Problems with wind and chill

[kdolan@inforblvd.net]

I tried playing on a chilly (50c), windy and had difficulty playing the lower register. Is there an resolution to this or is it poor technique?

Please respond on e-mail please.

[Spoo]

I had similar problems in winter with my Feadog.. If I had bought the whistle with me somewhere I couldn't play it before I heated it up. Washing it with warm water before playing usually worked.

Don't know if the problem is in heat expansion of the metal itself (I think it would be at least out of tune, but unplayable?), the metal/plastic connection or what.

[jim stone]

I play on the street sometimes with
a fanatical guitar player who doesn't
stop in the winter. We wear gloves with
the fingers cut off; sometimes snow is
falling. Quite mad.

Wind is a whistler's enemy. If it blows
across the window, it will render
the whistle silent. So one has to
maneuver to stand or sit so that it is
behind you, or at least coming at an
angle that doesn't silence you.

When it gets really cold whistle materials
shrink and so the whistle gets sharp.
I think plastic does better than metal
under such circumstances. Also putting
the whistle under one's coat etc. to
keep it warm.

It's worse for guitar players, cause
strings snap in the cold.

[Champ]

If your whistle has a fipple which you've loosened to make it tuneable, try rotating the fipple through 180 degrees when it gets windy. Sounds (and feels) weird, but it works!

Also, I play a keysless Irish piccolo (same as a whistle - just side blown), and it is not affected as much by the breeze.

[Whistlepeg]

Champ has a good idea and it works well (if you are being miked, the sound tech usually gives you a funny look if the mouthpiece/top of the whistle is on backwards) and it sure beats performing with your back to the wind & the audience!
As far as cold weather playing, it is important to keep the whistle warm (under armpit is good)when not playing as a cold whistle has more condensation problems (check info on reducing clogging/fogging).
It gets very cold where I am (500 miles north of Minneapolis) and we try to avoid playing outside in Winter! (imagine the kid with the tongue frozen stuck to the metal railings!)But when you have to, it is very interesting for the audience to watch, as steam shoots out the bottom of the whistle when you play...too cool.....(sorry!!)
Sue