A Summary of Whistling Wisdom

[Tyghress]

In regard to the whistle or whistling, what is the best advice you've received on Chiff and Fipple?

What is the best whistle advice you didn't get here?

Inquiring Cats Want to Know

[brewerpaul]

I didn't get this right here on the board, but at the Northeast gathering of Chiffers this past summer.
I was telling Bloomie's teacher Gunther about how hard I found it to play that last strike on an A roll-- the note always came out too distinct as opposed to the mere blip needed in the roll. He advised me not to try striking with my right ring finger. Instead, he recommended striking with my pinky(not on a hole, just wherever it happens to be). The ring finger sort of "comes along for the ride", hits the hole nice and sharply, then bounces up out of the way. Result: a nice quick clean roll

[bjs]

From Brian Finnegan at the Burwell bash. Say diddla instead of takata in a jig for 3 half notes where the second two are the same note. It speeded up my rendition of the Kesh for example.

Brian S

[Albanian]

Now THIS is good stuff for a starter!!! Keep´em comming!!

[Bumble]

There is a lot of useful advice on when to breathe while playing...The tip I have NOT found is when to swallow. (no jokes please)
I seem to have a pavlovian response to whistle playing. I can barely get through a nice lament before I have to start pointing the whistle up to avoid an unpleasant scene. I mean, eccch.
Any constructive advice?
Thanks
PS: I look forward to trying the "solution" for MRFOS (Mid-Reel Fluid Obstruction Siezure).

[michael_coleman]

a lot of good stuff going on over on the flute forum, specifically the one about water condensation and your air stream:

http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=24708

its actually helped me see how tight of an embochure I can get and where I am placing the air stream...

But you guys probably don't care about that..

[BillChin]

"Enjoy your music."

Keep your whistle(s) clean. I soak my plastic and metal ones in warm soapy water).

I bought several items, whistle and a voice recorder based on the information posted here.

Tips on session etiquette are also a good survival guide for newbies.
+ Bill

[Albanian]

"Check out Brother Steve´s Whistle pages"

Did so last night and learned a LOT!!!!

http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/brosteve/

................and dont´t skip the two first pages! ........that´s wisdom fore you!!

[Phil Hardy]

Nobody said this was going to hurt!.
Phil.

[Sam_T]

I was in a workshop with Mary Bergin back in October and, as you might expect, learnt just masses of stuff...

One thing in particular that has stayed with me and absorbed itself naturally into my playing is her tonguing, especially of cuts, and most especially of the cut note in rolls. She had us practising cuts really slowly, tonguing with the "cutting" finger open and then shutting it immediately to get a really crisp attack.

She uses lots of short rolls, tonguing the first note and getting a really distinctive phrasing as a result. It's also particularly good for long rolls in jigs, because it introduces an automatic "lilt". So when you have a long roll on the beat (start of the Kesh, say) try tonguing the cut note: i.e. the middle one. It'll sound really lumpy until you get the hang of it, especially if you're not used to tonguing much, but it's worth the effort.

(Interestingly, Mary was very much of the opinion that the three notes of a roll should NOT be even in length, in jigs or reels. But that's an argument for another day..)

You can definitely over-tongue - as I did for the first month afterwards - but it's a really effective little trick to throw into the mix.

Sam

[Jon-M]

Sam, thanks for a really helpful addition to this discussion. If you have any more information like this for those of us who probably will never get to get lessons from Mary Bergin, I, for one, would be extremely appreciative.
Jon