A few months ago I picked out a great new aluminum D whistle
to replace the Soodlum's one I lost. I like almost everything about
it. One thing I don't like is the tuning range. I can get it down almost
to C, but there's not much latitude in the other direction. That's where
I need it though. I find the pitch tends to creep up during some
sessions and I can barely get up there. I don't want to do it by
overblowing but sometimes that's how I have to do it.
I'll probably get an Eb from the same maker to overcome this.
Is this a normal problem for other tooters and flooters?
It's a good bet that ou are causing the creep upwards yourself by playing a tiny bit sharp and others are following you, then you go up a bit more etc. Stop it. A slightly sharp whistle will always sound that little bit better than a slightly flat one. It's still horrid though
It's always a good laugh to start off a session by playing Eflat whistle, and when the fiddlers have tuned up put it away and say "OK that's enough of that, lets play in D"
I play concertina and when it gets out of hand I just stop playing rather then continue sounding so bad. After the set is over I just hold out an "A" and everyone (well ALMOST everyone) gets the idea and retunes. Please strive to play intune . Whistle tend to go sharp by the end of the set and the fiddles sometimes follow them. More experienced player adjust as the set goes alone to stay intune.
I agree with dbarr. When the music sounds out of tune, I stop playing rather than contribute to the cacophony.
The wind and string instruments should tune to the fixed reed instrument, regardless of whether they have electronic tuners.
When you have an accordeon or a concertina in the same session that are out with each other, then you have a problem !
They shouldn´t both play at the same time.
Hup, if the session you go to tends to play sharp, and you really like that make of whistle, why don't you contact the maker and see if he can make you one centered at, say, 444? Then you could pull out the tuning slide when you need to play at 440.
Or he might be able to modify your existing whistle to do that.
It's an important issue, as whistles should be capable of tuning a bit sharp as well as a bit flat.
Sessions where everybody is tuning to an uilleann piper tend to get very sharp.
But trying to play an E flat whistle at a sharpish D session will probably mean that you're out of tune half the time (because pulling the slide really far out on a whistle or flute throws the scale out of tune). You really need a whistle that's at home at the pitch you're playing it at.
Yes, I've thought about that Richard. It really bugs me about
that whistle. It's probably designed to be 440 pushed in all the
way. I am curious whether that's what most makers aim for.
Because if it is, I think that's wrong-headed.
It's not as critical on flute - maybe - because you have a little
more latitude by rolling the blow hole a little or slightly changing
the air stream direction or intensity. But I'm not a flute specialist.
"In tune at 440Hz" on a flute should also be slightly pulled out - between 1/4 and 1/2 an inch seems to be the average on the flutes I have tried. You should be tweaking your embouchure for reasons of musical expression, not to correct flaws in your instrument.
Why don't you just tell those that are creeping up to get it together and stay at the same pitch, 440 unless they have a good reason not. Tuning sharper and sharper is a common mistake with beginners but if the whole session does it then something needs saying. What happens if a fixed pitch instrument turns up?
If you are trying to tune whistles away from their natural pitch then they'll become out of tune with themselves, they are basically best as a fixed pitch instrument.
Yes indeed Crackpot: years ago I regularly played a Casey Burns flute that didn't have keys or a tuning slide, but it was designed to play at 440 with the head pulled out a tad. This worked out brilliantly because I could shove it in whenever I had to play sharper, or was playing in a cold place etc.
To me it's ideal when whistles have 440 in the middle of their tuning range, not at one end of it.
Yes I would either order a 444 whistle from that maker or have that same whistle modified by the maker to be capable of playing that high. (Actually I'm just saying 444 off the top of my head. Did you ever take an electronic tuner reading of that session to find out exactly where they tune?)
Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
A few months ago I picked out a great new aluminum D whistle
to replace the Soodlum's one I lost. I like almost everything about
it. One thing I don't like is the tuning range. I can get it down almost
to C, but there's not much latitude in the other direction. That's where
I need it though. I find the pitch tends to creep up during some
sessions and I can barely get up there. I don't want to do it by
overblowing but sometimes that's how I have to do it.
I'll probably get an Eb from the same maker to overcome this.
Is this a normal problem for other tooters and flooters?
