Okay so I am really new to the whistle- I just got mine this weekend.
I’ve played the regular flute since I was 9- which is almost 14 years now- and I know how hard it is to start a new instrument- (when I started learning saxophone I used to honk like a big rig and the neighbor’s dog would howl when i practaced)
nevertheless I must say I was really excited when I got my whistle this weekend- I knew it wouldn’t be easy to learn, because nothing is learned well in a short period of time- but I figured I had a jump on things since i already read music and knew most of the fingerings (from the regular flute)
So I’ve been working on this air called “Blind Mary” its nice- i even have the phrasing right and everything, but everytime I play a D i squawk- and I mean squawk- on both low and middle D- my other notes are fine- a little airy sounding and I fumble a bit getting used to playing an instrument with holes versus keys- but that D- its aweful-
a friend of mine heard me practacing in the empty classroom in the bottom of my dorm- and even she remarked “that song would be great if it weren’t for those Ds” (she’s a violinist)
so what I am wondering is- do D’s have to be played a special way? a softer stream of air- a steadier stream of air? Tighter on the mouth? I know that with lots of practace i will squeak less- but its struck me that its only on D that I sqeak on- to me that seems odd…
also another question- is it me or does the Irish whistle’s sound a bit sharp? Is it always supposed to be a bit sharp sounding- or should I attempt to tune the thing?
Just check to see if you have all the holes sealed up well. I had that problem on my Howard Low D (which is now owned by a piper in NY). For some reason my middle finger crept up when my ring finger closed the bottom hole to produce D. When that happens, no good sounds come of it.
Try to see if you are blowing too hard (for bottom D) or not hard enough (for 2nd octave D).
Also, swing by a music shop and see if you can try out a couple of other whistles. If you have the same problem on them, it is you. If not, it might be your whistle.
Try a classic Clarke! I find it really easy to cover all the holes without any venting on mine. Plus, I happen to love the sound of this whistle.
but today i got ahold of a sweetone and a little black whistle- and both hardly squawked- in fact it sounded rather nice- I drove my neighbors up the wazoo playing along with the CD that came with my soungbook because I finally didn’t squawk so badly-
maybe it was the whistle? It seems that it was with the Acorn that my D would squeak- who knows- my tone is uneven but that will fix with practace.
-Angela
[ This Message was edited by: atarango on 2002-02-05 20:09 ]
Good! Practice away. Fingers should
be out straight and they should be
flat over the holes. The holes are
covered by the pads of the fingers.
Best not to arch the fingers so that
the holes are covered by the finger tips.
To answer your earlier question,
the whistle should be in tune,
not sharp. The Sweetone is a
pretty consistent whistle, usually
well in tune, and practicing on it
should be helpful. If you’re still
having problems, do give us a ‘whistle’!