Humphrey Narrow Bore D Whistle Review

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 10:10 am

Maybe we need a guide to "Jessie speak", hee.

Loren

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 4:28 am

As a little soundssample, I have just sent a little clipeen to Clips & Things, up as soon as Tony's ready.

Azalin · Post by **Azalin** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 7:55 am

How does that whistle compare to the tweaked O'Briain in term of volume? The O'Briain is my favorite whistle, but it lacks some volume for a pub session, I think, although I'm always using it for private sessions.

Peter, could you just give me a "Equal Temperament and just Intonation For Dummies" quick crash course? I mean, what does it mean exactly? I noticed that the tuning of my concertina is somewhat different than my whistles for the FNat and C# for example, anything to do with this?

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 8:47 am

Here's the best document i know about just (or pure) intonation:
http://traverso.baroqueflute.com/TRAV101.pdf
(it looks a little intimidating, but it's actually very readable)

I play the O'Briain regularly in a noisy session. I think the little percussive "pop" it has in the notes compensates for not having super-loud volume. But at least mine is louder than an untweaked FleaDog.

I have a Raindog whistle on order too, and i'm anxious to see if it will be the one that will retire my O'Briain.

g

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 9:27 am

Azalin wrote:Peter, could you just give me a "Equal Temperament and just Intonation For Dummies" quick crash course? I mean, what does it mean exactly? I noticed that the tuning of my concertina is somewhat different than my whistles for the FNat and C# for example, anything to do with this?

Equal temperament = piano, orchestra instruments (a tuning compromise to make playing in all keys possible, no matter how may sharps and flats).

Just temprament = uillean pipes (every note in tune against the drones).

Comparing the two, in just temprament (on a D whistle) F# and B will be flat compared to equal temperament.

SirNick · Post by **SirNick** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 9:47 am

Equal temperament = piano, orchestra instruments (a tuning compromise to make playing in all keys possible, no matter how may sharps and flats).

Just temprament = uillean pipes (every note in tune against the drones).

Comparing the two, in just temprament (on a D whistle) F# and B will be flat compared to equal temperament.[/quote]

Thanks!
That's a great explanation.

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 9:52 am

SirNick wrote:
That's a great explanation.

Mind you, though, it's quick and dirty. There's much more to the story, of course.

SirNick · Post by **SirNick** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 10:23 am

Don't give me too many details. If I know too much I'll consider myself an authority on the subject which will lead to me becoming very boring at parties and generally a pain around.

Actually, coming from a guitar and bass background, I was comparing the issue with the intonation nuances of the guitar fretboard.

Azalin · Post by **Azalin** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 10:31 am

Thanks Bloomy for the explanation, I'm getting over-excited now after reading this

Would you say that a concertina (fully chromatic) is tuned in equal temperament?

(it's hard to write a sentence when you don't know what half of the words in it mean)

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 10:38 am

Azalin wrote:Would you say that a concertina (fully chromatic) is tuned in equal temperament?

Yes.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 10:47 am

A concertina may be tunes in a slightly different tuning as a compromise, Geoff Wooff has tuned concertinas in 'mean Tone Comma'. which sounded very sweet but don't ask me what it is exactly.

Azalin · Post by **Azalin** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 11:33 am

If I check an instsrument which is tuned in equal temperament against a tuner, and I do the same with a standard whistle, how will it differ? My whistles tend to be in tune with every note in the keys of G and D, for example, and the C# is perfectly tuned.

The way you guys are talking, the C# on my concertina would also show as perfectly tuned on my tuner, but sounds a little different.

This is science-fiction for me, is there any logical explanation?

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Wed Jul 21, 2004 11:49 am

Peter Laban wrote:A concertina may be tunes in a slightly different tuning as a compromise, Geoff Wooff has tuned concertinas in 'mean Tone Comma'. which sounded very sweet but don't ask me what it is exactly.

It's more or less explained in the document i mentioned above. There are several ways to fake keyboard tuning so it's closer to pure/just intonation while still playable in more than one key. Mean Tone Comma is one of them. Werkmeister is a system that was popular with organ tuners, so i asked Gary to make me a whistle in that system. There are others, like Young and Valloti, which are popular with harpsichord players, still others that are popular with some piano players, etc.

All of this comes from the time before there were electronic tuners, when people had to tune things in pure intonation first using a reference pitch and pure fifths, then slightly detune them using many complicated instructions, to achieve a playable compromise.

TonyHiggins · Post by **TonyHiggins** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 7:26 pm

Tune is posted on Clips. (My wife was hogging the computer, so I couldn't get at it yesterday. I, and unfortunately, Clips, is low priority at the house. No respect.)
Tony

talasiga · Post by **talasiga** » Thu Jul 22, 2004 8:29 pm

Azalin wrote:Thanks Bloomy for the explanation, I'm getting over-excited now after reading this

Would you say that a concertina (fully chromatic) is tuned in equal temperament?

..........

You are thanking him for an explanation
you didn't seem to understand.
Ergo your redundant question.