Ocarina player squeaking whistle

[robehickman]

As some of you will know, I play the ocarina. I started to play the whistle a few months ago for tunes that wont fit on the oc, and can't for the life of me play the lowest few notes reliably without squeaking them. I'm too used to the high breath requirement of ocarinas, whistles require virtually no air in comparison.

Are there any high air whistles, or is there anything I can do to make my generation play with more breath?

[Feadoggie]

I have not played ocarina with any frequency for about 40 years. I bought my first ocarina back in the day to play the solo of Wild Thing as recorded by the Troggs. It moved me! They are a lot of fun. I may not be the best one to advise you. So maybe other ocarina players here will have good suggestions. And you have not said in your post what whistle you are now playing and not having success with.

But in the meantime, if it is high air requirement you want, try a Clarke Original. It uses a lot of air. If you want to blow hard you might ask Colin Goldie what he could make for you. Or look for an older style Chieftain. Or something else with a narrow windway or at least a narrow windway exit .

At some point you will just have to treat the whistle as a different instrument. Keep in mind that your breath pressure determines the velocity of the air in the windway and that in turn determines which register you will sound. So you'll have to deal with that to some degree no matter what whistle you play.

Feadoggie

[maki]

What Feadoggie said.
Some folks maybe able to swtich back and forth between the two instruments, but I can't.

[ecohawk]

Though you didn't capitalize it, I think you're saying you play a Generation.

There's no simple way to increase breath pressure or requirements on a Generation, but I don't think that's your answer anyway. I can say without hesitation that you can learn to deal with the requirements to play both, just as Feadoggie stated. I have individual whistles with much different breath requirements i.e; Copeland vs Goldie, Schultz vs Busman. Just play more. You'll get used to it.

So will you brother Maki.

ecohawk

[hoopy mike]

Try jogging for ten minutes or so, then play the whistle. If that doesn't work, try playing the whistle whilst jogging, but for goodness sake don't trip. Alternatively, take up the trombone, then throttle back your breath requirements for the ocarina and do the same when moving on to whistle, or try a low whistle. Another equally valuable suggestion is to try whistling at high altitude. Many pro whistlers spend weeks training at high altitude before serious competitions.

[Squeeky Elf]

...try playing the whistle whilst jogging...

Wow, as if my neighbors don't think I'm weird enough already!

[JackCampin]

A Susato can take more pressure in the lowest notes than most whistles, but it doesn't otherwise have much going for it.

I second "what whistle have you got?" - there are duds.

[piperJules]

I have not played an ocarina since I was a child so am not really sure how much pressure they require. However, sometimes, when switching from playing the flute or larger whistle to my high D whistle (a venerable wooden sweetheart bought in the 80's), I have to let some air out around the mouthpiece as I blow to get the bottom two or three notes. This is usually only for a couple of bars or three before I get the feel for the pressure. I think that, like most things, it will come with practice. Another way is to release some air through your nose as you blow. I remember doing that when I first started playing my low D Overton. Keep at it and you will get there.
Happy whistling.
Jules.

[Penycat]

I too switch between a variety of wind instruments. I don't have a problem with my whistles squeaking but when I go back to my Terry Riley sop G pendant ocarina it squeaks something fierce. This ocarina is my lightest breath instrument, trying to blow out a candle would be blowing too hard. I found that if I sart in the middle range of my ocarina where I can play the best clearest notes and go down the scale first, not up (because of the higher breath requirement up), to the lowest note then back up to the middle a few times util all the notes are clear then I go up to the highest notes. That way I get used to starting with the lightest breath and not tightening up my embouchure and blowing too hard. I think this can be applied to your whistle situation too.
For the longest time I have had a PVC keyless flute my boyfriend bought me off of eBay that I thought was a complete out of tune dud. Found out it was my out of shape embouchure. It plays fantastic actually. I felt really bad for awhile cause I told my boyfriend it was a crappy flute........just keep practicing!

[robehickman]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions, I'll write a better reply in the morning.

A Susato can take more pressure in the lowest notes than most whistles, but it doesn't otherwise have much going for it.

I second "what whistle have you got?" - there are duds.

It's a generation d, the notes of the low register have an extremely narrow breath range or they squeak.

[PhilO]

I've noticed that the longer you play the less important the specific whistle becomes in that you seem to quickly adjust to whatever breath requirements there are pretty naturally, assuming the whistle isn't outside the spectrum limits, which is pretty rare. That said, if you just want a real high breath requirement whistle go to a Shaw.

Philo

[brewerpaul]

Be very sure that you're completely covering the finger holes. Even the slightest leak can make all sorts of nasty sounds come out of a good whistle.
See if you can find a decent whistle player to check out your G-G-G-Generation (couldn't resist). Some have extraneous bits of plastic in the windway that make them difficult or impossible to play well. Luckily, the fix for this is pretty simple.