What do whistle makers employ to tame the high B and at the same time achieve a strong low D?
Choosing the right size tube to get a medium length to bore ratio of ca. 22 seems not enough. Choosing a narrower bore helps the high end, but the low end suffers. Having good octave tuning seems also not to be enough. What else can one do?
Cheers,
Hans
High B is always a tough note.
Pay attention to the bevel at the downwind end of the fipple plug. More bevel = more solid low notes, less bevel = easier high notes. The balance between the two can be VERY touchy. Start on the LESS side and add more bevel very gradually-- one or two passes of a file or extra fine sandpaper. Test, repeat as necessary.
You mean the bevel angle? More bevel = steeper angle at the blade, less bevel = less angle? I suppose you don’t mean the blade edge roundness or sharpness, which is another important factor for tone.
I’m sure Paul will speak for himself, but I’ve found that the blade angle is not terribly fussy as far as the high notes go. The bevel at the (air) exit end of the plug is, however, very fussy. Too much bevel = “screechy” high B; too little bevel = weak bell note (D) or E that breaks too easily. I generally start with a very tiny bevel (< 0.5 mm) and increase it only enough to tame the lowest two notes. I’ve also found that a slight bevel on the bottom of the airway, at the air exit (window end) helps, also. Again, start small and work up as needed. I’ve spoiled the voicing on a lot of whistles by being too aggressive with the bevel on the plug exit end.
Hans, I believe you might have a lathe, from what you’ve said in the past…When doing experiments with the bevel on the window end of the block, you can hold the block in a simple collet in the lathe chuck with the (failed) bevel end just sticking out and then nip that off with the parting tool - 1mm is usually more than enough - unless you really went over the top with that particular bevel! Then you can start again and put another bevel on the end and try that…I’m assuming here that you haven’t glued up or pinned the mouthpiece yet, or cut the curve into the beak, so you’re still at the stage where you can easily take the mouth piece apart for these repeated experiments.
As others say above, the bevel only needs to be very slight - especially on a high D. I start with a small flat, fine file held at about 45 degrees to the end of the block - which is spinning in this “collet” in the chuck. Then fine sandpaper it. This collet I use is just a tube of PVC or delrin or aluminium, with an internal diameter slightly less than the outside diameter of the block and it’s fully slit lengthways so that it can close up on the block when the chuck grips it. You have to work with your fingers close to the spinning chuck though, doing it this way. It would be better to set it up so that it could be done using the steady rest or some sort of jig instead, keeping the hands away from the chuck. I’ll get round to it!
What you do with the bevel also helps define what window length you end up with.
Garry
Magic and wizardry help!
Actually a number of factors contribute to success with the high B in my experience. I agree with Paul’s comments on the plug bevel (which seem to be in agreement with henryz as I read it). You’ve already hit on proper bore/length ratio and makers may differ in their preferences there. Don’t overlook the exit on the top of the windway; it should be clean. The window dimensions contribute. Tone hole sizing also has a bearing in my experience in order to get the high frequency notes to speak easily. But if you have proper bore/length, window dimensions and hole sizing it will all come down to the plug, it’s placement and it’s geometry.
Different mouthpiece designs may require different tactics. Most of my whistles follow the classic Thin Weasel configuration also seen on Paul’s whistles (I’ve got two of Paul’s beauties).
I go through a lot of trial and adjustment with each mouthpiece before the plug and other components get “set”.
Feadoggie
Thank you guys for all your advice! It is reassuring that I don’t do anything drastic wrong, but that the high B is generally accepted to be problematic. I will though watch my next plug bevel cut closely, and check how the high B responds. Garry, I do not own an engineering lathe. I use a small wood lathe to do some essential turning, and cut the plug bevel with a needle file, using Delrin plugs. But it is good to hear how it can be done on a lathe.
Maybe more could be said about the distance from the windway exit to the blade? Would you adjust this distance, let’s call it window length, with varying windway thickness? The window length seems to be a very critical factor for the whistle’s tone.
Just my 2 cents worth, again, as an amateur (not professional) whistlemaker. I’ve found that the shorter the window (within reason), the more easily the high notes speak, especially the high B. The tradeoff is that short windows will (also) cause the low E to be very fussy and break into the second octave too easily. (FWIW, I use the refrain to Barnacle Bill the Sailor as a test snippet for this - it has 3 low E’s in a row near the end and they will break if the window length is too short. You could also use the A part of Cooley’s Reel…) I generally start with the window length about 3/4 of its width and gradually lengthen it until the low E behaves (doesn’t break too easily). The down side is that longer windows cause whistle tone to become less “sweet” and more “airy”. As always with voicing, the “best” window length is a compromise. I have found, that over time as I get more playing experience and breath control, I’ve tended towards longer windows and a more traditional rather than sweet sound.
Blade position (the amount of “light” under it) in the airway also affects tone - sweet vs. airy (perhaps “traditional sounding”) - I try to get the blade about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the airway. Airway taper can also be a factor. The worst possible scenario is to create a “choke” (constricted region) in the airway. This makes it difficult for the player to control air speed through the whistle and reproducibly control octave breaks while playing. A choke can also make a whistle seem to have a slow attack time on notes and sound mushy (notes do not speak crisply). I try to make my airways taper from larger to smaller (blow end to window end) to avoid this problem.
Again - this is just the ramblings of an amateur - pro’s, please speak up!