Blackbird arrived

[narrowdog]

I'd be careful of your whistles Lesley,now Ro has got the bug
you'll find your's going missing

It's great to see you getting better

[Makar]

Learning the Scots pipe march - The Battle of waterloo on the Blackbird right now. Really enjoying the ease of the high register and how it sounds. Top notch (certainly better sound than I am making on my Tipple flute so far - at least I have started hearing notes though!!)

A really nice wee whistle

cheers
Stephen

[Rhadge]

So, yes, try the usual remedies - detergent, Duponol/Anticondens, dental floss. But also expect that any clogging will diminish as your breath technique improves.

I find that sometimes I get more saliva than usual into the whistle.
Seems to be connected to my general saliva production.

Are there any common whistler/flutist techniques to decrease the saliva production in the mouth and get a more dry breath?
Just temporarily of course. Like, eating some hours before playing and stuff like that?

[Makar]

Are there any common whistler/flutist techniques to decrease the saliva production in the mouth and get a more dry breath?
Just temporarily of course. Like, eating some hours before playing and stuff like that?

I can't imagine? There are various drugs (probably prescription) that will dry your mouth and probably stunt your whistle playing too . How about eating a packet of digestive biscuits without a cup of tea?

Seriously though I reckon this is something you will need to live with and it will probably improve with your general whistle skills.

[iwanttotoot]

Holy Cow this is a must have whistle. I ordered one and a week and a half later it arrived in the mail. I was blown away My whistle collection has increased to 9 over the past year. I thought I was done but I had to have this one and I'm glad I did. It does sound like a bird.

[chef Paul]

I recieved my Blakbird last from the venerable Jerry Freeman last week. I wanted to spend a little time getting to know it before I posted any feedback.

The many postings about this whistle on C&F already, pretty much tell the whole story and I have very little to add actually except to say that the bottom end is not as soft as I expected and despite the fact that I wouldn't consider it loud, it's louder than I expected and it has a tone that projects fine even in a session upwards of 10 people.

It does indeed take a gentle touch and good breath control and but now that I've gotten used to it, which took a few sometimes doubtful hours, I find it very managable. Indeed, it may be my new favorite whistle. It's a joy to play and after hearing it the hands of one very capable musician who played several of my tooters so I could hear and compare what I was hearing (from a listeners point of view, which to me at least is a different sound than when you are the one playing) the "Bird" simply sounded better to me than any of my other whistles.

One whistling friend of mine, upon hearing that I had a Blackbird on the way, said that it would nice if someone made a whistle that made you a better player. This could be that kind of whistle, you must use good breath contol to play it but you are rewarded with a great traditionl sound and the ornments just pop out of it.

My congrats go out the Jerry for this outstanding contribution.

P

[rap4th]

Hello all!

I just received my Blackbird yesterday. Let me tell you, it is awesome!! It is much easier to play in the upper octave. Matter of fact, when my wife came home I played "Down by the Sally Gardens" in the upper octave. Her remark...."that sounded great". When I try that on my Walton, it gets very loud and shrill (my older daughter usually covers her ears and runs away)....but on the Blackbird...the volume is consistent and sounds sweet. Being a beginner I can truly say that the Blackbird is an easy whistle to play and sounds great!

Thank you Jerry for a wonderful whistle!!

Rob

[luvinit]

Having technical difficulties emailing you, Jerry,

I would love to buy a Blackbird - but I have a severe nickel allergy. Any chance of getting one in brass or aluminum? (Forgive my ignorance if that's sacrilege.)

Thank you,

Megan

[dobefan]

Mine arrived, great piece!

Cheers

[MTGuru]

I would love to buy a Blackbird - but I have a severe nickel allergy. Any chance of getting one in brass or aluminum? (Forgive my ignorance if that's sacrilege.)

I can't speak for Jerry, if he can supply a brass tube. But you can easily substitute your own favorite standard 1/2-inch brass or aluminum tube - e.g. Feadóg, Generation, Waltons, Little Black Whistle, etc. The Feadóg tube gives you the basic Blackbird sound, while the others lend a slightly different coloration, which is also nice.

[Mitch]

Just got my Blackbird.

It has the general feel of a Feadog. Perhaps a little less breath requirement.

As with any whistle, it takes a few tunes to get its measure - that done, I can say this:

The notes are very nicely balanced throughout both octaves. Embellishments in the upper octave tend to "tweet" that's something that can be used, but generally because the whole whistle requires less energy.

A little clogging - no great issue, a little detergent will fix that.

This is not what you'd call a loud whistle, but the tone is very clear, so it doesn't suffer from the choked-back sound that most quiet whistles have and the notes will carry nicely in a session.

Octave breaks are clean, so it can support a fast reel or slide. All interval breaks are better than most other whisltes I've picked up.

I have a boxful of them here - so I get to check consistency as well. As with any make of whistle, there is variation within the target range set by the maker. Some take a little more air, some less, some are a touch reedy, some pure as snow. When compared to a box of off-the-shelf Feadogs, the consistency is much better and a vast improvement in every case.

Another winner Jerry - Well done!