dumb question

AnnaDMartinez · Post by **AnnaDMartinez** » Sat Jul 21, 2001 12:28 pm

Can somebody define "Chiff" for me...thanks

jmssmh · Post by **jmssmh** » Sat Jul 21, 2001 12:41 pm

It is tough to define but I know when it I when I hear it.

Joe

Post by **Dale** » Sat Jul 21, 2001 12:42 pm

Oh, if only it WERE a dumb question. It's not. It's a mysterious word. From the chiff & fipple FAQ:

Q: What is Chiff? What is Fipple? Why 'Chiff & Fipple'?

Well, the last question is the easiest to answer. I chose two words from the vocabulary of whistle players and stuck them together because it sounded funny to me. I almost named the website and the newsletter "Drainage and Seepage Quarterly" because I thought THAT sounded funny, but as has so often been true, mercifully so, my wife talked me out of it. The word "fipple" has come to be used to refer to the sound generation device of whistles, recorders, and similar instruments. A stream of air goes through a duct and then gets split by a blade. More precisely, the term fipple refers to a more specific part of mouthpiece--actually it would be the wooden plug, for example, on a Clarke whistle. "Chiff" is a hard word to define. It's a quality, present in varying amounts, in whistles. I'm told by smart people that it is a term that comes from pipe organ builders. In fact, often keyboard synthesizers will have a preset sound called "Chiff' or "Chiff Organ" or something. I asked Michael Copeland to define chiff for me when I spoke to him on September 2, 1998. He said that it refers to nonmusical aspects of the sound of a whistle. It has to do with the attack of the sound; the amount of "edge" in the sound. Something like that.

Blaine McArthur · Post by **Blaine McArthur** » Sat Jul 21, 2001 12:53 pm

Thanks Dale,

It is all so clear now.......

Actually, I was wondering if it might be something like the sounds you get when you blow over the top of the fipple to get that "air whistle" sound. Those extra "whooshy(?)" sounds you get apart from, but in addition to, that clear pure tone of the whistle. Sort of like rough edges. Jeez, I guess I'm not making it any better.

Blaine

AnnaDMartinez · Post by **AnnaDMartinez** » Sat Jul 21, 2001 1:07 pm

OK, I'm still totally confused, I got a nick on the blade of my Generation tweeking it, sharpened it, now it's hard to blow and rather airy and oh, heck, it's only a Generation. I think what I'm hearing is Chiff. I'll probaby name my next dog Chiff! Down Chiff! Bad Chiff! Maybe I should name my whistle Chiff!

Post by **Dale** » Sat Jul 21, 2001 6:07 pm

Your idea about chiff being that extraneous wind noise is really understandable and for the longest time I thought that is what it meant. Let's just decide here and now that it means that.

Dale

AnnaDMartinez · Post by **AnnaDMartinez** » Sat Jul 21, 2001 9:50 pm

Ok, Sir, I can take your word for it! Will be thinking about you on Sunday morning!

Blaine McArthur · Post by **Blaine McArthur** » Sat Jul 21, 2001 10:09 pm

the Wise One has spoken.

So let it be written;
So let it be done.

Blaine

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Mon Jul 23, 2001 9:48 am

Whew, glad we finally got that settled. Now I can finally get some sleep.

Tom

brownja · Post by **brownja** » Mon Jul 23, 2001 11:08 am

If knowing what Chiff is worth $10. Buy a Clare. There will be no doubt in your mind after that.
jb

Ron Rowe · Post by **Ron Rowe** » Mon Jul 23, 2001 12:10 pm

Clare's Chiffy? My Clare is my favorite low priced whistle and I don't hear it as chiffy, it does have a bit of a buzz on lower notes that I really like, is that what you are talking about JB?

brownja · Post by **brownja** » Mon Jul 23, 2001 12:29 pm

I have a Clare two piece and it seems quite "chiffy" to me. I have two bad feadog's and a generation that sound kinda of buzzy and that's not it. I have a good Feadog and a Susato that are nice and pure. The Clare has something else going on that's (Ha Ha) hard to define. It actually adds a bit of character to faster tunes but is irritating on airs. Does that explain it?, probably not but it's the best I can do in words, Like trying to define "purple".
Cheers,
jb