Homemade Whistles

[bigskybri]

Just curious, who here plays their homemade whistle at a session or gig?

[crookedtune]

Nope.

I've made a few that played OK. I also have a couple of good whistles that have character, but are a bit more challenging. My session whistle has been an aluminum Burke, which is very easy-playing and carries well. It almost never gets played at home, but nails the session situation. I'm a proponent of having a quiver to choose from.

[Carey]

I do!

[toasterburn]

I built a pvc pennywhistle/native american flute hybrid that plays pretty well, but I've never played gigs.

[Innocent Bystander]

Me!

I do Polyproylene whistles on the Gonzato method. Mostly I play at my local Folk Club, and practice at the park, but the Folk Club get asked to do events, and I've been hauled along too.

[brewerpaul]

I do

[Feadoggie]

I do, as well.

Feadoggie

[Liam]

Hey Paul and Cary... I am not sure your whistles can be considered home made since you make them professionally... though I suppose you might actually make them at home... bloody nuisance this definition of home made .

And Feadoggie, I have seen some pictures of your whistles.... they should also be considered professional whistles... at least by the looks of them .

--
Bill

[Carey]

Hey Paul and Cary... I am not sure your whistles can be considered home made since you make them professionally... though I suppose you might actually make them at home... bloody nuisance this definition of home made .

Indeed. I was baiting the issue. You see it's the music that comes out that matters, and if you made the whistle, you get extra session cred. I showed up at the local for the first time with my third or fourth attempt in my back pocket. I approached the circle which was on a small one-step-up stage in corner a restaurant. One of the players, in a joking way said "Ach! You can't come up here unless you have an instrument." So I whipped out the whistle and they were all laughing and waving me up. "The whistle is in the first tier of session instruments, and you've made it yourself. A thousand welcomes." and off we went.

So, don't be bashful. Make it, play it and share the tunes! (But understand the workings of a session and play nice with others.)

Carey

[Feadoggie]

Hey Paul and Cary... I am not sure your whistles can be considered home made since you make them professionally... though I suppose you might actually make them at home... bloody nuisance this definition of home made .

And Feadoggie, I have seen some pictures of your whistles.... they should also be considered professional whistles... at least by the looks of them .

Liam, thanks for the kind words. I think you've made the point. Many of the whistles we could call "professional" are actually made at home by individual craftsman. If I showed you the first whistle I made we could have a good laugh over it. That may have been the case with many makers. Sometimes the only thing that differentiates the DIY whistle maker from the boutique whistle maker is that the boutique maker keeps making more whistles improving the design and honing their skills until they get to something that sounds quite good, plays well and is desirable to other players. I do believe anyone can make their own whistle if they have the motivation and a little bit of skill. And if you make 'em, you gotta play 'em.

The marvelous thing about making your own whistles and taking them out to play is that you get a lot of feedback from other players and from other makers. Irish music may not be unique in that regard but there is a tradition of helping each other along in Irish music circles. And so it goes with whistle making. It's a little fraternity of sorts. Questions get asked and get answered. Ideas are freely exchanged. Good will abounds. Sometimes a Pat O'Riordan, Michael Copeland, John Sindt or Paul Busman emerge having gotten things right. Ain't it great? So if you make a whistle, take it out and play it. You may be amused where it leads you.

Oops! Carey hit "send" first.

Feadoggie

[Carey]

Oops! Carey hit "send" first.Feadoggie

By one measly minute! HA!

[bigskybri]

I have to admit that I was interested in those who dabble making whistles rather than the folks who have gone pro. Should have made that clearer. Not that there is anything wrong w/ selling your creations to support the whistle habit ....

[Tommy]

Hmmmmmm........

[bigskybri]

Hmmmmmm........

I guess to further explain, I have no skill when it comes to building things, yet the concept of these 'simple' whistle plans intrigue me. The phrase 'measure twice, cut once' doesn't work for me. Even after measuring multiple times I still won't get it right. So I would classify myself as a dabbler at best. Clarifying the inquiry, is there a dabbler out there who has been brave enough to build and use their homemade whistles in sessions or gigs?

[Feadoggie]

I have to admit that I was interested in those who dabble making whistles rather than the folks who have gone pro. Should have made that clearer. Not that there is anything wrong w/ selling your creations to support the whistle habit ....

Well, that's my point. If a person dabbles at making a whistle and they take the results of said dabbling to a session, a workshop or a gig then someone is bound to ask them, "What's that your playing?". You offer them a go on your whistle. Right? The reaction to your whistle, once offered, can be good or bad but you will generally get an opinion. If you take those opinions home with you and keep on dabbling eventually your whistles should gain more favorable reviews than not. That's how it goes. When the reaction gets to, "Can you make one of these for me?" then you are probably not dabbling anymore. But it's still a homemade whistle. Well, that is unless you can get venture capital from a session mate and off-shore production to Whatshereistan or someplace. Dabbling can lead to harder stuff for some.

And, like Carey pointed out, its all about the music in the end. Whistles are made to be played and preferrebly with other players. Most whistle makers don't get into things thinking about it as a business. Well, that's my experience anyway. You make whistles because you love the music and the instrument and you like sharing with the others that like the music and the instrument. So make 'em and play'em and share 'em.

Feadoggie