Bamboo Whistle
- bigskybri
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Bamboo Whistle
I picked up a used bamboo whistle this weekend at a local shop. It was only $4 and plays in tune, so I couldn't pass it up. It's in the key of C and is stamped Japan. The fipple design is a bit different than what I've seen for bamboo whistles on eBay in that the windway is on the underside of the whistle (assuming that the finger holes are the top). Are there other examples of this kind of design around?
- MTGuru
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Re: Bamboo Whistle
Yes, the underside fipple is a standard design for East Asian bamboo whistles of this type that I've seen. It's also seen on Eastern European fipple flutes. I have basically the same whistle as yours. It's now ~50 years old, and a nice player.
Vivat diabolus in musica! MTGuru's (old) GG Clips / Blackbird Clips
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Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.
- hans
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Re: Bamboo Whistle
Some Bulgarian folk whistles, called Дудук "Duduk", but not to be confused with the double reed instrument from Armenia with the same name:
They are made in various keys, and usually out of some fruit tree wood, like aprikot or plum. They are actually quite comfortable to hold against the mouth, having the windway on the bottom side.
They are made in various keys, and usually out of some fruit tree wood, like aprikot or plum. They are actually quite comfortable to hold against the mouth, having the windway on the bottom side.
- mutepointe
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Re: Bamboo Whistle
That actually looks like a very nice tourist shop whistle. I have some tourist shop whistles. A relative mailed me one and spent more in postage than it was worth. It plays nice. Your tourist shop whistle is way prettier than mine. I have tourist shops whistles that are completely unplayable and even after years, the paint is still sticky to the touch and smells funny.
Rose tint my world. Keep me safe from my trouble and pain.
白飞梦
白飞梦
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Re: Bamboo Whistle
Many countries around here produce whistles, and even recorders, with the window underneath.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjvDrwnFJ5Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjvDrwnFJ5Y
Re: Bamboo Whistle
IMO
whistles still linked to pastoral roots
have underside windways which helps
to play in windy landscape.
I often twist my standard Irish whistles heads
so if I am playing by the sea in windy conditions.
It OFTEN helps.
whistles still linked to pastoral roots
have underside windways which helps
to play in windy landscape.
I often twist my standard Irish whistles heads
so if I am playing by the sea in windy conditions.
It OFTEN helps.
qui jure suo utitur neminem laedit
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Re: Bamboo Whistle
Thanks for the tip! I am a new whistler and took a whistle to Mexico while on vacation, hoping to play on the beach. I was puzzled why I could not produce a single note but I figured it had something to do with the ocean breeze.I often twist my standard Irish whistles heads
so if I am playing by the sea in windy conditions.
It OFTEN helps
- bigskybri
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Re: Bamboo Whistle
It is a nice sounding whistle and 1960's was my guess on the age when I bought it (thanks MTGuru for confirming). If I can figure it out, I'll try to post a sound sample of it in the next day or so.
Looks like a new area of collecting to consider. And after I thought I had gotten most of the cheap ones on the market these days. WHOA never ends, does it....
Looks like a new area of collecting to consider. And after I thought I had gotten most of the cheap ones on the market these days. WHOA never ends, does it....
- hans
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- Tell us something.: I've been making whistles since 2010 in my tiny workshop at my home. I've been playing whistle since teenage times.
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Re: Bamboo Whistle
I've got two small whistles from Bali called Suling in my little museum of musical folk instruments. A Suling is a bamboo flute (whistle) which has the fipple blade underneath, and the windway is formed by a band of rattan. Sulings are the only wind instruments used in Gamelan orchestras.
Here is a pic of some big low Sulings, low whistles have been used a long time!
and the link to the page: http://blog.baliwww.com/headline/6863
There is a video of a Suling orchestra playing, which is interesting.
And this page http://mus431.com/431_inst_gamelan.html got a video of a solo Suling performance, where the musician uses circular breezing to keep the tone going.
Here is a pic of some big low Sulings, low whistles have been used a long time!
and the link to the page: http://blog.baliwww.com/headline/6863
There is a video of a Suling orchestra playing, which is interesting.
And this page http://mus431.com/431_inst_gamelan.html got a video of a solo Suling performance, where the musician uses circular breezing to keep the tone going.
- bigskybri
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Re: Bamboo Whistle
Wow, I wouldn't have room in my little apartment for one of those monsters.
hans wrote:I've got two small whistles from Bali called Suling in my little museum of musical folk instruments. A Suling is a bamboo flute (whistle) which has the fipple blade underneath, and the windway is formed by a band of rattan. Sulings are the only wind instruments used in Gamelan orchestras.
Here is a pic of some big low Sulings, low whistles have been used a long time!
and the link to the page: http://blog.baliwww.com/headline/6863
There is a video of a Suling orchestra playing, which is interesting.
And this page http://mus431.com/431_inst_gamelan.html got a video of a solo Suling performance, where the musician uses circular breezing to keep the tone going.
- bigskybri
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Re: Bamboo Whistle
Here is a short tune I've been learning, found on The Session, played on the bamboo whistle, complete w/ missed notes.
Gan Ainm
Gan Ainm
- MTGuru
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Re: Bamboo Whistle
And the whistles are pretty big, too.bigskybri wrote:Wow, I wouldn't have room in my little apartment for one of those monsters.
Vivat diabolus in musica! MTGuru's (old) GG Clips / Blackbird Clips
Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.
Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.
- MTGuru
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Re: Bamboo Whistle
I'm curious, what was your tune source at The Session?bigskybri wrote:Here is a short tune I've been learning, found on The Session, played on the bamboo whistle, complete w/ missed notes.
As far as I can tell, the tune is Lovely Nancy as identified in this online ABC collection:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/djfoster/T ... /MESS2.abc
Your setting is in A Mixolydian (G-nat) instead of A Major (G#). And Amix does sound more "correct" for this Scottish-style tune.
It's also related to Prince Charles in Ryan's/Coles:
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/PRIN_PY ... ES_%5B2%5D
And it seems to be in the same family as The Tripper's, which I posted on The Session a few months ago:
http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/10491
Vivat diabolus in musica! MTGuru's (old) GG Clips / Blackbird Clips
Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.
Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.
- MTGuru
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Re: Bamboo Whistle
As for the bamboo whistle itself ... Assuming that tune is fingered in A, the whistle is actually somewhere between a Bb and B whistle, not C. But it's hard to tell because it's not in tune with itself (for example, those fingered A's are very flat compared to the other notes). You could try intonating it by sanding some of the holes larger and removing any burrs protruding into the bore, and maybe end up with something close to a B whistle.
Vivat diabolus in musica! MTGuru's (old) GG Clips / Blackbird Clips
Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.
Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.
- bigskybri
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Re: Bamboo Whistle
It was posted last week, http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/10661. There are a couple guesses for the title in the comments section. I just play 'em and let others worry about keys, titles and other nuances of the tunes (it's posted in Gmaj). With my whistle being in the key of C and playing a little sharp, I could see where it could be a bit difficult figuring the key. Probably why I could never play it in a session setting.
As far as getting the whistle more in tune, I'll try what you suggest, though, unlike the putty tweak which I can undo, I'd worry about sanding too much. Does it matter which holes are sanded?
As far as getting the whistle more in tune, I'll try what you suggest, though, unlike the putty tweak which I can undo, I'd worry about sanding too much. Does it matter which holes are sanded?