I have both a Clarke D Whistle and a Blackbird D.
Both are good, in their own way. The Clarke has a breathy sound while the Blackbird can sing.
But I think they are two extremes when it comes to breathing. The Clarke drains my lungs of air in seconds, while the Blackbird lets me play quite long without having to draw air, but I find the intonation in the lower octave a bit too hard, and when I don’t exercise breath control it shrieks (the latter doesn’t happen too often though).
Is there any whistle you can recommend that is something in-between (when it comes to breath control and airflow required)? I think that would be a perfect match for me.
Preferrably a medium-to-low volume one, well-tuned ET (tunable not necessary).
Well, I have good experience from your Blackbird sound-wise. I might order a Mellow Dog too, if it as you say has less demand on breath control.
Preferrably a difference from the Blackbird that one notices while playing.
Any sound clips available with a Mellow Dog?
I like the sound of it… sounds as mellow as the name implies. Perfect for slower tunes, but probably works for dance tunes too.
So, can anyone tell me how much it differs regarding breath-control compared to Blackbird?
Also, does less need for breath-control mean that it’s easier to have an okay intonation (since it’s less sensitive to how hard you breathe)? I don’t know if they are related, but something tells me they are. Would be glad if someone could confirm it.
How is the Dixon Trad regarding intonation?
Overblowing is not TOO much of a problem for me with the Blackbird, I’ve learned to control it.
The intonation in the lower octave on the other hand, is pretty demanding (mainly because I am a beginner).
Out of hundreds of comments, no one else has ever said the Mellow Dog takes “too much” breath control. Although like any whistle you may need to get familiar with it, it by no means requires delicate breath control. At the same time, it takes a reasonable amount of air, not too much, but somewhat more than the Blackbird.
I posted this a few minutes ago and then my post seemed to disappear. Did someone take it down?
I’ll send Rhadge a Mellow Dog for free. No charge. Free, so he can decide for himself.
Thanks. But really, no need for that.
But if you insist I will not stop you. I’m just as afflicted by WhOA as anyone else.
What do you want me to do if I don’t like it, mail it back?
Anyway, I have no problem paying for one. What matters to me is the intonation (which I guess goes along with the breath control). If the Mellow Dog is noticeably less demanding than the Blackbird regarding intonation then I will gladly buy one.
Part of the purpose of developing the tweaked Mellow Dog was to create an excellent whistle that allows any player, whether beginner or advanced, to be able to pick up the whistle and play without having to focus on careful breath control.
The Blackbird is an entirely different whistle. It’s important to understand the difference.
If someone finds the Blackbird more demanding of breath control than they like, then the Mellow Dog is a whistle SPECIFICALLY designed for them. The idea that “Because the Blackbird requires subtle breath control, maybe I shouldn’t get a Mellow Dog because I want a whistle that doesn’t take as much breath control,” this logic is precisely backwards. If you find that the Blackbird takes more breath control than you like, then the Mellow Dog is the whistle that I designed specifically not to take as much breath control.
What do you mean, “demanding regarding intonation”?
Most people use intonation to refer to an instrument’s playing accurately on pitch. Both the Mellow Dog and the Blackbird play acceptably on pitch, so I’m wondering what you’ve encountered that’s causing you to think of the Blackbird as demanding regarding intonation. Perhaps you need to adjust the whistlehead?
What I mean is, that I find it hard to be within 5 cents of a note. On the higher octaves, I hit the notes quite precisely, but on the lower octave I have to pay very close attention to how hard/soft I blow if I want an okay intonation.
I know it’s a matter of practice, but maybe there is a whistle that is less demanding?
Within five cent of an exact intonation, according to the tuner.
I don’t play by tuner though, and I’m practising my intonation with drones. I just check my playing once and again with a tuner.
I hear you anyhow, maybe it is an unrealistic demand to want a wind instrument that’s so precise, but if there is a whistle that is at least a bit less sensitive and is easier to produce sounds with that are closer to be “on-spot” intonation-wise, I’d like to know.
I did that because I’m at a loss as to how else I can avoid this kind of echo chamber effect where someone who hasn’t yet had a chance to try the instrument, repeats a comment and appears ready to make a decision based on it, that doesn’t match what most people report, but may gain influence because of the repeated posting. It’s worth the trouble and cost to me to make sure such people get a chance to form their own opinions.
If someone commented that the Blackbird requires more breath control than they’re used to, I would be content to let such a comment stand regardless of how many times it was repeated, because it does reflect a widely reported characteristic of that whistle.
It feels wrong to turn down the offer, yet it feels wrong to accept it. You do as you wish.
Still curious regarding the intonation thing. Do all whistles have the same “intonation sensitivity” regarding how hard one blows?
Or is the Blackbird for example, more sensitive? How is the Mellow Dog in that aspect?
I hope I’m not confusing anyone here, by being confused…
I’m sure there’s variation from one whistle to another. However, I don’t know how the Blackbird or Mellow Dog compare with each other or with other whistles in this respect. Perhaps others can comment.
You probably fret over the intonation too much, any whistle I know will easily blow twenty cents sharp or flat but will play well in tune with a decent breath control.
I have six or seven prototypes of the Blackbird here plus a number of tubes of Jerry’s design. All of them play fine and in tune.
Realise these intonation things can start leading a life of their own, inside your head. For example people mindlessly repeating the ‘bad intonation’ mantrar when talking of for example Generations, Feadogs etc who suddenly feel that when Jerry adjusts the head the tubes miraculously get in tune.
As always, there are skill you bring to it yourself. No whistle will sound perfectly when your playing skills are limited. Let your ear guide you and just play.
