What People Say and Play !

I recently had a question that I think is so tantalizing scientific that it must be shared.

"Why does my whistle get wet when I practice, but not when I play in church?"

I can remember having to play my battered old trumpet in front of the congregation when I was a kid. I could barely wet my lips because my mouth was so dry! Playing at home is comfortable and lots of things might make you salivate, like an anticipation of lunch. In church or in front of a group, plain old stage fright will make you so dry you have no saliva left at all. So...probably church is the best place to play a whistle.

I received this note from a very nice lady in Vancouver, Canada who took the time to send me a special card. I couldn't wait to add it to What People Say! because what she says is so special.

"My husband gave me one of your low D whistles last year for my birthday. I just wanted you to know what a nice whistle I think it is. I love its voice and play it nearly every day." T. Cannon

Several folks e-mailed and wanted to know why all the whistles and flutes cost $34.95 and the Low D costs $59.95?

Well.........It's bigger, fancier, comes in colors , weighs more, plays lower and has more parts. Oh, I forgot! Its the hardest whistle to make. At least so far. Price on this whistle was lowered by $10. in the middle of the last season, so its a good deal at the new price.

It's always interesting to hear what kind of music people are playing on the whistle.

Dear Mr. Brewer, I have a low G whistle that was a present from a friend and I use it to play New Orleans style jazz. When my buddy that plays clarinet got the flu and couldn't play, I filled in on the whistle and it was just great! I am working on more tunes and after seeing the special of Woody Allen playing his clarinet on tour in Europe, I think I might have found what I want to do, at least for a while. I will be ordering an A in a few days to fill in the gaps in my whistle collection. S. Boyd

What People Say This Fall!

 

On a recent trip to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island, Nadiene and I had a chance to try out the new Trans Canada highway and it is really terrific. The leaves had turned bright red and gold and the view down the St John River to Fredericton was just spectacular. We made a nice five day trip through New Brunswick and on down to Sydney for the Gaelic Festival. The Chieftains opened up the festivities on the first night and absolutely brought the house down! A rolling festival of performers was available for the entire week and performances were scheduled at different towns each day. If you are not familiar with Cape Breton, it is famous for its music and especially for fiddling. We drove the Cabot Trail for a full day and got to see the highlands and mountain bluffs that are just incredible as they drop off into the Atlantic.

Here is a picture of Nadiene in front of the giant 55 ton fiddle at the Sydney Concert hall in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

I love to play the whistle in interesting places, just to hear the natural variety of sounds that are around us everyplace we go. When I mention about playing in the wind and out in the cold, there is a good reason to be concerned that the whistle you play can be trusted to perform under adverse conditions. If you are in a parade and the wind comes up, is your whistle going to cut out and leave with the first strong breeze? If you are playing for a group and the room is air conditioned, is your whistle going to go flat? If you are asked to play Amazing Grace at a serious ceremony or a civil function and the wind comes up...is your performance going to be less than amazing?

Here is a very nice e-mail from S. Bartels that makes an excellent point on playing whistles in the cold that I had not considered.

"It's a pleasure when I play your Low-D whistle during services (with a microphone). I always get compliments and questions on what a wonderful instrument that it is. People like the sound and it's never too cold to play it. Metal whistles can't be played cleanly in an unheated church in winter."

When I checked with my friend Ken Roy and told him about this e-mail, he laughed and said he had forgotten the unheated churches in the winter when he was in the military and stationed in Europe.

The Symphony Slide Flute has picked up quite a few friends along the way this summer. Originally, I recommended Vaseline and a drop of olive oil for lubrication. After consulting with users, I have modified the polyslide slightly and now recommend only a few drops of olive oil. This works very well and makes the slide faster for playing. When the slide flutes were originally designed, they were intended for beginners and a bit of drag was thought to be necessary to give a solid feel to the action of the slide. More professionals have tried this instruments now and the faster slide action is necessary to make it practical for more complex music. Getting feedback and making adjustments go hand and hand to get an instrument that satisfies more applications.

Another request I feel was unique was from a lady who wanted a set of whistles that individually played the scale. She would have each person play a single note (much like playing the bells in a group) and the eight persons would play a full scale. Instead of making a single note custom whistle, I shipped eight symphony slide flutes with a movable washer to set the pitch on each flute. The big advantage in using the slide flute is being able to set the individual flutes to play any note you wish. Using this set up, you can set the whistles to play in any key that you wish. I think this is a fascinating concept on playing the whistle for beginning young people and folks that wish to perform in a professional and unique way without having to read music. I hope to give you all an update on this project and how well it works in the near future.

An inquiry about ordering a dog whistle brought up the fact that the Crisis Whistle also makes a great dog whistle. I used a simple set of long and short whistles for our dogs that was unique to each dog. Rugby the Shar-Pei would only come in if I blew a Long low-short High-Long low blast. That was his call and he always came because he knew I meant business when I blew that particular call.

