2020 Tin Whistle Enthusiasts Q & A

[Sedi]

With the things you have done here and the knowledge involved, Richard, you could probably just as well start making you own whistles. I made one where I copied the window size and windway length of a Generation Bb and it sounds like its twin. I'd have to check the tuning again to see if it has the same flaws as the original. But if you make one yourself you can of course adjust the window size and windway lenght to your liking. Learning to make them might actually be less time consuming then to search for the "perfect one".

[Maddie]

I have a half-dozen old Generation Bb's sitting around and all of them have flat 2nd octaves. ...

Richard, thanks for taking the time to explain your modification. Yes, my Bb Generation is also slightly flat in the second octave. I removed the fipple to make it tunable, but even jamming the fipple all the way down on the tube doesn't correct it. When the entire whistle is warmed up before playing, the second octave can be blown into tune.

... How you get these nice things is by sawing the head in twain right through the middle of the window. You can file the surfaces to take away as much material as you please; shortening the window raises the pitch of the 2nd octave.

What type of saw do you use for that cut? Would any jeweler's saw work, or is there a specific type of blade for plastic?

One other point: It would be nice if manufacturers labeled whistle keys as prominently as shown in your photo.

[Maddie]

... I too was a lurker on the C&F Whistle Forum before asking for help. I received excellent help too.

Same here. So many experienced members in this community are willing to help beginners.

I prefer the Chiff Forums to the various social media sites because this old style forum is searchable and archives a tremendous amount of info.

I totally agree.

I spend more time researching past threads for the wisdom therein... daily.

When I can't find an answer to one of my questions in the C&F archives, it only means I haven't come up with the right search terms. The question has undoubtedly been answered before; I just can't find it.

Another issue with the archive is that many of the old links are broken and photos are missing. For example, there was a discussion about how to mute a whistle with a plastic-coated paper clip. The photo, which must have clearly illustrated it, is no longer available. Without the image, there's no clue how that paper clip mute works.

Also, some of the old threads just stop, unresolved. One person had commented that it was like reading a book with the last chapter missing. Even taking these minor issues into account, the archive is still a gold mine of information.

[Maddie]

I suppose I'd ought to help get this thread back on the rails again :-/

I don't mind at all. Some of the most interesting discussions happen off topic.

3. What tunes are you learning this month, and which is your current favorite?

No tune is ever learnt (he says piously). I'm forever deconstructing the way I play tunes on whistle or melodeon, and then ending up playing them differently again at a session or something.

That's a thought-provoking observation. When people talk about learning a tune, I had assumed that meant being able to play it fluidly, at tempo, without any errors. Once it reached that level, it would simply be maintained there. After reading your comment, though, I realize it's more like a tune is always a work in progress, constantly evolving. It will change and grow, as the player improves. What a neat concept.

[psoutowood]

The paper clip mute is a relatively easy one. Drop it vertically into the windway so it leans against the blade. It's an effective mute, though it muddies the sounds a bit. Maybe give your loved ones/roommates earplugs instead?

[Maddie]

The paper clip mute is a relatively easy one. Drop it vertically into the windway so it leans against the blade. It's an effective mute, though it muddies the sounds a bit. ...

Thanks for the explanation, but I'm obviously still doing something wrong. On the left in this photo is a white paper clip dropped into a Generation Bb. With the clip in this position, the whistle makes no tone, only wind noises. On the right is a Dixon DX006D. The orange paper clip only fits that far into the windway without forcing it.



At this point, it's just a matter of curiosity. I needed a mute earlier, when I was first learning the high notes. Someone suggested playing high notes staccato, which makes them less piercing. They are no longer objectionable.

[psoutowood]

Nope. Put the paperclip in the rectangular hole on top of the whistle head so it leans against the sharp angled blade.

Peter

[Maddie]

Nope. Put the paperclip in the rectangular hole on top of the whistle head so it leans against the sharp angled blade.

Ah! Mystery solved. Thanks, Peter.

[Nanohedron]

When I can't find an answer to one of my questions in the C&F archives, it only means I haven't come up with the right search terms. The question has undoubtedly been answered before; I just can't find it.

