After years of picking it up, getting frustrated, putting it down, and then later picking it up again, I’ve decided to surrender to the voices in my head, and put some effort into my whistle. But I have a peculiar technical question.
Due to an unplanned meeting between my mouth and my steering wheel a few years ago, I am missing several upper front teeth. Well, actually I have some part-time upper front teeth, a partial that I wear as needed. And I’ve been wondering - when learning / playing the whistle, should the teeth be involved, or left in their cup to listen from afar?
For all I know, there may be ab-so-lute-ly no difference between sounding my little Clarke with natural teeth, phony teeth, no teeth, borrowed teeth, or any combination thereof. Certainly I can’t tell any difference right now. But right now I can’t suppress all the random squeaks and squawks, so I’m no judge.
Any of the dentally-challenged want to weigh in with an opinion? Does it matter? Yes-teeth? No-teeth? Should I just pick a choice (yes-teeth, no-teeth) and stay with it? Should I just shut up about the frellin’ teeth and leave you alone? Huh?
\
[ This Message was edited by: seanathair on 2002-02-22 02:14 ]
I dont know if the lack of teeth would hurt or help you to be honest. Try it both ways
Dan
With thin mouthpieces such as Generation, Walton or Feadog, I tend to rest the fipple gently between my lips, and not touch my teeth at all except when tonguing . With the larger mouthpieces, such as Shaw or Clarke Original (wooden block type) I press the mouthpiece against my lips, and back against my lower teeth.
So I would guess with some types you could play with bridge in or out, but others you’d need the bridge in.
You could try playing out of the corner of your mouth, which I’m sure I’ve seen some people do.
Welcome to the board by the way!
I personally don’t ever touch any whistle, flute or recorder to my teeth, so I don’t think that playing with or without your partial should make any difference. Try it both ways, and let us know.
I second the last message. It shouldn’t
make any difference. Some teachers
explicitly discourage touching the
whistle to one’s teeth (‘cannibals’),
others explicitly discourage
playing out of the corner of one’s
mouth. As far as I can tell, teeth
needn’t be involved at all–tongueing
happens off the hard palate. Just
play and the squeaks will go. Best
I appreciate the responses, folks. It feels better to leave 'em out. Just have to remember not to grin a lot when I get the tune right. 
I AM ASAMED TO ADMIT IT!! But I am one of the rare toothy players. I try, oh god how I try to gently blow usig my lips only but for sure, after areally good blow , I’ve got the thing between my teeth, softly, but it’s there. Bad habbits never die, and you should see my Cnat!!
On 2002-02-24 19:40, billymac wrote:
I AM ASAMED TO ADMIT IT!! But I am one of the rare toothy players. I try, oh god how I try to gently blow usig my lips only but for sure, after areally good blow , I’ve got the thing between my teeth, softly, but it’s there. Bad habbits never die, and you should see my Cnat!!
Don’t feel bad…I’m a chewer also. All of my well-played plastic-fippled whistles have bite-marks on 'em. I usually put a saxophone bite-pad on metal whistles to protect my teeth 
Maybe if I’m famous someday, the bitten whistles will be worth somethin’! 
Greg