I like my whistle.
But
Notes above high F or G or so kill my ears. Like, I can feel the blood pouring through them and hae the sensation of being stabbed in my ears when I play anything above said pitch.
What do I do?
A. Forget about the whistles, play a tuba or something instead
B. Play anyhow, live with headache, eventually go deaf.
C. Cry about it
D. None of the above.
sneef
I was considering that option, actually. But it’s not the VOLUME that bothers me it’s the pitch.
It’s not just whistles either. I remember being a concert and having these annoying teenyboppers behind me. I ended up having to duck down and cover my ears several times because their screeching(not screaming, mind you, SCREECHING) literally had me in pain.
I wonder if I could convince my mother to get me a low whistle for christmas??
E. Wear protective ear plugs.
Many professional musicians suffer from hearing loss in one way or another. The sad part is… by the time you realize you have the symtoms (ringing in the ears being the most common problem) it’s already too late.
Safeguard your hearing… you won’t get a second chance!!
[ This Message was edited by: Tony on 2001-10-16 20:47 ]
TS,
You may have to try a lower whistle. The next size down from a D is C which is surprisingly more mellow than the D. You could even go for a Bb which has a lovely low sound. Several brands come in D & C, Generations also make a Bb that costs under $10Cdn so probably about $7 or less US.
You are not alone in finding the D shrill.
What kind of whistle do you have? There are a few in my WHOA that strip paint from walls, cause spontaneous incontinence (wee problem), and make my eyes bleed. Others are as sweet as an angels voice (ie, Dixon tunable).
BTW, I agree with the earplug note. In fact, I often see my fans putting them in when I play. They are obviously concerned with their hearing also.
A few random thoughts about this:
Cathal O’Connell, in his tutorial, recommends trying to play the highest notes staccato, even when not written as such, on the theory that those upper notes, as our friend here suggests, creates bleeding eardrums.
Dropping down to a C or a Bb is a great solution.
Dale
Or an A or a G or…
The dilemma of the “duct flute” or “Labium” voicing is an increase in volume(loudness)with an increase in pitch. This is caused by greater wind velocity used to “overblow” the modes. A flute player can roll the embouchure closer to her/his lips,covering the voicing more and reducing the volume on high notes,but a whistle player can’t.
Possible suggested corrections:
1)reduce the size of the voicing window or design smaller voicings for high pitched whistles.
2)Increase the depth of the voicing window,make the labium ramp short and reduce the windway as well.
3)Use foam earplugs that reduce the DB(loudness)levels by 90db. You can still hear the music and voices but the damaging volume will be reduced to safe levels.
#1 can be accomplished by a “whistle mute” modification that extends the labium edge and reduces the voicing window. An old clarinet or sax reed will work.
The drawback is a slight flattening of the lower notes,but you will compensate by blowing harder on these notes without thinking.
I think I’ll look around for a whistle in lower key…
sigh God knows it took me long enough to find the one I’ve got. Ah, the drawbacks of living in the absolute middle of nowhere. Oh well…
That’s why I play my low whistle almost exclusively. It’s not even fear of hearing loss; it’s just that it’s more nice (for me) to listen to. Plus, it’s more challenging, with those big, widely spaced holes. When I learn an up-tempo reel, I feel like I’ve really accomplished something!
Joe (who always felt he really accomplished something when he learned a fast tune on the tuba)
I think I’ll dig around for a Bb, which would actually kinda neat for me, since I used to play a clarinet in school, which was Bb and I could use all that old sheet music sitting in the floor of my closet somewhere. Well, if I could even find it, that is…
