Why am I having such a hard time with my Burke???

Whistle
1

I’ve been lurking for a bit (since I discovered Chiff & Fipple) and finding so much good information here. But now I need some help. I’ve been playing the whistle (on and off, nothing terribly serious) much longer than I care to think about (something like decades…). I’ve always had cheap whistles, including an old rolled tin one with a solder line down the back and a wooden fipple that I bought at a fur trade rendezvous (because whistles with plastic heads are frowned upon at historical reenactments). It’s actually the whistle I play the most, because it has beautiful tone and it is very easy to play, especially in the upper register. Unfortunately, it is also quite sharp.

I thought that it’s time for me to move up to a better whistle that’s tunable because I’d like to play with other folks from time to time. So, I recently bought a second-hand Burke high D aluminum session whistle, because I’d listened to recordings online and the tone was beautiful. I’d also read such glowing reviews about how easy they were to play, how they took less air–that they were a good whistle for a beginner. I figured that–since I wasn’t a beginner–I would be able to just pick it up and play.

Well, the whistle arrived yesterday and the tone is wonderful! It plays beautifully! But then, I try to play an A or B in the upper register. It just doesn’t want to pop up into that upper register on those two notes! I have to REALLY work at it–tighten my throat and REALLY blow and then I can hit the A maybe 75% of the time, and the high B even less–maybe 25% of the time. Maybe. Jumping between registers is really unpredictable, and you know how often you need to pop between the two registers.

I thought maybe the o-ring wasn’t sealing tightly (it’s a 2007 whistle and I don’t know if the o-ring is original, or if the joint had been worked regularly by the previous owner), so I used a little vaseline to lubricate the o-ring, and it seemed to help a little in sounding the high A, but the B is still ridiculously tricky.

What am I doing wrong? I’ve never had so much trouble, even on my really cheap whistles. I played woodwinds in high school (back before dirt, when I was a tender, sweet, young thing…), including clarinet, bari sax, and oboe, so I know embouchure can make a big difference, but I thought I was using proper embouchure. Can those of you who have some expertise in this area please give me some suggestions? I really want to master this whistle–the tone is beautiful and I like the feel of it overall, but I had no idea it would give me such a challenge!

Thanks!
Annie

2

I am sure members more knowledgeable than I will have some good suggestions, but one quick and easy way to narrow down the problem might be to ask a local tin whistler with some whistle experience behind him/her to give it a try to see what s/he thinks. In particular, is the problem the whistler or the whistle? :wink:

3

I have about half a dozen Burkes, including an aluminum AlPro from 2000, and one consistent positive characteristic is that they are all, and particularly the AlPro, both sweet in the upper register and easy to get to and differentiate from the lower register. Therefore, Pipe Benders idea is a really good starting point; if there really is a problem, you can take further steps. Have you examined it for grit or other internal accumulations? It’s hard to imagine that you’ve had no problems in this regard (if that’s the case) on a Clarke (which I love) but do have these problems on a Burke indicating possibly a whistle problem. You can check Mike’s site for all sorts of instructions regarding o-ring replacement and cleaning of delrin lined whistle heads; if it’s not on the site, I can tell you or send you the instruction sheet that i have. You got it right with the petroleum jelly; that’s what Mike recommends. Good luck.

Philo

4

What you describe is completely abnormal for any Burke whistle. Both Pipe Bender and my friend PhilO are spot on, in their suggestions. You have made a good purchase. The challenge now is to ensure that your whistle is performing up to Mike’s demanding standards. If after following the suggestions given, you still have the same issues, please contact Mike personally, through his site. Request permission to send the whistle to him, so he can work his magic, for you.

Best.
Byll

5

What they said; Burkes are as easy and freeblowing as whistles get. But just one thing to check – you don’t have any fingers down on your right hand, correct? Just thought I’d ask, because my Burkes don’t care much for piper’s fingerings while other whistles, especially conical bore ones like the Clarke (?) you describe are OK with it and even benefit from a bottom-hand finger or two down b/c it flattens them a little.

But no, you shouldn’t be having trouble with those two notes. Burkes easily go a full 2+ octaves.

6

Annie:

Your profile doesn’t say where you live, but if you are anywhere near Columbus, OH, it would be best if you could take the whistle to the man himself next weekend. Michael will be at the Dublin (Ohio) Irish Festival. If you can’t make that, I’d suggest mailing it to him for a look - I’m sure he’d fix it for free (or reasonable)!

Pat

7

I have a Burke C composite and have never been satisfied with the upper reg, I just don’t use it anymore as I found whistles that work without the effort.
wiz.

8

I just e-mailed someone locally to ask for the name of a good local whistler (it might be hard–this is the heart of Norwegian country…) who might be willing to give my whistle test-run. I’ve already got the instruction sheet for replacing the o-ring (I think I found the link to the pdf file here on Chiff & Fipple, actually…) and I certainly could run to the hardware store and get a new one to pop in–it doesn’t look like it would be difficult.

