Chiff and Fipple Forums

I use Nashville tuning on a small-bodied Washburn Rover "travel" guitar.
The small body has virtually no bass response anyway, so no loss, and the resultant sound is both "fuller" as well as "different" to what it was with a set of standard strings.

I started ... and failed miserably :( However, one concept I did learn, practice with a suitable diameter piece of plastic pipe. This gives opportunity to experiment with labium sizes and angles without risking what might have been an expensive horn. As I'm sure you're aware, a gemshorn is basically...

Time was some instruments were supplied with two sets of bottom holes, for "left-up" and "left-down" players, the principle being that the unused holes were simply blocked with beeswax. Might it be practical to drill a couple of extra holes in the instrument? Another alternative ...

Hanson Music in the UK made a plastic chalumeau until recently, but I can't seem to find reference to it on their web-site now. They turn up on eBay occasionally for not much money. No keys, standard clarinet mouthpiece, does what it says on the tin! I went down the simple-system clarinet route (for...

"Sully's Irish Banjo Book" by Anthony Sullivan (All Ireland Banjo Champion 1976) was/is a source of inspiration for me and also some great tunes. As is the case with a lot of the "older" tutorial material, the 'basics' are covered sparsely but comprehensively. The expectation is ...

If you can find one, check out a 'Cortol' https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/cortol-plastic-version-kortholt-305402634 , basically a double-reed instrument with nearly a two octave range, made from a "folded" pipe so it's the same sort of physical length as a descant recorder but plays...

A local garden supply centre had some growing for resale as "decorative features", they were happy to cut out a dead stem for me to take away It's made a flute and a couple of whistles so far and there's still some left!

If you're happy buying second-hand, I'd suggest a Moeck "Tuju". I've got a set, from sopranino to bass and only the bass would have been out of your budget!

@Kypfer, you can really close the open end of a song flute and it does not change the notes? Never knew that. Thanks. Sorry, slightly misleading statement on my part. When the end of the Song Flute is covered it plays an even lower note than the "all fingers down" note, as one might expec...

Well, I do have a Flutophone, bought as new in it's box a few years ago simply so's I could answer this sort of question to myself. Yes it does have a hole in it's end and no, it's not an ocarina! If the end hole is covered when all finger holes are also covered the Flutophone just squeaks! Reasonin...

I've got both old and newer Aulos as well as a Yamaha and the Ferris "clone" of the Yamaha. For my very basic requirements, the Yamaha is the easiest to get a note out of, but it is very much a "C" instrument, F# can be "trying". By definition the Ferris is much the sam...

Check out http://www.pibgorn.co.uk The pibgorn is very diatonic, usually in D, with the occaisional accidental manageable with careful half-holing or cross-fingering. It just plays a straight D major scale by opening each hole in turn, like a whistle, but with a thumb-hole for the top D. That's it, ...

i have a question about Robin Williamson's "Penny Whistle Book" I had a "look inside" at amazon and it seems to be mostly a tunes collection. Does it also have instructions? Rols cuts etc ....? Details of cuts etc. are included where appropriate for a specific tune, but there ar...

Do try to find your Bill Ochs' book ... it's probably as good as any for starting out, with a wide range of musical styles.

My other favourite book is Robin Williamson's "Penny Whistle Book" ... again a wide range of musical styles covered.

Enjoy!

What is the best light gauge strings and brand. I have a secondhand Kentucky KM-171 mandolin I got from hobgoblin music shop that came with light gauge strings. I would go for 80/20 Bronze wound or phosphor bronze wound. Any different. Cheers Fergus I've been very satisfied with "Ernie Ball's&...