# Posted on June 29th 2009 by Hup
Re: Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
It's a good bet that ou are causing the creep upwards yourself by playing a tiny bit sharp and others are following you, then you go up a bit more etc. Stop it. A slightly sharp whistle will always sound that little bit better than a slightly flat one. It's still horrid though
# Posted on June 29th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
It's always a good laugh to start off a session by playing Eflat whistle, and when the fiddlers have tuned up put it away and say "OK that's enough of that, lets play in D"
Best done from a seat near the door.
# Posted on June 29th 2009 by showaddydadito
Re: Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
Yes, it's worth a try Llig. Going back to my orchestra days,
an in tune clarinet sounds flattish against the fiddles.
# Posted on June 29th 2009 by Hup
Re: Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
You can also suggest that people retune ? (It's not like fixed-pitch instruments don't exist)
# Posted on June 29th 2009 by Tirno
Re: Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
I play concertina and when it gets out of hand I just stop playing rather then continue sounding so bad. After the set is over I just hold out an "A" and everyone (well ALMOST everyone) gets the idea and retunes. Please strive to play intune . Whistle tend to go sharp by the end of the set and the fiddles sometimes follow them. More experienced player adjust as the set goes alone to stay intune.
# Posted on June 29th 2009 by dbarr15@aol.com
Re: Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
Maybe evryone is retuning up because they don't like the concertina?
# Posted on June 29th 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
I agree with dbarr. When the music sounds out of tune, I stop playing rather than contribute to the cacophony.
The wind and string instruments should tune to the fixed reed instrument, regardless of whether they have electronic tuners.
When you have an accordeon or a concertina in the same session that are out with each other, then you have a problem !
They shouldn´t both play at the same time.
# Posted on June 29th 2009 by murfbox
Re: Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
See, we almost never have a concertina or box. It's all relative,
man.
# Posted on June 29th 2009 by Hup
Re: Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
Hup, if the session you go to tends to play sharp, and you really like that make of whistle, why don't you contact the maker and see if he can make you one centered at, say, 444? Then you could pull out the tuning slide when you need to play at 440.
Or he might be able to modify your existing whistle to do that.
It's an important issue, as whistles should be capable of tuning a bit sharp as well as a bit flat.
Sessions where everybody is tuning to an uilleann piper tend to get very sharp.
But trying to play an E flat whistle at a sharpish D session will probably mean that you're out of tune half the time (because pulling the slide really far out on a whistle or flute throws the scale out of tune). You really need a whistle that's at home at the pitch you're playing it at.
# Posted on June 30th 2009 by Richard D Cook
Re: Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
Yes, I've thought about that Richard. It really bugs me about
that whistle. It's probably designed to be 440 pushed in all the
way. I am curious whether that's what most makers aim for.
Because if it is, I think that's wrong-headed.
It's not as critical on flute - maybe - because you have a little
more latitude by rolling the blow hole a little or slightly changing
the air stream direction or intensity. But I'm not a flute specialist.
On whistle you've got air stream intensity only.
# Posted on June 30th 2009 by Hup
Re: Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
"In tune at 440Hz" on a flute should also be slightly pulled out - between 1/4 and 1/2 an inch seems to be the average on the flutes I have tried. You should be tweaking your embouchure for reasons of musical expression, not to correct flaws in your instrument.
# Posted on June 30th 2009 by Crackpot
Re: Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
Why don't you just tell those that are creeping up to get it together and stay at the same pitch, 440 unless they have a good reason not. Tuning sharper and sharper is a common mistake with beginners but if the whole session does it then something needs saying. What happens if a fixed pitch instrument turns up?
If you are trying to tune whistles away from their natural pitch then they'll become out of tune with themselves, they are basically best as a fixed pitch instrument.
# Posted on July 1st 2009 by bogman
Re: Tuning - for flute/whistle nerds
Yes indeed Crackpot: years ago I regularly played a Casey Burns flute that didn't have keys or a tuning slide, but it was designed to play at 440 with the head pulled out a tad. This worked out brilliantly because I could shove it in whenever I had to play sharper, or was playing in a cold place etc.
To me it's ideal when whistles have 440 in the middle of their tuning range, not at one end of it.
Yes I would either order a 444 whistle from that maker or have that same whistle modified by the maker to be capable of playing that high. (Actually I'm just saying 444 off the top of my head. Did you ever take an electronic tuner reading of that session to find out exactly where they tune?)
# Posted on July 2nd 2009 by Richard D Cook