Chiff and Fipple Forums

It still amazes me that a leaky fipple (block) just doesn't matter, except they may add some hiss. Other leaks are deadly (head, joint, body, etc), and need to be sealed.

I take it to mean that you need a fife method book. I really admire George ("Randy") Kusel's book, The Martian Musician's Mentor because it talks to the student, give pictures, coaching, is very personable and manageable. The tunes used are historical (if you like that sort of thing). If i...

Dear Alba,

That's me drilling fingerholes. I'm using the Poorman's Digital Readout (a long machinist's scale clamped to the table; from the base, a bracket holds a cursor to give readings to 0.100," and I do the rest with the handwheels).

Walt Sweet

Q: The Tuning Slide; are there special considerations? The slide is handy for tuning, especially if the instrument is a little cold; however, the slide can do only so much. Other pennywhistles don’t have a tuning slide, and we’ve heard of some people buying our whistle and sliding it all the way in ...