My low D whistle squawks.

Valentinian · Post by **Valentinian** » Fri May 28, 2004 12:43 am

Hi. I'm new here and pretty new to whistles. I've been gradually getting into it and learning to play (badly). I've got a soprano recorder as well. Anyway I bought a cane low D whistle. I'm sure this is a common problem. The low D will jump to high D with this awful squawk. I understand it's probably just practice but I'm hoping maybe someone might have suggestions. I don't have any kind of teacher and am learning on my own. I think I understand about diaphragmatic breathing and overblowing. I have no problem overblowing to get the higher notes. It's just that low D.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Fri May 28, 2004 1:23 am

Valentinian wrote:Hi. I'm new here and pretty new to whistles. I've been gradually getting into it and learning to play (badly). I've got a soprano recorder as well. Anyway I bought a cane low D whistle. I'm sure this is a common problem. The low D will jump to high D with this awful squawk. I understand it's probably just practice but I'm hoping maybe someone might have suggestions. I don't have any kind of teacher and am learning on my own. I think I understand about diaphragmatic breathing and overblowing. I have no problem overblowing to get the higher notes. It's just that low D.

Yeah, that's a common problem, not only when starting off on low D, but when, like me, out of practice. However, there's also a possibility that the cane low D may not be very good quality. A tendency to jump octaves has been reported of some of them, before. Some of them are better than others.

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Fri May 28, 2004 1:40 am

Practice and breath control will circumvene the problem, but it may point to a fault of the whistle.

One quality I appreciate in whistles, high or low, is what happens when you slowly, gradually overblow from first to second D.
That transition in-between the registers can bring anything depending on the particular whistle : a usable complex "hard" D on the very best, a buzz sometimes, a squawk much too often.

CHIFF FIPPLE · Post by **CHIFF FIPPLE** » Fri May 28, 2004 1:55 am

[quote="Zubivka"]Practice and breath control will circumvene the problem, but it may point to a fault of the whistle.

quote]
This is good advice, also make sure you covering the holes compleatly,but at the end of it if you still can't get it right up grade your low D.

antstastegood · Post by **antstastegood** » Fri May 28, 2004 2:23 am

One thing that made a difference for me was proper posture. As illustrated so fancily by Mr. Dale...

http://www.chiffandfipple.com/posture.htm

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Fri May 28, 2004 2:37 am

CHIFF FIPPLE wrote: also make sure you covering the holes compleatly,but at the end of it if you still can't get it right up grade your low D.

It happens on the high-end whistles too if, as Stacy says, all the holes aren't completely sealed.

amar · Post by **amar** » Fri May 28, 2004 6:01 am

CHIFF FIPPLE wrote:
Zubivka wrote:Practice and breath control will circumvene the problem, but it may point to a fault of the whistle.

quote]
This is good advice, also make sure you covering the holes compleatly,but at the end of it if you still can't get it right up grade your low D.

is that avatar of yours what I think it is...

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Fri May 28, 2004 6:21 am

40 DD Them're big Low Ds !!

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Fri May 28, 2004 7:11 am

Amar's special radar.

It can take a different kind of breath control, that comes with practice, to get the low D to come out nicely, (if, in fact, it's not the fault of the whistle.) There's a way of keeping a full volume of air in the whistle without much velocity. practice.

vomitbunny · Post by **vomitbunny** » Fri May 28, 2004 7:23 am

Can't say without seeing the whistle. I got a low E whistle that was unplayable pretty much, although the quality varies widely. I got a cane A whistle that is a gem in the same shipment. It might be tweakable, if it's worth the effort. I worked on mine without much luck, but it wouldn't have been worth much if I had been successful. If the quality of cane whistles was as good as the A, everyone would be ordering them. If they were all as bad as the EE, no one would order them.

Kuranes · Post by **Kuranes** » Fri May 28, 2004 7:25 am

As everyone else says, it's probably an issue keeping the holes covered.

Upgrading to one of Stacy's big, bouncy Low Ds is recommended if you continue having trouble

The odd thing is, I just got a Chieftan Low G the other day, and the holes on the Low G are bigger than the holes on one of Stacy's Low Ds. It's actually harder for me to keep the holes on the Low G covered than it is the Low D.

CHIFF FIPPLE · Post by **CHIFF FIPPLE** » Fri May 28, 2004 10:32 am

amar wrote:
CHIFF FIPPLE wrote:
Zubivka wrote:Practice and breath control will circumvene the problem, but it may point to a fault of the whistle.

quote]
This is good advice, also make sure you covering the holes compleatly,but at the end of it if you still can't get it right up grade your low D.
is that avatar of yours what I think it is...

Of course it is Two D whistles :roll: :roll:

Valentinian · Post by **Valentinian** » Sat May 29, 2004 2:40 am

Just wanted to say thanks to everybody for the advice. This seems like a pretty cool place. I think it's mostly just practice like I originally figured. I don't know enough to be able to judge the quality of the whistle to tell you the truth. It sounds nice to me though (cept for the squawking).

amar · Post by **amar** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 2:34 am

Well, stacey, I don't own an alba lowD(D), but I do have your combo Q1+ lowC/Bb. yay.

Cyfiawnder · Post by **Cyfiawnder** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 9:36 am

Zubivka wrote:Practice and breath control will circumvene the problem, but it may point to a fault of the whistle.

One quality I appreciate in whistles, high or low, is what happens when you slowly, gradually overblow from first to second D.
That transition in-between the registers can bring anything depending on the particular whistle : a usable complex "hard" D on the very best, a buzz sometimes, a squawk much too often.

In that case you would love mine. When you gradualy blow harder from first D to Second D, the low D gradually gets Sharp, until the point where it switches to 2nd Octave D it just does it smooth and easy, no squawk. Mr. Serpent will be able to comment on that aspect as soon as his arrives in the mail. Right Bill 'ol boy?

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My low D whistle squawks.

My low D whistle squawks.

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