Straight or inclinated position?

stefpat · Post by **stefpat** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 7:26 am

Do you know why whistle players inclinate their whistle?
Like this:

/

even more...

Is it a question of volume or better position...???

Thanks and have good days,

amar · Post by **amar** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 7:38 am

i do it like this:

/

see, i think the is, is that when you are seated it is hard to hold the lowD/C/Bb...straight down and, when you hold it at an angle you hear your playing differently, somewhat more intense. try it out!

stefpat · Post by **stefpat** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 7:41 am

me too(mato)

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vomitbunny · Post by **vomitbunny** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 7:48 am

Isn't it hard to play with your whistle pointed up like that? Help with clogging?

stefpat · Post by **stefpat** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 8:26 am

I saw some players like this..no idea??

IDAwHOa · Post by **IDAwHOa** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 8:29 am

Sometimes it has to do with the embrochure that the whistle wants. I have played whistles that just plain sounded better when pointed more straight out from the body and some that wanted to be pointed more towards my feet.

added: Oh, you meant to the side. Could still be embrochure, but I guess it would be convenience mostly.

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 8:30 am

I primarily play low air, quiet whistles, and I have found that I need to tilt them to the side for two main reasons:

1) it's easier to hear it closer to your ear, especially in session.

2) for low-air whistles, you will end up with more air in your lungs than you can get through your whistle before the oxygen is used up, so you need to exhale through your nose while playing. If you do this on a laughing whistle with the whistle straight in front of you, you will disrupt the flow of air coming across the blade. That negatively affects the sound.

Thus, tilted.

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:17 am

Stefpat said;

Do you know why whistle players inclinate their whistle?

It's like asking a man if he dresses left or right! It depends

MarkB

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:56 am

I've no idea why, but sometimes I find myself playing with the whistle in the corner of my mouth and pointed down and to the side. Perversely, it often seems as if these are the times when my playing is the most free and effortless.

BTW, this has nothing to do with talking out of both sides of your mouth, which is a specific skill taught in law school classes and precinct committeeman training sessions.

norseman · Post by **norseman** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:32 am

I do this. I'm a relative beginner, and I was working on finding the most relaxed and comfortable position for my hands and fingers, and I just naturally gravitate towards a position where the whistle is pointing a little to the right. I play right handed, and it seems to help my left hand and fingers with relaxation the most.

mvhplank · Post by **mvhplank** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:13 am

I recently got Grey Larsen's The Essential Tin Whistle Toolbox and was startled to see him strongly recommend against the inclined style of playing. Something to do with tone, I think. I don't play that way myself, so I didn't pay it that much attention.

Anyway, I've seen plenty o' players incline their whistles and if it floats yer boat, it's fine with me.

M

lixnaw · Post by **lixnaw** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:28 pm

i incline to the right, but i hold the whistle in the middle, not in the corner of my mouth.
i also turn the tuning slide a small bit to the right, that way the holes point a small bit to the right,
away from the mouthpiece.
and that way i can keep my head straight.

seisflutes · Post by **seisflutes** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 3:45 pm

I heard somewhere(maybe on this forum)that it helps with clogging.I don't know if it really does,it was just a rumor.

-Kelly

lixnaw · Post by **lixnaw** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 4:11 pm

lixnaw wrote:i incline to the right, but i hold the whistle in the middle, not in the corner of my mouth.
i also turn the tuning slide a small bit to the right, that way the holes point a small bit to the right,
away from the mouthpiece.
and that way i can keep my head straight.

i forgot to mention that i packed in the low D, you can't hear it anyway in sessions. i only play a burke brass session now and a C wide bore session.

toughknot · Post by **toughknot** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:41 pm

I usually play my Shaw low D REclining, for 2 reasons
1 It's comfortable
2 Reduces the risk of injury should I pass out from lack of air