Part of me wants my whistle to be in top-notch shape, but the other part thinks: am I THAT BAD that I can’t even get a whistle where “one consistent positive characteristic is that they are all, and particularly the AlPro, both sweet in the upper register and easy to get to and differentiate from the lower register” to play well? THAT part of me desperately hopes that there is something (easily-fixable) wrong with the whistle…

9

No–I’m not using any right-hand fingers, just the standard two holes covered for A, one hole covered for B…

10

I wish I were closer–I’m in Minnesota, not far from the statue of Big Ole. I get time off for only one festival during the summer–Irish Fest in Milwaukee–so a road trip to Ohio is out of the question. Unfortunately! I’d love to meet Michael–his craftsmanship is very apparent when you have one of his whistles in-hand. The pictures don’t do them justice!

11

Looking down the bore, the whistle looks clean and slick. I’ve never had problems with build-up of any kind in any of my whistles, and this one looked pretty much pristine when I opened the box. I did run soap water through the head like Michael recommends for keeping the windway clean before I played it (in case of cooties, or anything like that from the previous owner…).

I think I’d better run to the hardware store before they close to get a new o-ring…

Annie
from Minnesota

12

Well, I’m back from the hardware store with TWO o-rings–there are two of them in there! And although Michael recommends using a dull pencil to position the new o-rings, I found that a good chopstick worked really well. One end has a flat, narrow tip, and the other has a flat, wider tip, and working back and forth between the two, the o-rings popped right into the groves! Now, where did I put the vaseline…

Well, with the new o-rings in place, I see a noticeable difference in how easy is is to slide the head–there is much more resistance. When I play, however, I’m still having problems popping up to high A and B consistently, so the o-rings weren’t the problem…

Now, to find a whistle player… Are any of you in central Minnesota?

Annie

13

Hi Annie,

Take a strip from an index card and run it through the windway. I have played literally hundreds of Burkes that have come through the store. I’ve played exactly one that wasn’t superb…it had a bit of gunk in the windway. The strip of index card works best. Don’t stick anything harder than that in there or you may scratch it and really ruin it.

I know there are a few pipers and whistlers in Minnesota. I believe Nanohedron from the boards here is a Minnestotan isn’t he (?). PIpe and whistle maker David Boisvert (greenwood pipes) is in Minnesota somewhere as well unless he’s moved. Joseph E. Smith (UP Forum moderator) has also been a Minnesotan (though he may be a recovering Minnesotan now as I am). He could likely tell you who’s who and where.

Swing over to the uilleann pipes forum and ask where the session is in Minneapolis. If that’s too far, send it off to Mike for a look he’s a fine fellow.

I’d be happy to look at it if you want to spend the postage but if you’re going to mail it, it might as well be to Mike.

Good luck

Doc

14

Nano is Minneapolis Minnesota

There are quite a few board members from the area
seems to be an active Irish scene there

from the Teacher/Student Forum
Minneapolis/St Paul MN - Center for Irish Music

15

I’m in Mound MN, play decent whistle, and have spent years helping school kids discover what’s wrong with their instrument. I’d be happy to help out any way I can. I sold my Burke not because it was bad but because I like my Copland better and couldn’t see keeping the Burke sitting in a case. Long distance diagnosis guess is that you have some small blockage in the mouthpiece/fipple area. That’s the kind of thing that usually causes certain notes to “object.”

PM me off line if I can help. I should be at Irish Fest, but that is a difficult situation to get anything done in. Maybe we could arrange a meeting on that weekend away from the Fest (or possibly closer to you). Let me know where you are in the PM.

Chuck Boody

16

I know it sounds ridiculously simple, but…could it be that you can’t reach the upper notes because your whistle isn’t warmed up? I have a Burke brass high D that I love, but it’s very hard (nearly impossible) to reach the highest notes when its still cold.

17

Hi Annie.

I’m thinking you maybe need to give it more time. You’ve only been playing the Burke for a coupple of days and the whistle you’ve been playing on and off for decades has a very easy upper register. Perhaps it’s only a matter of getting used to how this particular whistle handles? Just a thought. But like many here have suggested, getting someone else to try it out will most likely prove if there’s something wrong with your Burke whistle.

Best wishes.

18

Annie,

Besides letting an experienced player find out if there is anything wrong with your whislte, try those tips :

  • work the angle so that you hold the whistle a bit closer to the vertical (say, somewhere between 45 and 30°),
  • take your right pinkie (assuming you are right handed) off the sixth hole (or any other hole) while playing in the upper register,
  • definitely give yourself some time to get used to the whistle.

Those are my two cents but they worked for me.

Cheers,

Pascal.

19

Well, I have to disagree with some of the posts. Every Burke I’ve tried has exhibited the tendency to have the A and B be much harder to get to than other notes in the second octave. B harder than A, C above that even harder. The extent which these notes are harder is a bit variable, some of the Burkes were worse than others, but they all exhibited it to some extent. I’ve noticed this on other whistles as well, and I think it has to do with bore size, of all things.

If you’re coming from playing a Generation type whistle, you’ll most likely find this characteristic challenging to adjust to.

20

I just happened to be listening to a few videos of people playing Burke whistles on UTube when I noticed this in the comments of one of them:

“The Burke is buttery goodness. It does have a bit of chiff if I’m sloppy, and there’s a rather jarring leap in needed air pressure between A and B in the upper octave, but I’ve gotten used to it.”

So NicoMoreno’s assessment may be quite accurate.