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OnlyAnEgg · Post by **OnlyAnEgg** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 6:41 pm

Greetings!

I've been playing whistle for 1 day now and my neighbors are now utterly provoked.

On a whim, I picked up an Oak whistle and a Mel Bay songbook and began to practice I'll Tell Me Ma (cause I love Brak AND Paddy) for hours on end. A trombonist by training, I'm not at all used to controlling my airflow.

I like the whistle. I hope the comm here can teach me a bit 'bout whistling.

thanks.

Jason Paul · Post by **Jason Paul** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 6:47 pm

You can learn plenty here.

The Oak might be bit finicky with breath control for a newbie, but it's a great whistle. Sweet and relatively quiet. Blow gently.

Get a Susato if you really want your neighbors to hear you practice - that's what I hear at least.

Jason

OnlyAnEgg · Post by **OnlyAnEgg** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 6:50 pm

I don't know much; but, I noticed that about this whistle. It's great in the low range when it's cold. It does, however, provide me with a frustrating initial goal

Whitmores75087 · Post by **Whitmores75087** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 8:23 pm

The oak can get a bit raspy at the hight end. You might want to check out some areas of this web site on the subject of tweaking, especially the technique of putting blue tack at the back of the airway.

markbell · Post by **markbell** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 8:40 pm

Welcome, Egg!

I started on a Clare that my late, sainted father-in-law brought me from Ireland in 1987. Whistles are much more portable than trombones! (I keep a Tony Dixon in the visor of my car).

Mark

Flogging Jason · Post by **Flogging Jason** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 8:46 pm

Greetings! And may we become water brothers in the pool of WhOA. A few more weeks of squeeking and squaking and waiting shall be filled. You will know utter happiness once you Grok whistle playing.

I hope your username is a reference to "Stranger in a Strange Land" otherwise I'm just looking stupid here....lol

OnlyAnEgg · Post by **OnlyAnEgg** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 6:04 am

It is, indeed, from Stranger! Thanks for knowing! You are, officially, the first ever to grok the nick. I've used this for...oh, two years now and no one has caught it without explanation.

As for squeeking and squawking, my first tune, Tell Me Ma, is starting to sound fair, if slow. In fact, I have even put an ornament or two in it as of last night

Louigi Verona · Post by **Louigi Verona** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 6:22 am

I've been playing whistle for 1 day now and my neighbors are now utterly provoked.

Sometimes I think this is the biggest problem in learning the whistle - to find a place to play.

Cynth · Post by **Cynth** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 6:58 am

Welcome to the forum, OnlyAnEgg. I thought a trombone player would have to control his or her breath. Maybe you just have to blow hard all the time. I don't know. I've not gotten far on the whistle, but controlling the airflow was definitely a new thing for me. It sounds as though if you have a tune sounding even fair at this point that you are doing very well.

I looked up the motto in your avatar. I like it!

OnlyAnEgg · Post by **OnlyAnEgg** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 3:57 pm

Cynth wrote:Welcome to the forum, OnlyAnEgg. I thought a trombone player would have to control his or her breath. Maybe you just have to blow hard all the time. I don't know. I've not gotten far on the whistle, but controlling the airflow was definitely a new thing for me. It sounds as though if you have a tune sounding even fair at this point that you are doing very well.

I looked up the motto in your avatar. I like it!

Well, yes and no, Cynth. While I did control my breathing, it was over the range of loud to very very loud. It takes considerably more to wind a horn than a whistle

So, I suppose I meant contolling my breath at a low level. Today was an improvement over yesterday as I seemed to keep the bottom in me whistle after warming it up.

As for our motto...heh, I really did mean to start playing sooner.

Edit: And, I almost forgot...I ordered 2 Clarkes today! A Celtic D and a Trad in C

Now, if I only had two more mouths...umm, and four more hands, too, I guess.

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 5:34 pm

OnlyAnEgg wrote:

Edit: And, I almost forgot...I ordered 2 Clarkes today! A Celtic D and a Trad in C Now, if I only had two more mouths...umm, and four more hands, too, I guess.

And so it begins....

Early treatment of Whistle obsessive Aquistion Disorder (WhOA!) can prevent taking up Irish flute and Uilleann pipes. Seek assistance from a qualified professional.

Doc

OnlyAnEgg · Post by **OnlyAnEgg** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 5:38 pm

Doc Jones wrote:Early treatment of Whistle obsessive Aquistion Disorder (WhOA!) can prevent taking up Irish flute and Uilleann pipes. Seek assistance from a qualified professional.

Doc

I'm not THAT bad...I only ordered a practice chanter, too

Dave Parkhurst · Post by **Dave Parkhurst** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 7:54 pm

OnlyAnEgg wrote:
Doc Jones wrote:Early treatment of Whistle obsessive Aquistion Disorder (WhOA!) can prevent taking up Irish flute and Uilleann pipes. Seek assistance from a qualified professional.

Doc
I'm not THAT bad...I only ordered a practice chanter, too

oh man, you already on the beginning of the slippery slope that starts with an innocent pennywhistle and leads to the dark realm of uilleanns, flutes and *shudder* GHBs.... "if we're gonna go to H*** we might as well enjoy the ride" (Alice Cooper). I would assume the practice chanter is for the GHBs, cause the best practice chanter for uilleanns is a D whistle.

Dave

OnlyAnEgg · Post by **OnlyAnEgg** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 7:59 pm

Yes...it's for GHB. I am, after all, Scottish after a couple generations. I have a great affinity for the Irish, though...same oppressors and all.

The chanter is only a tentative step. The whistle is fun and whimsical. The pipes...well, they're formidable and frightening. Since I live in an apartment at the moment, I will not likely get more than the chanter

DCrom · Post by **DCrom** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 8:16 pm

OnlyAnEgg wrote:Yes...it's for GHB. I am, after all, Scottish after a couple generations. I have a great affinity for the Irish, though...same oppressors and all.

The chanter is only a tentative step. The whistle is fun and whimsical. The pipes...well, they're formidable and frightening. Since I live in an apartment at the moment, I will not likely get more than the chanter

Have you considered something like this?

http://www.songsea.com/electronic.html
http://electronicbagpipes.united.net.kg/

I'd love to actually hear from someone who's played one of these - I find the whole concept a bit weird. But then again, I'm a flute and whistle player - I can practice quietly enough not to goad the neighbors to a killing rage.

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