Chiff and Fipple Forums

Peter Duggan wrote:So, while it looks like something alto-ish she's playing, said playing appears to have been somewhat carelessly mimed for the video shoot and hasn't necessarily been filmed on the same whistle. Though it does sound plausibly Swayne.

Also quite possible, given the tone of the thing, visual mismatch and list of instruments she plays, that we're looking at a whistle and listening to a recorder?

DrPhill wrote:

Peter Duggan wrote:It neither looks nor sounds like a low D.

I thought that the length looked about right - or are you referring solely to the fingerings used in the video?

Too short for a low D, but also too long for the soprano C that should perhaps go with the sound.

I like the 'primitive, pagan' stuff. I found it very entertaining aurally and visually.

Try 'Hedningarna'

Mr.Gumby wrote:

I like the 'primitive, pagan' stuff. I found it very entertaining aurally and visually.

Try 'Hedningarna'

I'm listening now. It's good stuff. Not my sort of stuff. But good.

Not my sort of stuff. But good.

Not really my thing either. But interesting, unlike some of that quasi warrior princess fantasy world stuff.

Mr.Gumby wrote:

I like the 'primitive, pagan' stuff. I found it very entertaining aurally and visually.

Try 'Hedningarna'

I am listening now to 'Täss'on Nainen' - I find it a little more challenging, but interesting.

DrPhill wrote:Thanks, Peter, that is helpful. I was trying to pick out the notes on a D and got some of them..... I will pitch it down in audacity and try again.

I wouldn't pitch it down unless you're determined to play it on your low D.

To play it at pitch, choose a soprano C (in which case your first five notes will be notional A e g f# d) or alto F (e b d' c#' a, taking you to the top of the second octave). If you insist on the low D, take it down three semitones and treat as for alto F.

Edit: Notional? Do I mean nominal? Think there's maybe a case for either, but hope my meaning's clear!

Peter Duggan wrote:

DrPhill wrote:Thanks, Peter, that is helpful. I was trying to pick out the notes on a D and got some of them..... I will pitch it down in audacity and try again.

I wouldn't pitch it down unless you're determined to play it on your low D.

To play it at pitch, choose a soprano C (in which case your first five notes will be notional A e g f# d) or alto F (e b d' c#' a, taking you to the top of the second octave). If you insist on the low D, take it down three semitones and treat as for alto F.

Edit: Notional? Do I mean nominal? Think there's maybe a case for either, but hope my meaning's clear!

Ah, my meaning was unclear...... I re-pitched the track so that I could play it on a (soprano) D whistle (up two semitones). And I deduced the self-same notes as you indicated - which is a good result for someone of my limited musicality. Your help identifying the pitch was the key (sorry) for me.

benhall.1 wrote:Jemtheflute has a Jon Swayne whistle. I can't make the thing produce anything remotely musical,..........Then again, so far, I haven't had much success with wooden whistles. I'm much better with metal ones.

That does surprise me, Ben. Though I admit that my one wooden whistle (Bleazey) is quite exacting, I would have thought you would have easily mastered a wooden whistle. Were I closer I would lend you mine for a short while to dispel that gremlin.

DrPhill wrote:

benhall.1 wrote:Jemtheflute has a Jon Swayne whistle. I can't make the thing produce anything remotely musical,..........Then again, so far, I haven't had much success with wooden whistles. I'm much better with metal ones.

That does surprise me, Ben. Though I admit that my one wooden whistle (Bleazey) is quite exacting, I would have thought you would have easily mastered a wooden whistle. Were I closer I would lend you mine for a short while to dispel that gremlin.

That's really kind of you Phill. I'll have to make an effort and get down to a session near you.

That would be great if we could find a good one..... the most local of sessions are dominated by a 'stomach steinway' and a saxaphone - or were when I last attended a couple of years ago.

There were some excellent sessions for a while in Watchet, but the organisers were over-committed and gave up. Halsway Manor had some good sessions too, once a month. The Valiant Soldier is more of a take-your turn performance format - though folk seemed happy to join in if given permission, but it was mostly vocals though.

One of my resolutions this year is to seek out some participatory music, so I am planning to investigate what is now going on. I will keep you informed.

DrPhill wrote:That would be great if we could find a good one..... the most local of sessions are dominated by a 'stomach steinway' and a saxaphone - or were when I last attended a couple of years ago.

There were some excellent sessions for a while in Watchet, but the organisers were over-committed and gave up. Halsway Manor had some good sessions too, once a month. The Valiant Soldier is more of a take-your turn performance format - though folk seemed happy to join in if given permission, but it was mostly vocals though.

One of my resolutions this year is to seek out some participatory music, so I am planning to investigate what is now going on. I will keep you informed.

I will follow any updates. PM me if you think I'm missing something.

Thanks to all for the responses. I got a C soprano whistle - made it a lot easier to figure the tune out. I think the seventh is flattened -- can someone confirm for me please (though Peter may have said as much in his post while discussing possible whistles)?

DrPhill wrote:Thanks for that Wanderer - the flare at the bottom, and the tulip head where that clues I was following. I tried to cut some clips from the video, but the resolution is low (does not show in video, but is noticeable in stills). They might be better than the thumbnail though:

Looking closer at your stills, I'm not convinced it's a Swayne. The tulip head on the Swayne whistle is nice and rounded. The whistle this lady is playing appears to have a sharp edge at the curve. And I can't really see the pin that is used in the Swayne whistle to hold the mouthpiece together (but that's not definitive, since the video stills are low in resolution).

DrPhill wrote:I got a C soprano whistle - made it a lot easier to figure the tune out. I think the seventh is flattened -- can someone confirm for me please (though Peter may have said as much in his post while discussing possible whistles)?

It starts in G Dorian (fingered 'A' Dorian scale for your C whistle being A B C D E F# G A) and finishes with a hurdy-gurdy solo in G Aeolian (fingered scale A B C D E F G A, but you don't need the F nat because you're not playing the hurdy-gurdy).

Peter Duggan wrote:It starts in G Dorian (fingered 'A' Dorian scale for your C whistle being A B C D E F# G A) and finishes with a hurdy-gurdy solo in G Aeolian (fingered scale A B C D E F G A, but you don't need the F nat because you're not playing the hurdy-gurdy).

Oh lordy, thanks..... but I always get confused with transpositions.

I am playing it on a C whistle, but know the 'names' of the finger positions as if they were on a D whistle. If I try to translate that in my head I am very likely to get something wrong and confuse the issue entirely.

Can I pretend that I have transposed the audio up two semitones and I am playing a D whistle? If so then I get:

a E G F# D b g a a g e
a E G F# D b g a b b b

a E G F# D b g a a g e
e b e b a g g a g a C b a g a

The c natural feels more right to me, but I can easily believe myself wrong. If there is one (relative) pitch that seems to trouble me it is that one. I have had this confusion before - I seem to prefer to flatten it.