Dropping into the Bell Tone

[O’Sluagahadain]

I am having trouble getting a clean transition from a second octave note to the first octave D (on a D whistle). I first noticed this while learning Inisheer. When I tried to play the 1st octave B to the low D, I kept having to either stop the air flow momentarily (which completely blows the tempo) or end up hitting the 2nd octave D. I began to practice playing from the second octave E to the low D over and over to develop the breath control, but I'm finding it VERY difficult. I also noticed that it's much harder on some whistles. I can make the transition on my Susato A about half the time, but I rarely am able to play the transition smoothly on my Low D Burke Viper. My low D Songbird is somewhere in between. Oddly enough, I don't have any problem playing from the 2nd octave D to the 1st octave D, yet (again) any of the notes above 2nd octave D and 2 or 3 below it are a real challenge. What gives? Does anyone know if I'm missing some trick or technique here, or is it just a matter of more breath control practice.

[Pat Cannady]

Give it time. It really is just a matter of breath control and experience. You're probably just blowing too hard. Relax and practice playing the low D steadily and without blowing up into the second octave.

A gentler blowing whistle than a Susato may be the ticket, it will force you to control your breath. Play the Burke more and see where that gets you.

[starstutu]

It might be breath control to some extent. But it also might be the whistle. If it's partly the whistle, you don't want to keep practicing until you're blue in the face. I felt that the low D Copeland made those transitions very easily. It's hard to have everything in one D whistle. That's why you need more than one high or low D. Just the same as, you can't have everything with one woman, so it's good to have more than one wife. Three is the best. Swami Govinda Mahatma Lama Lotus

[AngeloMeola]

When I started, I practiced octave jumps up and down the scale. First i tried doing it tonguing each note and then with no tonguing. Just run the scale hitting the note and then the octave higher. And stick to one whistle until you can do it consistantly. The more things you change, the harder it is to master.

Angelo

[peeplj]

Practice, time, breath control.

I'm not sure that looking for an "easy" whistle is the answer; learn to play it on what you already have, and you're that much closer to being able to pick up any whistle and play it well.

--James