Favorite Key Whistles (Not Favorite Key)

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:26 pm

The thought occurred to me (I have some time today, always dangerous) that I never met a Bflat whistle I didn't like. Now, my favorite key may be G and my favorite whistles (O'Riordan and Copeland) may even happen to be in that key, but I have met some stinkers in that key, as I have in D, C, A, F, D. This could just be happenstance. Also, it's more likely to encounter any variable with D since that's the typical key for the music. But all that aside, is there a key or keys in which you have found all or the most of your favorite whistles.

I just played all my remaining Bflat whistles - O'Riordan Traveler, Copeland, Burke brass black tip, Abell blackwood, Susato, WW, and even an old Silkstone PVC British racing green Bflat , and last but not least two Generations- and they're all terrific and I love to play them all. In addition, I've owned a wonderful Overton Bflat (my favorite ever Overton), a superb Glen Schultz Honduran Rosewood Thin Weasle Bflat, and a fine Sindt as well.

What about you guys?

Philo

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:32 pm

'C',....but why in the world would anyone own a dozen Bb whistles?

And what's the mean time between playing each?

Feadoggie · Post by **Feadoggie** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 1:01 pm

PhilO wrote:The thought occurred to me (I have some time today, always dangerous) that I never met a Bflat whistle I didn't like.

The reason for this preference is obvious. Physicists claim that the universe vibrates at a frequency quite close to Bb. So, it's good to be one with the universe, right?

Feadoggie

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 1:20 pm

I suppose. But no chicken crossing the road ever said, "I wanna Bb".

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 3:00 pm

I shoulda' known better than to start with you guys...

Philo

khl · Post by **khl** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:20 pm

Feadoggie wrote:
PhilO wrote:The thought occurred to me (I have some time today, always dangerous) that I never met a Bflat whistle I didn't like.
The reason for this preference is obvious. Physicists claim that the universe vibrates at a frequency quite close to Bb. So, it's good to be one with the universe, right?

See/listen to this about Bb. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=7442915

Philo,
Interestingly, I've had the opposite experience with Bb. Of those I've had of various brands (Abell, W Weasel, Burke and others), I haven't liked the Bb nearly as much as the A. Not that any of these Bb are bad, but they just don't appeal to me and I've not had the same luck as with other keys. Though I have good whistles in various keys, I think the key I've had the best results with across a wide range of whistles is the A.

talasiga · Post by **talasiga** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 8:20 pm

Feadoggie wrote:.....Physicists claim that the universe vibrates at a frequency quite close to Bb. So, it's good to be one with the universe, right?.......

Physicists comteporaneous with what era?
And what was the concert pitch arbitrarily agreed in that era?

Guinness · Post by **Guinness** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:05 pm

Well I dunno know about the universe but the Milky Way vibrates like a bodhran and the Magellanic Clouds are kind of like the tipper.

Feadoggie · Post by **Feadoggie** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:27 pm

talasiga wrote:Physicists comteporaneous with what era?
And what was the concert pitch arbitrarily agreed in that era?

It is based on the radio astronomy discoveries of Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson at Bell Labs in the mid 1960's. So, concert pitch A=440, I would think.

talasiga · Post by **talasiga** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 10:11 pm

So when whatsy (Holzt?) composed Music of the Spheres he was out of tune with the universe!?!

Whiddler · Post by **Whiddler** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 11:32 am

1. Bb
2. C
3. D

JordanII · Post by **JordanII** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 6:58 pm

crookedtune wrote:I suppose. But no chicken crossing the road ever said, "I wanna Bb".

Yeah, I prefer to C. Unfortunately I have blurred vision... I wish I could C#.

matahari_1946 · Post by **matahari_1946** » Sat Nov 01, 2008 8:24 pm

I like B and Bb best. I only own one of each, both Sindts, and I love the high notes on them. But also that gets rid of the pipers. None of them in this area have B or Bb chanters.

Just kidding, UT pipers, we love you.

Edited to say that I forgot I had a Hoover Bb. This one is really terrific. If I could combine the lower octave of the Hoover and the upper octave of the Sindt I'd have the perfect Bb whistle! But the Sindt is the Bb whistle I use.