Why Bb?

lordofthestrings · Post by **lordofthestrings** » Sun May 20, 2007 9:58 pm

I keep a Bb around because I love the sound.

I also like to use one for practicing GHB tunes without a crummy sounding practicve chanter. I took a Gen. Bn in brass, cleaned off the laquer (or whatever they coat the darn things in), soldered on an extention, and drilled a hole for the low note blow the tonic. I also gave it a good tuning slide. Now, I can practice GHB tunes a bit quieter, play along with CDs (hence the tuning slide's necessity, as there tends to be some varriation

) and also with a GHB piper live , it makes for a really cool sound IMHO.

I guess there's also some "flat set" mentality, and i also do mostly solo stuff, so I like doing airs and things on it. Works well in church too for softer background behind prayers, offering, etc. Tommy Reck recorded a nice version of "Alexander's Hornpipe/O'Higgins" on a flat set that is a bit slower, and sounds nice on the Bb whistle.

lordofthestrings · Post by **lordofthestrings** » Sun May 20, 2007 10:00 pm

oh, and while I was doing a demonstration of Irish music at my old middle school, I found out that their bells ring in Bb. At the local highschool, its a few cents sharp of C.

dfernandez77 · Post by **dfernandez77** » Sun May 20, 2007 11:58 pm

Peter Laban wrote:Playing in Bflat and Eflat?

Geeze! You're always so darned contrary and verbose.

I would have said "Playing in Bflat."

AlonE · Post by **AlonE** » Mon May 21, 2007 2:42 am

mmm it can be that low is the sound but similar to low whistle. In addition it is in fashion, all use it. xD

brianholton · Post by **brianholton** » Mon May 21, 2007 2:58 am

hi

I think the Bb and Eb whisltes (Generations especially) would have been intended to be played with brass and reed instruments - like the kwela players in S. Africa did.

In Scotland, we also have a large family of fiddle tunes in Bb and Gmin, for which I've found the Bb essential.

b

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Mon May 21, 2007 4:50 am

brianholton wrote:hi

I think the Bb and Eb whisltes (Generations especially) would have been intended to be played with brass and reed instruments - like the kwela players in S. Africa did.

In Scotland, we also have a large family of fiddle tunes in Bb and Gmin, for which I've found the Bb essential.

b

I was out on a Morris day of dance on Saturday, and one ladies side - Old Palace Clog, play all their tunes in C or B-flat, because they have a clarinet in their musical line up.

A lot easier to play on a Bb or C whistle than a D.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Mon May 21, 2007 9:36 am

Martin Milner wrote:play all their tunes in C or B-flat, because they have a clarinet in their musical line up.

quite like Bb and B# there, innit?

CranberryDog · Post by **CranberryDog** » Mon May 21, 2007 11:07 am

lordofthestrings wrote:I keep a Bb around because I love the sound.

I also like to use one for practicing GHB tunes without a crummy sounding practicve chanter. I took a Gen. Bn in brass, cleaned off the laquer (or whatever they coat the darn things in), soldered on an extention, and drilled a hole for the low note blow the tonic. I also gave it a good tuning slide. Now, I can practice GHB tunes a bit quieter, play along with CDs (hence the tuning slide's necessity, as there tends to be some varriation ) and also with a GHB piper live , it makes for a really cool sound IMHO.

I guess there's also some "flat set" mentality, and i also do mostly solo stuff, so I like doing airs and things on it. Works well in church too for softer background behind prayers, offering, etc. Tommy Reck recorded a nice version of "Alexander's Hornpipe/O'Higgins" on a flat set that is a bit slower, and sounds nice on the Bb whistle.

As a piper, I also like the Gen Bb. I also like the idea of your modification. May I ask what you used for the extention and what length, diiameter, and so on. Sounds great. Best, Cyril.

lordofthestrings · Post by **lordofthestrings** » Mon May 21, 2007 1:22 pm

CranberryDog-

I will have to get my calipers back, but I just used brass tubing that fits just inside the Gen. for the "foot" extension, and telescopes in and out to tune it. I used a tube of slightly larger OD (again brass) than the Gen. itself to make a tuning slide. There is a little drop in pitch when it hits the second octave, but if you wnated to play GHB tunes on it, they'd be only an ocatve anyway, so I just pick an octave, and tune it up.

Hope this helps, will let you know about the hole size/placement.

jb · Post by jb » Mon May 21, 2007 3:04 pm

Is there any particular reason why Generation whistles stop at Bb and don't do A?

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Tue May 22, 2007 12:47 am

Is there any particular reason why Generation whistles stop at Bb and don't do A?

For some time they went down to G, the lowest whistle available at the time. Some time later both Hohner and Camac (we're talking seventies here) made whistles going below B flat. I don't think there was much call for them at all and that could explain why they were disbanded.

chas · Post by **chas** » Tue May 22, 2007 6:46 am

If you're looking for stuff to play in Bflat, get Heathery Breeze by Matt Molloy. He plays lots of stuff on the Bflat flute on that. I think there are a couple of other fluters who like low flutes too, but I can't bring them to mind.

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:47 am

Isn't Bb also the fundamental frequency of the Universe?

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Tue May 22, 2007 11:01 am

Shhh!!!

If they don't know why Bb, they aren't ready to know that...

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Tue May 22, 2007 12:15 pm

The most obvious reason for a Bb, of course, is that Babes often sing in Bb. Whle the fiddler is apologizing for his inability to capo his violin, the prepared single male whistler whips out his Bb tooter and says "I can help you darlin'".

Guys with Bb whistles are chick magnets.

Doc