Here is a question I was wondering about for a long time:
I’ve discovered very often that I like some tunes more when they are played
on an F Whistle. There is something in the sound of an F Whistle that is different
to other keys. Some tunes get more live if they are played on a Low F.
I would say that this is MY OWN point of view but then I’ve discovered that most
of the people I’ve asked have the same oppinion.
There are also many professional players that are playing very much tunes on F Whistles.
Finnegan, McGoldrick for example…
What’s about you? Did you made the same discovery? Do you know a reason for that?
Or maybe you think there’s something wrong with my ears?
Bb is a common frequency in the natural universe. I know that it is the frequency that all electronics buzz, hum, and ring at. There are also some studies that suggest that the resonant frequency of “the universe” (or maybe just parts of the human ear-nose-throat system, as suggested above) is right around Bb, which is a 4th above F and would share some resonance with it. Anyway, yes, there is something particularly pleasing about that range of frequencies, especially when combined with the timbre of a whistle or flute. There is already a lot of thought and theory floating around about how simple wind instruments are some of the most pleasing instruments to hear–combine that with those wonderful middle-range F and Bb frequencies: Oh boy. Happy effing day indeed.
Works with flutes, too… My only F is a bamboo, but it is a real nice key. Too bad it doesn’t work in session too well! I, too, wondered why I liked Dave Copley’s blackwood F at the Dublin (Ohio) Irish Festival. It seems to resonate well and the finger-spread is as near to perfect as possible. Doesn’t hurt that Dave makes some of the best flutes around!
Okay, so I am not the only one who thinks that F whistles are beautiful. Good to hear that
In my opinion the Low F is also the best whistle you can use for solo playing.
Do you have some videos of breathtaking performances on a Low F? Can you post them please?
Can you cite a source on that? It would be interesting
to see that study. If true, I bet it’s because AC in the
US is at 60Hz, which is pretty close to Bb1. I wonder
if hums are closer to G in the UK where mains is at 50Hz?
If Bb is the pleasing position on the F whistle, I wonder
if all lovers of the F whistle also feel affinity for a Bb
whistle?
I have a Kerry Pro F which is just a very confortable whistle to play
in all aspects, its not too big and its not to shrill.
I also like playing my Hoover Bb when I’m playing on my own.
For me 'D’s are for playing at sessions, 'F’s and 'Bb’s are for home enjoyment.
I think they are great not only for enjoyment at home, but they are also nicely pitched for solo work. And yes, the low F is particularly comfortable to play in terms of finger spread and stress on the wrists.
I was sitting in the Hollywood Hawaiian Hotel
I was listening to the air conditioner hum
It went mmmmmm..
… Look
away…
(Look away down Gower Avenue, Look away…)
Warren Zevon (I’ll have to dig out the CD and see what key he plays it in).
But seriously, as you said: all electronics ring or hum at that frequency, in the US. Not only 60 Hz. There is some higher ringing produced by TV’s, Fridges, Computers. All at Bb in some octave. It’s really annoying. I’ve heard there are scientific, peer-reviewed, legit studies on this “Bb resonant frequency of the universe” thing, but I haven’t actually seen any.
Also, my ears constantly RING at Bb. A very, very high Bb. This is what they call “tinnitus.” The ringing is aggravated by certain electronic devices, especially certain kinds of lights with triggers. If there is a flashing light nearby, I can often close my ears and eyes and hear the flashing as the Bb frequency in my ears pulses slightly louder and softer–or it seems to take on different overtones or something. I have to be within a certain distance of the light (more likely the electronics) for this to happen, but I do not have to see the light. It does not need to be flashing at me, I could be on the other side of it, some fifty feet away, depending on the power of the device. VERY odd. I wonder if this has something to do with the auditory nerves receiving and processing certain kinds of electronic interference, since nerves carry electrical impulses.
Right. Er, where were we? Low F whistles? Yes, yes. Special pipes they are.
Equally off topic, i recall seeing singer Bill Staines break guitar strings trying to tune up to the hum of an air conditioner in the performance area.