The uncomfortable truth is that C&F's search function is often balky and unsatisfying. I tend to get decent results most of the time, but then usually I'm looking for something that I already know is somewhere out there, but is so specific - and often frankly weird - that I can be confident it'll be found with one word. But there's an alternative method that seems to work even more reliably, and that is to use a search engine like Google or what have you: Use keywords like "chiff & fipple whistle mute", and usually you'll end up with a lot of entries to choose from; you might even find the list so big that you'll want to narrow it down: "chiff & fipple paper clip whistle mute", say. I've gone this route myself when C&F's search function tells me I'm doing it wrong, and I definitely recommend it whether as backup or go-to.

If you Google "chiff & fipple search function", you'll probably come up with this post, or at least this thread.

[benhall.1]

When I can't find an answer to one of my questions in the C&F archives, it only means I haven't come up with the right search terms. The question has undoubtedly been answered before; I just can't find it.

The uncomfortable truth is that C&F's search function is often balky and unsatisfying. I tend to get decent results most of the time, but then usually I'm looking for something that I already know is somewhere out there, but is so specific - and often frankly weird - that I can be confident it'll be found with one word. But there's an alternative method that seems to work even more reliably, and that is to use a search engine like Google or what have you: Use keywords like "chiff & fipple whistle mute", and usually you'll end up with a lot of entries to choose from; you might even find the list so big that you'll want to narrow it down: "chiff & fipple paper clip whistle mute", say. I've gone this route myself when C&F's search function tells me I'm doing it wrong, and I definitely recommend it whether as backup or go-to.

If you Google "chiff & fipple search function", you'll probably come up with this post, or at least this thread.

... which reminds me - it's probably time for me to do one of my periodic re-indexing exercises. I'll let everyone know when I'm about to do it, as it's better if people are not using the search facility while I'm doing the re-indexing.

[TheWanderer]

1. What did you accomplish on whistle in 2019?
I got started. After abandoning any hope of being musical over three decades ago, I decided to have another go, and got a swathe of different instruments, the whistle being one of them. Maybe I should specify limiting myself to two whistles as an achievement too, seeing how others can't leave them alone.

2. What are your whistle-related goals for 2020?
My music goals, are to learn a few tunes on ALL my instruments (6 string, and another on the way, 4 wind, and 2 keyed) by the time I'm 50, which is late 2023. I don't have specific goals for this year.

3. What tunes are you learning this month, and which is your current favorite?
Fields of Gold, Skye boat song, Bach cello prelude - all on different items. I'm also working through exercises and method books.

4. What whistles are on your 2020 Wish List?
A djolomyga. Two tin whistles are enough for me, that itch is scratched. I would like to get better on them, but any new acquisitions will be something different that I've never played before, rather than "more of the same", hence the Balkan double whistle. It adds a layer of complexity, and is chromatic. I also want to add a xiao or other end blown ethnic flute.

5. What do you enjoy most about playing tin whistle?
It's the simplest instrument I own. All my instruments are challenging in some way of other, but the whistle is the easiest to locate and produce clean notes on. There's also very little to go wrong with it, whereas several of my others are complex and need a lot of careful and attentive upkeep.

[david_h]

If you Google "chiff & fipple search function", you'll probably come up with this post, or at least this thread.

If you google

Code: Select all

whistle mute site:http://forums.chiffandfipple.com

You get a lot of posts about whistle mutes.

[Maddie]

Thanks for the search tips. I have been using site search with Google most of the time. However, it's tricky to limit Google's results to only the whistle forum. The closest Google query I've come up with is this:

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site:forums.chiffandfipple.com inurl:f=1 search terms here

In theory, the "inurl:f=1" should restrict it to the whistle forum. My suspicion is that it's only returning a subset of the total possible results, but it's often enough.

Limiting results to a single forum is something that the C&F search function does brilliantly.

[david_h]

In theory, the "inurl:f=1" should restrict it to the whistle forum. My suspicion is that it's only returning a subset of the total possible results, but it's often enough.

Adding /viewtopic.php?f=1 to the main URL string or putting f=1 in the search terms used to work, but they don't seem to any more.

That search gives me different results from google.com and google.co.uk. I have learned not to simply suggest people Google something, especially if they are on another continent, because me having found it straight away doesn't mean they will!

[Maddie]

My music goals, are to learn a few tunes on ALL my instruments (6 string, and another on the way, 4 wind, and 2 keyed) by the time I'm 50, which is late 2023. ...

With that variety of instruments, you probably play a number of different styles. What musical genres do you play on whistle?