Moist Whistle Blues!

The_Owlcat · Post by **The_Owlcat** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 12:51 pm

Hi everybody!
I'm a long time reader, first time poster with a question regarding that 'liquid' that is collected in some whistles!

I just received to wonderfully good Elfsong Jaspers in C and D and they play like a dream. Right until the sound suddenly goes all squeaky and squawky! When I do the whole blowing in the fipple stunt it works fine, but not great and I usually need to let it rest for awhile before using it again. Do any of you have a solution to this problem? Will that soap trick that Dale posted work?

Thanks for your help

David

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 1:09 pm

Welcome!

Another common trick is to rub a length of waxed dental floss (not the woven kind) through the airway. The wax helps prevent condensation.

Most whistles, once they warm up, shouldn't clog much, though.

MTGuru · Post by **MTGuru** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 4:39 pm

Yes ... Dish-washing detergent, Jet-Dry, Duponol / Anticondens for recorders, dental floss ... All may help. To prevent wax build-up in the windway, I wouldn't use dental floss too often (on the whistle, that is!).

To clear a clog, carefully cover the windway with a finger, then both suck and blow. Works better than either alone. In the middle of a tune a quick suck between notes may do the trick. Also try shaking out / swabbing out the bore of the whistle. Condensation in the bore, as well as the windway, can sometimes affect the tone.

Brigitte · Post by **Brigitte** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:00 pm

MTGuru wrote:
To clear a clog, carefully cover the windway with a finger, then both suck and blow.

Do not suck! blow a few times hard... trust me

covering the vent and blowing hard a few times also warms up, so you can use this as a prevention before playing a tune.

Brigitte

MTGuru · Post by **MTGuru** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 1:05 pm

Brigitte wrote:Do not suck!

Good advice, musically speaking.

But seriously, why do you recommend that?

Brigitte · Post by **Brigitte** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:01 pm

MTGuru wrote:
Brigitte wrote:Do not suck!
Good advice, musically speaking. But seriously, why do you recommend that?

I have too often seen what can come out of a windway when whistles have been well used and also in surroundings when drink and food was involved. I find the thought already hairraising

Brigitte

Dameon · Post by **Dameon** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:55 pm

To clear a clog, carefully cover the windway with a finger, then both suck and blow.

Funny, I've had people say my instrument both sucks and blows a few times. Guess that's what they meant.

charlie_butterworth · Post by **charlie_butterworth** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 3:07 pm

Dameon wrote: Funny, I've had people say my instrument both sucks and blows a few times. Guess that's what they meant.

Funny, I've had people say that I both suck and blow a few times!

Tia · Post by **Tia** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 7:24 pm

also holding tightly around the mouth peice and giving it a good shake helps sometimes, but i would not recomend this when others are arouond

Mick Down Under · Post by **Mick Down Under** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 3:13 am

Tia wrote:

also holding tightly around the mouth peice and giving it a good shake helps sometimes, but i would not recomend this when others are around

Yeah, I bet my dog would have liked you to mention this a week ago. I just about brained the poor little bloke with the Overton Low D when I decided to "Flick the Spit".