Volume control in upper octave

[Marko]

Hiya Guys,

fairly sure this is well trodden ground but since i cant find it anywhere in the archives...
Im having trouble keeping a steady volume in the upper octave, it tends to naturally get louder as i try to hit the higher notes. It's especially noticable in airs, si beag, si mhor being the best example, i really find it hard to hit the highest note in it without letting the neighbourhood know about it. if anyone has any tips i'd really appreciate it, cos it's driving me nuts.
cheers
Mark

p.s. I'm playing a susato high D

[cj]

IMHO, the Susatos are a bit piercing in the higher octave. I have some and like them, but it's tough to control up there. Try a Dixon or a tweaked Clarke (from the Whistle Shop), I've had good luck with these. Hope this helps.

[burnsbyrne]

Part of the problem is the whistle you are playing. Susatos require a big push for the high notes and can be heard for a couple of miles. Part of this is physics, all whistles are louder on the high notes, but the screechy high register of the Susatoes is almost their distinctive characteristic. You might want to try some of the other cheap whistles like Feadog, Generation, Walton, Clare. Another good whistle in the same price and quality range of the Susato is Dixon. There is another thread going now about Dixon. All of these are available at The Whistle Shop online.
Mike

[Tyghress]

Higher is louder, but the fluctuation is a matter of two things, the whistle itself (as mentioned, Susatos are really known for this piercing high range, which is a boon if you're trying to be heard over a gaggle of guitars or accordions) and the whistler's ability to balance on the edge of the 'break' between upper and lower register. Its a skill that takes time to acquire.

When I first started playing I could barely get myself to make that leap ANYWHERE above the D or E, and make it sound sweet. I think I'm up to sounding decent up to a G or so now, and on a few forgiving whistles, the A above that. I'm still a bit harsh on the B C and third D.

Suggestion: go somewhere with dead acoustics, like a closet, where no one is going to complain too much. Go from the bottom up like this: D F# E G F# A G B A Cnat B D Cnat E. . .all the way up to the next B, then back again. B G A F# G E F# D E Cnat D B Cnat. . .Figure out where to breathe so that you don't take a new breath above the G (we're trying for breath control here, so you don't want to have to start that new breath with a blast to hit a high note).

[mrosenlof]

That's part of the "joy" of playing a whistle. It takes faster air to get the higher notes, and since the size of the airstream is fixed by the windway of the whistle, you get a larger volume of sound with the larger volume of air.

As others have stated, a Susato is particularly screechy at the high notes. For a cheap whistle, I think the Sweetone (or however it's spelled) is pretty nicely behaved at the high end.

[cj]

So, Marko, what everyone here is hinting at without saying is that you'll have to succumb to WhOA if you haven't already. You'll have to break down and try different whistles and figure out which one or two or twenty are right for you. The good news is that there are decent inexpensive ones aplenty. The bad news is that there's no cure (see the How Many Whistles Do You Own thread of several days ago if you haven't already) . . .

[Easily_Deluded_Fool]

When playing upper octave notes, do it with confidence.
Go for it!
If you try 'not to annoy' or play the notes shyly, then they sound weak or like you can't play the instrument properly
If you play the notes purposfully, with confidence, the notes sound better, and you will get used to the note(s), and so will yer neighbours
Give 'em a free concert

HTH

[EricWingler]

I've noticed that some of the screechiness that I experience is caused by moisture build-up in the mouthpiece. When I blow it out, the tone becomes much sweeter.

[glauber]

I'm playing a susato high D

That could be the problem. The Susato is a torture instrument meant to show the banjo players in a loud session who's boss. Get a real whistle and you will see that the high notes are very pretty. I suggested a Sweetone or Jerrytone. They won't cost you too much, and they're really nice whistles. The Susato has its place too, sometimes you want to be loud...

My current favourite whistle is a Water Weasel. With some practice, you can play that whistle almost as loud as a Susato (but not quite), but you can also play it nice and soft. Great dynamics. (But costs a little more than a Sweetone.)

[Daniel_Bingamon]

Open the top hole just a tiny bit on top causes the pressure to lower in the whistle and encourages the second octave node for form.

What this means in english, crack open that top hole just a tiny bit on second octave notes, (the one that will let you get away with it) it will allow you to play high notes with a little less volume.

I happen to like a high volume on those notes. At my shop, I go into this big hallway that has a very tall roof, when the whistles playing it sounds like a concert hall and echos everywhere. Those second octaves notes really sing when there's some echo in the room.