Magical whistle from Jubilee Instruments ...

[Jerry Freeman]

I have mysteriously come into possession of one of Daniel Bingamon's Ahava Rabba ("Hava Nagila") keyed whistles.

Wonderful, mysterious scale. Just noodling around on it is terrific fun and sounds magically sophisticated. It has a very nice sound, good balance between octaves and plays cleanly and predictably, easy to play right out of the box.

Daniel, I'm impressed.

Everybody get one.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[PhilO]

Jerry - How does this keyed whistle sound if you finger for example Danny Boy on it? Would that be ill-advised? Does it only accept certain types of music, or seriously then what is the result if you should try ITM?

Philo

[Jerry Freeman]

Jerry - How does this keyed whistle sound if you finger for example Danny Boy on it? Would that be ill-advised? Does it only accept certain types of music, or seriously then what is the result if you should try ITM?

Philo

It doesn't sound like Danny Boy.

It sounds great, however. Very exotic. The problem is, it becomes a completely unfamiliar tune, and I can't play it all the way through.

My fingers are connected to my ears, and I go to the next phrase based on where my ears tell my fingers to go. With this whistle, it turns into an intellectual exercise of trying to remember the fingerings for Danny Boy while a completely unfamiliar melody comes out of the instrument. Like a musical version of trying to pat one's head and rub one's stomach at the same time.

But it's quite invigorating to pick up an instrument that knows these mysterious intervals and plays them for you with no effort or thought on one's own part.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[fearfaoin]

My fingers are connected to my ears, and I go to the next phrase based on where my ears tell my fingers to go. With this whistle, it turns into an intellectual exercise of trying to remember the fingerings for Danny Boy while a completely unfamiliar melody comes out of the instrument. Like a musical version of trying to pat one's head and rub one's stomach at the same time.

Interesting point. I think this may be why I didn't like playing ITM
on this whistle. Though, It's pretty sweet for trying out Klezmer I'd
otherwise need my clarinet for.

[shadeclan]

It sounds great, however. Very exotic. The problem is, it becomes a completely unfamiliar tune, and I can't play it all the way through.

This isn't something you'd be playing with other, more conventional (and more conventionally keyed) instruments then?

[fearfaoin]

This isn't something you'd be playing with other, more conventional (and more conventionally keyed) instruments then?

Why not? If I could play Klezmer on my clarinet with a guitar and a
fiddle and an accordian, why couldn't I do the same with the Ahava
Rabba whistle? As long as the other instruments are playing in the
Ahava Rabba mode, you'd have no problem.

[shadeclan]

This isn't something you'd be playing with other, more conventional (and more conventionally keyed) instruments then?

Why not? If I could play Klezmer on my clarinet with a guitar and a
fiddle and an accordian, why couldn't I do the same with the Ahava
Rabba whistle? As long as the other instruments are playing in the
Ahava Rabba modem, you'd have no problem.

Well, maybe I need to hear it play a familiar tune so that I would understand - Maybe Jerry could post something . . .

[Tyghress]

I have great fun playing my Ahava Rabba...tunes like My Darling Asleep and Tripping up the Stairs take on a whole weird twist. But mentally it is quite challenging to play the fingering for something that you don't have memorized well.

I wish Daniel would put a fingering chart in there. I don't know if fingering for a 'G' scale plays anything recognizable in any key. When someone asks me what the notes are, I have to say I don't know. The scale itself is called Ahava Rabba.

I find the whistle is NOT easy to play 'out of the box'. The finger spacing is unusual and the whistle itself is rather rough and ready. Hard to feel those holes! But for the price it is a Very Cool Thing.

MHO
Tyg

[Jerry Freeman]

I find the whistle is NOT easy to play 'out of the box'. The finger spacing is unusual and the whistle itself is rather rough and ready. Hard to feel those holes! But for the price it is a Very Cool Thing.

Oh, yes.

Good point about the finger spacing. That does take awhile to get used to. Getting the notes to sound cleanly and alternating between registers was well within what feels natural, at least for me, however.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[Jerry Freeman]

Well, maybe I need to hear it play a familiar tune so that I would understand - Maybe Jerry could post something . . .

I'll not try to record a clip. But here's Hava Nagila. If you just pick up the whistle, it pretty well plays it by itself. Of course, you have to blow into it and move your fingers a bit, but otherwise, it knows what to do.

http://www.geocities.com/josephnow3/hava/1.htm

Best wishes,
Jerry

[shadeclan]

I'll not try to record a clip. But here's Hava Nagila.

Oh, I knew the tune, I was just trying to understand what you meant by the whistle making familiar tunes sound different - I guess what you mean is that it automatically transposes any tune you play into a minor key?

[Jerry Freeman]

I don't think that's a conventional minor key. Minorish, to be sure. Perhaps someone who's familiar with the scale can post the intervals.

Now let me get this straight ...

You want me to pat my head, rub my stomach AND record a soundclip at the same time?

Best wishes,
Jerry

[shadeclan]

You want me to pat my head, rub my stomach AND record a soundclip at the same time?

Child's play for someone of your talent!

[Mitch]

Hi Jerry,

This seems like exactly what I am looking for.

What it sounds like is a whistle with a barel holed to produce a harmonic minor scale - this is like a phrygian mode with a sharpenned 3rd. in a practical sense it's like what you'd get if your t2 was sharp (half-holed) (if starting and ending on B1). This scale is used extensively in Turkish and spanish music - e.g. most flamenco stuff is phrygian and wafts into the harmonic minor to balance an Emajor as the tonic chord. Since I'm trying to hook my Turkish friends into celtic music I have to go some distance into turkish/arabic stuff and it's a pain half-holing the t2 on the signature ornament.

Where might I get one of these lttle treasures?

[Jerry Freeman]

Here's Daniel Bingamon's C&F whistle board profile, including email and website.

http://chiffboard.mati.ca/profile.php?m ... file&u=113

He's a nice fellow, very generous with his knowledge. In addition to making whistles in interesting keys, he also happens to make the biggest pennywhistles in the world.

Best wishes,
Jerry