Too much breath!

[Cathy Wilde]

I had/still-too-frequently have -- those episodes. I'm fortunate my main gig whistle is very hard to overdrive, so until I "cool my jets" so to speak, it'll take the abuse (tho' it sounds cruddy), but basically, I do the same as Henke -- think about it and remember to exhale. And like so much else, I try to think of switching back and forth as something that needs to be practiced, too!

Congrats on your long notes. That's a major achievement!

[benhall.1]

Congrats on your long notes. That's a major achievement!

Thanks. Trouble is, as soon as I try to play a tune, the tone just sort of ... fades in and out. I can play a tune slowly, mind, but put any speed into it at all, and I get the fading-in-and-out thing. Grrr!

[MTGuru]

"Nose-leak"

Now there's an expression that doesn't sound good at all.

I prefer the "Mouth leak". Same principle, and accidental spittle seems preferable to ... well, you know.

[Denny]

I prefer the "Mouth leak".

much easier to do on a whistle

[jemtheflute]

Yehbut ... when it comes to doing things with your nose, you do have a head start, Jem ...

Snort! Or, in my present state, sniff! Be careful, or I'll tell 'em about the gooseberry!

MTGuru, we're only talking gentle pressure release exhalation, here, not vigorous snorking!
No danger of snot-spray, even if doing waterfall impressions like I am at the moment (blasted viruses!).

[david_h]

Not only am I a (dry) nose-leaker but I am also a condensation sucker (also easier on whistle). I wonder if I'm nice to know ?

[MTGuru]

MTGuru, we're only talking gentle pressure release exhalation, here, not vigorous snorking!

I'm soooo disappointed.

Snort! Or, in my present state, sniff!

You haven't been kissing any pigs, have you?

[benhall.1]

I'd forgotten about the gooseberry ...

... yeuch ...



[we need that pukey smiley on this board]

[jemtheflute]

You haven't been kissing any pigs, have you?

No. Ben would doubtless tell you my nose would get in the way, even should an opportunity and the volition arise - and I'm not (yet?) sufficiently desperate...... or under the influence. And I still have some vestige of a sense of smell!

I'd forgotten about the gooseberry.

Ha! Well, you weren't a witness, of course, (happened before we met, gentle reader......) but it's an unforgettable yarn! My sister still hasn't entirely forgiven.......

[jemtheflute]

Not only am I a (dry) nose-leaker but I am also a condensation sucker (also easier on whistle). I wonder if I'm nice to know ?

How much uck
could a spit-sucker suck
if a spit-sucker could
suck uck?
Yuck-yuck!

[Trip-]

45 seconds of good loud tone? That's amazing I can never do that.

[celticmodes]

Same here. Started with whistle and didn't have enough air for flute. Then enough air for flute but my sense of breathing got off with the whistle. I naturally did a nose-leak even though I wasn't sure it was kosher. The alternative was taking smaller breaths with the whistle but still I felt "impatient" because my phrasing ended before my breath did.

Glad to hear this is normal and there are ways around it. I don't think about it now. I just switch and do it but there was some confusion in the beginning. It was really bad with the narrow bore burke!

[david_h]

I should own up that my 30 seconds was a quiete second octave g, which I have been practicing because someone here said that was good to do. I do sometimes nose-leak on flute and it may well be a reflection of poor breathing strategy - having to flush out after several quick snatches or dumping air ready for a big fresh breath when a chance is coming up.

[benhall.1]

45 seconds of good loud tone? That's amazing I can never do that.

Thanks for that. Yes, I was quite pleased. But it's incredibly frustrating that, despite getting a nice, strong tone, for what seems like ages, on one note, I can't actually maintain tone for even a single phrase of a tune. Ho hum. Back to the practice.

Actually, I suppose that's not quite true - the tone's not too bad on something slow. It goes off as soon as I try a jig or a reel.

[s1m0n]

Well, I've never seen a Gen leaflet either! By the time I came to whistles in about 1975 I don't think they supplied such any more..

I have one from the 80s, somewhere.