Chiff and Fipple Forums

In terms of materials, including questions of weight and density- imo it's a mistake to discount purely subjective factors. Assuming all instruments in question are indeed well-made, a heavier or thicker instrument may make the player feel like they need to blow or support differently, which may in...

As a long-time flute maker, I was never happy with the studies that claim materials make no difference. So I did a reductio-ad-absurdum experiment making a Prattens keyless from our local plantation timber, pinus radiata. It was predictably awful! No surprises when we remember its density is around...

I agree, with the caveat that certain materials do sometimes have a bearing on the dimensions used, as well as surface texture of various components of the whistle, both of which do affect the column of air within. So, while I believe there is no such thing as a clearly defined “brass sound”, “plas...

Time and again, scientific studies and blind tests have demonstrated that material makes absolutely no intrinsic difference to sound when it comes to woodwind instruments like flute/recorder/whistle (and there's no scientific reason why it would). Could you please provide explicit references to one...

It's actually a myth that wood produces a different tone from other materials. Time and again, scientific studies and blind tests have demonstrated that material makes absolutely no intrinsic difference to sound when it comes to woodwind instruments like flute/recorder/whistle (and there's no scient...

Thank you both for your very insightful and informative comments!

My strong recommendation is to start with the historically "correct" (i.e. Rockstro hold) for many reasons, but most importantly, you don't want to discover three years down the road that you need to relearn your fingers and hold. Totally understandable! That's exactly how I feel about th...

If you never play that kind of tune, and many ITM players never go outside the more common repertoire, then a pinky stabilizer can still work for you. I know Molloy often rotates his foot joint out and apparently seldom uses the Eb key, so it's not an uncommon approach. It's really all about the re...

On the whistle, sure. However on flute, the pinky pressure doesn't go in the correct direction to balance the weight of the flute against the left index support; pinky goes down-ish while the thumb presses outward. No, I don't just mean for whistle. For Irish flute, Larsen says that it's better to ...

If you use a traditional "Rocstro" flute grip the right hand thumb must stay on the flute at all times to keep the flute supported. Wouldn't be available for opening a tonehole. Ah, that makes sense. I use the hold that Grey Larsen recommends, where neither thumb plays any part in support...

Admittedly this does't come up very frequently in ITM music, but I have a wonderful tune in C-minor (3 flats), where it becomes necessary to figure that out. Thank you! That does make sense. Although I still wonder why you need any keys at all, when a right hand thumb hole would seem to solve the e...

Hello all! I'm new to the Irish flute and do not own one with keys. I have never found any explanation as to why the short F natural key exists. When you look up explanations online, people usually say that the reason for having two F natural keys is that it makes it easier to slur between D and F n...

Nanohedron wrote: ↑Tue Apr 25, 2023 6:02 pm Wasn't my gig, either.

I need to meet this guy lol

Nanohedron wrote: ↑Tue Apr 25, 2023 3:23 pm What's insane is a 60-hole whistle.

Edited!

I should add that, come to think of it, E flat isn't the HARDEST key to play on a D whistle. C sharp would be. Try finding someone who plays in C sharp on a D whistle.

One of the joys of whistles is that they are inexpensive. So, if'n you want to play in Eb major, you just buy a whistle in that key and fudge those few accidentals. Certainly, you can do that. But just because you CAN buy a cheap 6-hole whistle and fudge the accidentals doesn't mean you SHOULDN'T b...