Chiff & Fipple: The Rush Limbaugh-Free Issue.
Dale Wisely
http://www.chiffandfipple.com
I. THE CHIFF & FIPPLE GREETING
So, how are you doing?
II. POST-O-MATIC
I'm really excited about the Chiff&Fipple Post-O-Matic Message Board.
http://www.sitepowerup.com/mb/view.asp?BoardID=100124
This is going to allow the kind of open exchange among whistlers,
experienced and "new," that I've wanted for awhile. It reduces my role of
having to moderate everything. So, for general questions and comments, I
hope you'll consider giving it a try.
III. ANOTHER FINE SERVICE FROM THE PRODUCERS OF "CHIFF & FIPPLE"
I'm experimenting with a new on-line polling service. Let's give it a
try. I've put up a little poll there on the major "inexpensive
whistles." I haven't done a poll like this in awhile. Go to:
http://www.gigapoll.com/chiff.html
You can visit again later to see the results. I'll post results here in a
couple of weeks.
Coming soon! Low poll. Expensive poll.
IV. SOME RECENT TINWHISTLE HAIKU
>From http://www.chiffandfipple.com/whishaiku.html
An Irish wedding
I take tinwhistles with me.
Bride gives me money.
(Ann Jones)
Air makes sweet tunes but
the whistler's worst enemy
is the dread hiccups
(Emma Searle)
At parties and such--
"I play tinwhistle," I say.
"Not here!," they respond
(Dale Wisely)
It's amazing how
Terrible I can make
A good whistle sound
(Ryan Beavers)
Breathy, off-key squeaks;
both hands are in agony:
first low-D whistle.
(jack rabbit)
Fits in my pocket.
Easier to carry than
My big uilleann pipes.
(Isaac Alderson)
Haunting low, dark tones
Come from your big, wide, straight bore.
Now I want a flute.
(Isaac Alderson)
Worn, cold tarnished brass
Green mouthpiece and tone so sweet
Must be a Feadog
Puff, wheeze, pant, cough, gasp
I have to give up either
Smoking or my Shaw
Hear the whistle sound
Meditative state descends
No need for Zoloft
(Doug)
liquid air in motion
squeezing out of skin-worn holes
warm brass is alive
(Patrick Gillard)
I sit in my car
one more tune fogs the window
late for work again
-b benefield
play it carefully
or hear the squeaks and noises
of dying chickens
(Robert Boothe)
Drive car play whistle,
Other drivers not happy,
Knees in pants worn out.
(Dan Diviney)
Notice: Chiff & Fipple strongly discourages knee-driving. Limit your
automotive whistling to scenic rest stops and the occasional long traffic
light.
V. WIDE BORE SUSATOS
Here's a note from "W. Glennon"
Received a Susato low-D (two-piece Kildare) today. A lovely tool for the
slow airs. I am going to think of it as an Irish flute in DD for the
transverse-flute-embouchure challenged. (I still can't get anything but
hissing from my homebrewed PVC g flute, although my wife, from a family of
flutists, can make it stand on its head. Are whistle-heads more accurately
thought of as fipple-bound flutists?)
After some noodling around, I'd say it 'suffers' from most of the
pecularites Copeland adduces for the line of Susato whistles -- it's
probably more of a steroid-enhanced recorder -- but even a bass recorder
for <$50 ain't shabby.
VI. INTERVIEWS
Reinforced and gratified by your wonderfully kind response to the Joanie
Madden and the L.E. McCullough interviews, I've got more coming. Three
are in various stages of production. My goal is to eventually do
interviews with a list I've made up of about a dozen distinguished folks
in whistle world.
And now, the Chiff & Fipple Mail Bag....
VII. I'M ALSO WORKING ON .....
A new web version of my Copeland Low review. This is because I sorta gave
it a "B" when I first reviewed it. But, as I've practice it and gotten a
better feel for it's nuances, I'm liking it better and better.
VII. NEW REVIEW OF SINDT WHISTLES
Jens Hoppe writes:
I first tried a Sindt whistle at one of Mary Bergin's workshops last year.
Since she highly recommended it, I have no doubt that giving her some free
whistles must have been the smartest advertising trick John could have
done(!): I doubt I'm the only one to have contacted him after hearing
Mary's praise of his instruments...
To give a short description of its qualities: It has a very clear, sharp,
non-airy sound, reminding me mostly of a good Generation. However, unlike
G's the Sindt whistle is almost impossible to get any squeaky sounds out
of. Basically you can blow almost as hard or as soft as you like, andstill
get a clean note out the other end (makes me go back to a G once in
awhile, just to check that I haven't lost any breath control nuances!).
Also, the upper register is much less shrill and loud than on a Generation
(and most other cheap whistles).
