Chiff and Fipple Forums

If your fingers are moving quickly enough and cleanly enough, there's no way the Clarke will squeak. Don't overblow, and make sure your fingers are not moving too far off the holes - just enough to "blip" the cuts. Aha! That's what I was looking for! I suspected it was something mechanica...

I generally finger that 2nd octave d xxx xxo, as it sounds better that way Eh? :-? I guess you meant oxxxxx ? I think we respondents are making assumptions, and it's not 100% clear what fingering you're describing. Can you be more explicit? Is it a cran or a roll you're attempting? Both are possibl...

2nd octave D roll? Maybe a "crann"? It is done by cutting D twice or thrice with different fingers. So that's the talk about cuts, as far as I understand. If you finger that D with xxx xxx, your cuts will sound "as usual", but will squeak on LH fingerholes. If you finger it with...

Is it just me? I've got a couple of Clark Original D whistles-one tweaked by the Whistle Shop and one that hasn't been altered. I love the nice chiffy sound of each, but any attempt to roll that second octave D, particularly on the tweaked whistle, results in a series of ugly squeaks. Doesn't matter...

The only problem with Elderly Instruments is trying to drag your spouse out of there when he realizes that he's not only allowed, but encouraged to play any of the hundreds and hundreds of top-notch guitars in the store. :wink: They even offer you a pick if they notice you're a flat-picker and didn'...

Ah, such children. I started about 3 years ago, back when I was a mere 55 years of age. I figured learning something new would be good for me and I guess it has been--at least I enjoy the sound of my playing. I know I'll never be really good with such a late start, but once in a while I manage to pl...

I've made a few for my own use, and I use the tie method. When the package full of whistles is rolled, the tie (attached in only one place) is also wrapped around the roll and tied in a simple bow. My favorites are made from a scrap of upholstery fabric. It's durable but soft and you can buy a bit o...

I second the computer suggestion. We ran into the same problem when our son's wedding DVD, which was recorded in Tel Aviv, wouldn't play on our DVD player here in the US. We were able to watch it on the computer though.

Don't forget: in the Middle East hummus is usually served warm and fresh, to be scooped up with fresh warm pita. Learned this during 3 weeks in Israel last year and haven't served cold hummus or store-bought pitas since. Yum. I also have a recipe for pita from an Israeli cookbook, if anyone is inter...

Three years ago we lost a cat we'd had for over 20 years and we made the decision to hold him in the freezer (right next to the top layer of my daughter's wedding cake) until all 3 of our kids were at home to give him a proper send-off. They all happened to be at home for Easter, including my son's ...

I feel your pain. I also love playing my whistle, but just when I think I'm getting somewhere, I realize everyone has left the room. My husband, who has listened carefully from day one, is the only person who seems to appreciate my playing. I also found that when I (reluctantly) played for a friend ...

I got a beautiful hammered dulcimer (perhaps a hint to lay off the whistle for a while? :wink: ) and two albums of my favorite singer, Tom Waits. I gave one whistle to my daughter and one electronic tuner to my son-in-law. Best muscial part of the holidays was the guitar/whistle/ukulele/Irish drum/t...

I'm about to have relatives there--my son's marrying an Israeli on December 30th. I'll ask his future brother-in-law next time we talk. He's an amateur musician and may know where to look.

Muscle memory is powerful, isn't it? I stop to think about what I'm playing and lose it. If I just I just let the fingers go, they find the right notes on their own. I suppose that if you stopped to analyse each little move while you tried to ride a bike the same thing might happen--you'd fall off.

Maybe it's because the mouthpiece looks a bit like ABC gum.