teacher conference at some “world music” exhibit right next to the goat hooves.
I like it so far, but I usually like almost everything I get for a couple of days or so. Except a Generation D I got once - it sounds wounded. I think there’s a plastic shred in the windway or something. Maybe it’s fixable, but I don’t know how. I have a Generation F that sounds great.
But I know they will ask me all kinds of questions about it.