I have two minor reservations about it: First, the mouthpiece clogs up
more easy than on most cheap whistles, but it's not much of a problem for
me - it's just a matter of blowing sufficiently hard to avoid any moisture
buildup. Secondly, unlike Generations where the brass seems to be
coveredwith a thin layer of something (the stuff you wear off after having
played a whistle for some time), the Sindt doesn't seem to have this.
Anyway, after only a few days use, my Sindt was discolored around the
fingerholes and underneath (where you place your thumbs). Not pretty, but
I can live with it. :-)
Neither of these reservations will stop me from recommending John's
whistles _highly_. I hear he's considering making Bb and low A whistles in
the future; I'll certainly get in line for those as well.
Cheers,
Jens Hoppe
Dale writes: Whoa. A Sindt in Bb. I'll be there.
VIII. DR. BANJO QUEEN MAKES A Bb
Banjoqueen writes:
Adaptation of Reiswig Procedure to Obtain Generational Key Signature
Extension
The challenge confronting this surgeon was obtaining a whistle in the key
of A that would play more or less like my Sweetones, Clarke Original, and
Generation. Being very unsatisfied with the tone and playability of my
Susato (it had the guts of my ''82 Suburu that is currently running on
three cylinders) I purchased a Shaw A. The pitch seemed a little suspect
at the music store, but when I got it home I found it was horribly sharp
in the high ranges and had to tape the top edges of the top three holes
just to make it bearable. The Chieftain A's at the store all seemed to
be flat in the higher octave and I bridled at paying $95-$135 for a
whistle with bad intonation. Here's what I did. Removing the fipple from
my Generation Bb (quiet in the gallery please!) I placed it in a sterile
steel bowl filled with ice as they do on Chicago Hope. A length of 1/2
inch copper pipe was then cut to length. Using the fipple adjustment
blade of a Swiss Army knife the inside of the fipple was scraped so as to
allow insertion of the copper pipe with fine adjustments being made with
sandpaper. Then, using the wonderful calculations and directions of Eric
Reiswig (Whistle at celtic.stanford edu) and a little "Kentucky windage"
holes were drilled. The result is a pretty solid sounding whistle that
can play both Ashokan Farewell and Big John McNeil in the proper key with
good intonation for about $3.50 plus the price of a new Generation Bb (the
donor did not survive the procedure
VIII. THIS WEEK'S CHIFF & FIPPLE MYSTERY WHISTLE (NOTE: "CHIFF & FIPPLE
MYSTERY WHISTLE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF CHIFF & FIPPLE"
IANCBELT WRITES
I have rediscovered an old "favorite whistle" whose origins are shrouded
in the misty fog that was once my memory. I've had it for years, long
before I was formally diagnosed with WAD, and have not seen one for sale
in any of the catalogues. It is a "cheap whistle" but has a very light,
pleasing tone. The whistle is copper/brown aluminum, very light, key of
D, with a light tan mouthpiece. The sticker has a little bird on it and
the words "Pocket Companion". I am thinking I may have purchased it years
ago at the Walnut Valley Flatpicking Festival in Winfield, Kansas. Is
any one out there familiar with this beast? Is it "like" any of the other
currently available models? My contact with actual whistles has been
severely hampered by my living in the wilds of Oklahoma.
Dale writes: What!?? Hey. I'm in Alabama, for crying out loud.
X. HERE. THIS OUGHT TO STIR UP A STINK:
From: Mitchell Imhoff
Dale,
Here's something that's been on my mind lately. I wonder how much of
whistle technique could be applied to the recorder. In other words, if a
whistle virtuoso were forced to play whistle music on the recorder, what
would it sound like?
My guess is that the thin walls of the whistle lend themselves to a
certain technique, and that whistle-style ornamentation and note bending
are much harder on the recorder.
Mitch Imhoff
XI. CHIFF & FIPPLE SPIN-OFF SITES!
Here's a note from Nathan regarding his fine new site. Check it out:
From: Nathan Schroeder
Subject: website launch
I have just launched a new website for tin whistlers! It is the framework
for and beginning of an online library of whistle sound files. I have
converted everything I had already into RealAudio format, it's now about
1/3 the size and better quality than the WAVs.
I created this page as a resource for whistlers of all talent levels to be
able to hear other players. Personally I find it very rewarding and
informative to hear how another player interprets and phrases a tune, and
as far as I'm concerned you can't hear too many whistle tunes!
http://www.verinet.com/~ktcrumb/tunes/
Almost more importantly, I also created a forum on Delphi to allow players
and makers to interact and ask questions on technique, style, and
problems...... The forum is linked to from the main page.
Nate S.
AND
Check out Nanette's great new site::
From: Nanette
http://www.sonic.net/~nanette/whistle.html
XII. LOTS MORE
I've got lots more accumulated email. But, it'll have to wait until
another day.
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE:
http://www.gigapoll.com/chiff.html
Bye!
Dale
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