Chiff and Fipple Forums

Hi,
Just wondering if anyone else likes the high F. I have a Native American Flute in high F# which I enjoy. I simply improvise on NA Flute. I know I could get a Generation in F for very little cost, and will most likely be getting one soon.

What I was really wondering is, if there’s much use for them outside of soloing out in the woodshed? What Styles of music other people play on higher pitched whistles? I was surfing YouTube for whistle music and listened to a young man play a few hymns on a nickel Generation F, “Come now, fount of every blessing”, was especially nice, that’s what really got me thinking. I suppose it was a combination of good playing, and the range of the song seemed well suited to that whistle, but regardless, it grabbed my ear.

I have a Generation Eb, and feel it’s only a little more piercing than my D’s. Is an F the same size tubing as Eb? and is there much difference from an Eb as to the piercing factor since it is a step and a half higher?

It’s basically impossible to search the forum for questions concerning a certain key, since it won’t search for a single letter very well. If there’s something in the forum, a sub forum broken down to talk about specific keys, or Low, middle and high, someone point me at it!
Thanks, Lisa

Squeakie wrote:I have a Generation Eb, and feel it’s only a little more piercing than my D’s. Is an F the same size tubing as Eb? and is there much difference from an Eb as to the piercing factor since it is a step and a half higher?

The F has a narrower bore (Generation D and Eb share a tube size). F is a whole tone or two semitones above Eb, and a tone and a half or three semitones above D. Hole spacing is another factor to consider alongside pitch, but the F's OK where the high G is really getting tiny and quite cramped. I sold all my Generations, don't play anything smaller/higher than a high E now and wouldn't personally get another high G, but F's OK.

Hi Lisa, I bought a six set of Generation nickels when I started on whistles, & to answer your main concern, no, I don't think it is much more shrill than a high D really.

It is a higher note of course, but that doesn't equate to being more shrill. If you like the high sound, go for it, I don't think you'll be disapointed

I even like to play my high G on occasion, though it is a bit small for my fingers. At the other end, I have a Tony Dixon Trad brass alto G, which I really like too, & I was only missing an alto A, which is now taken care of, (thanks to the bay of E), & should arrive this week.

As to what to play on them, anything you like, but I doubt anyone plays them in sessions - of course I'm only guessing there.

My Generation high F has a pure, nice tone, not shrill at all, and it's easy to play. It feels almost like my Freeman Bluebird. Completely different from my nearly unplayable (mostly due to the small size) Generation high G which can kill eardrums.
Unfortunately I can't find much use for the high F in practice, for the limited type of tunes I play.

Mary Bergin : Mo Mhuirnin Bán

That's about the sound of it, if you can access the video (it's not available here).

They're small, they're fine but like posters above, I rarely play it.

Spider Stacey uses one on a song called "Billy's Bones" off of Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash, the Pogues second album. The tune is a sped up version of Mrs. McGrath, a much older song. I have an early Clarke whistle in high F that I got on Ebay for 5 bucks. I plan on making a few copies to see how they sound. The one that I have has been battered pretty badly. My Generation high F is well in tune though.

Thank you all for the nice responses. I was able to access the YouTube video, Mr. G, thanks for that. I’ll check out the Pogues a little later.
I’ve got a couple of Generations, the Eb being not very good, but the C tuning is terrible. I have to heat them to loosen the mouthpieces and try to correct that a bit. That won’t stop me from getting a Generation high F, but I don’t expect it to be in good tune. I think the smaller the tube, the less forgiving it is. I play clarinet, and I can bend the notes a lot more on a sopanino than a soprano.
Again, thanks for the responses, I appreciate it.
Lisa

I had a Gen high F whistle, and maybe I lucked out, but it was one of the most delightful whistles I ever had: sweet, clear, and never shrill. Birdlike, you could say, and enchanting too, if I may go so far. It always wanted me to play hornpipes on it, and those seemed to take on a whole new dimension.

As often already stated, though, there wasn't a lot of practical application for it outside of the occasional performance arrangement. But if you're mainly interested in a high F for its own sake, take the plunge.

Sharon Shannon played an F whistle on the Disirt Tola record. It's a great sound but I'm sure the recording process cut a bit of the harshness out of it.
Lovely set of tunes too.

I don't know if it's online at all. But a great record if you could find it.

Tommy

Lovely set of tunes too.

Jenny's chickens and the London Lassies.

The lp comes up on ebay fairly regularly.

When my son Eoghan was in school he was asked to play the whistle part in Paul Simon's 'Call me Al' during a Christmas concert. I had to work out the tune for him and he played it on an f whistle. Only time I ever found a use for it.

Cheers

John