flute and whistle tune crosstalk?

chas · Post by **chas** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 8:35 pm

I've been playing flute almost exclusively for a year and a half or so. I had thought that any improvement on flute would translate to whistle. I play whistle for 5-10 minutes each day in the car on the way home from work, and today I was trying to play Swinging on the Gate, which I learned on flute several months ago and know quite well. My fingers were tripping all over themselves.

This isn't a difficult tune, and I wouldn't have thought I'd have to re-learn it for whistle. Has anyone else had the experience of learning a tune on the flute but not really having the mechanics of it down for whistle? If I want to play a tune on both, is it best to learn on both at the same time?

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:13 pm

My mind has a hard time adjusting to holding a whistle in front of me versus the flute to the side, I, too, have problems with a tune if I don't play it on both whistle and flute.

Also, since I play flute about 98% of the time, my whistle playing ability isn't nearly as good as it used to be - I feel like I sound much more mechanical than I do on flute.

Eric

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:31 pm

I play both the whistle and the flute poorly, so I don't have the same problem. I do agree with chas that whistles are better for rush-hour freeway driving.

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:55 pm

Flute playing gradually improves whistle playing, Ithink.
Though the immediate transfer is initially less good
if one hasn't been playing whistle much.

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:56 am

I never play the whistle at home (in deference to my cats & dogs), but reach for it fairly regularly in gigs, sessions, etc. And yes, often the first changeover is a bit of a tangle! But it usually gets better after the second pass or so. Interestingly though, I'm discovering that I'm starting to play the two somewhat differently from each other. It's not necessarily a planned thing, more of a byproduct, but I think I like what's happening. And oddly enough, I'm starting to enjoy the whistle much more than I used to now that I'm getting more out of it.

Oh well. Not much advice there, except maybe you don't need to worry too much about it at this point?

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 3:00 pm

Flute and whistle playing cancel each other out, this is why I still suck on both instruments

Loren

michael_coleman · Post by **michael_coleman** » Tue Dec 07, 2004 7:11 pm

The mechanics of both the whistle and the flute are different. Yes, they have the same fingering, but I have found that muscle memory is severaly affected by the actual mechanics of your fingers and thus when you play something on flute, sometimes it won't go to whistle that easily. My fingers are more springy and light when I play the whistle, but sometimes I try playing the whistle like my flute and the tunes don't flow out like they should. Its almost like I have to be conscious of what I am playing to get the right sound.

treeshark · Post by **treeshark** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 5:19 am

I had some worries about playing both flute and whistle, but I havent found any real problems even switching too and fro as I practice. I find I can play most tunes I know badly on both!

Cathy Wilde · Post by **Cathy Wilde** » Wed Dec 08, 2004 11:29 am

michael_coleman wrote:My fingers are more springy and light when I play the whistle ...

Yes, exactly. And it seems playing the flute so much is making my whistle playing springier and lighter, like you said, Michael.

Sort of like jogging with ankle weights, I guess. You slog and slog along and one day you take them off and BAM!

(It only follows; come to think of it, the obverse is exactly why my teacher recommended that I avoid spending too much time with my beloved racecar F bamboo Olwell ... at least at this point in my playing, alas) (:-()