Ripley, the cocker spaniel only responded to three short quick whistle blasts at the high pitch and that was his unique come home call. There has been some very good feedback on the dog whistle and I will be offering an updated version shortly that is pitched a bit lower than the original Crisis Whistle. This should be a versatile whistle that will work under a wide variety of situations and will come with some informational instructions on using the whistle to train your dog.

Feed back on the new Ultra High D, C & Bb has been very good and the whistles have been well received. A second generation run of 250 whistles on this pattern in just about finished. Making inventory is the current priority so shipping time can stay on schedule. Comments have ranged from Very Nice Whistle! to Fantastic! Not everyone sends e-mail or feedback, but the folks that do let you know if you really got it right.

I receive a lot of phone calls on Friday afternoons about whistles. Most are folks are calling to make a decision on which key whistle they should start with. I recommend a Low A or Low G to let them develop the necessary technique and breath control to play the whistle clearly with good definition. A larger whistle gives the player a more stable whistle that plays in a sound range similar to the human voice. This keeps your dog calm and your cat from leaving home while you practice. If you are married, a low whistle will be appreciated every time you practice and you may get compliments on the piece you are playing without asking "How's that sound this time?"

Here are a few of the comments I received recently.

My Low D arrived yesterday and it is just great! My wife says to tell you that it is a big improvement over the "Feadog Thing"! She says that "Low and Slow is the way to Go!" My dog is napping in the evening again and there is peace in the valley. Thanks for a great whistle that does everything you said it would. Paul, New Jersey

Played my whistle all summer while camping with the family and drew quite a crowd around the campfire. The old songs like Liza Jane and Wabash Cannon Ball were big applause getters and I was surprised by how many children know these songs today. If you play Acres of Clams, everyone knows they have heard the tune, but no one ever knows the name of the song. If you play the whistle, the first song the women ask for is Danny Boy and of course, I close all my "concerts" with Good Night Ladies. Love my A Traveler and so do a lot of listeners. Thomas, Virginia

I used my flute head on my Low D at a Centennial event and several parades this summer so I would look authentic. It worked out perfectly for these events and performed under two days of bad weather when the wind was a real problem. I played around the campfire at night for a group of reenacters and everyone was impressed with my flute skills! Not one person noticed I was playing an auto flute and one listener even said it was a very fine instrument and had I had it long? I told them it was an heirloom that I had recently acquired (which is partly true, as I intend to keep it for a long time).Thanks for great instrument and post this on the web if you like so others can read it. Sue, Maryland

I am doing a project for school. I am using your Website as part of my report on whistles. I would like to know if you can get really rich making whistles. Thanks Jamie, California

I answered this one by saying that I thought it was possible to get rich by doing anything, but if I get fabulously rich from making whistles, I will become a Philanthropist (which was my first choice anyway).

I think the following Squirrel Mail just shows how WhistleSmith has improvedd International relations (especially with our neighbors in Canada).

The D whistle arrived a couple of days ago, but I was very busy with family matters and just got down to giving it a go. Nice tone and it plays quickly with a good clear sound. Volume is plenty. I believe I could raise New Foundland in the morning from my kitchen door. Thanks for a good trade. Michael, Nova Scotia

 

 

Comments and Questions from some Wicked Good Web Customers

The following comments are just some of the many made about the WhistleSmith Low D.

I was reluctant to purchase your whistles because they seemed too cheap to be comparable to other whistles on the web. However, I could not find anyone that stated their Low D was suitable or could even be played by someone with small sized hands. As you know, I purchased a Low D in maroon, about a two months ago, and I want you to know that the whistle has worked out wonderfully. I can play this whistle without straining my hands and it is comfortable even after playing it for a long time. My friends have listened to your whistle and have been surprised and complimentary on both the sound and volume that it produces. I am a better and happier player now that I am not left out of playing the low whistle.

Many thanks, Mary C. NY

When you told me that I could get my Low D completely refurbished for $10. and postage, I couldn't believe it! I had this whistle for a couple of years before it was damaged. (Ray laid it on a hot ceramic stovetop by accident) . The whistle you sent me is just a great player and I am really surprised and pleased.

Thanks so MUCH!. Ray T., Fla.

I was very happy with the Low D whistle I purchased from you on ebay about a year ago. When you mentioned on the phone that there was a substantial improvement in volume on the low end and that I could upgrade the whistle for a small fee, ($10. and postage) for a new whistle head, I was impressed. The whistle came back home yesterday looking like brand new and I really am impressed. This whistle is a whole new ball game! Great sound and lots of volume. I liked my original whistle but, this one makes my day! Thanks! Ben Waters, PA

The set of seven whistles came today and the matching color and striping make them look terrific. I have played them all for a brief period and they are more than I expected. The Bb with the wide mouthpiece is exceptional for a smaller bore whistle and has a lot more volume than I had expected. The low F is my unexpected favorite of them all and is very even through two octaves. Will email you an update after I have put them through their paces... All for now, J. Bell

The following comments are just some of the many made about the WhistleSmith Ultra D, C and Bb.

This is a well made and designed whistle. The whistle plays best when I play it aggresively and with assurance. I would say this is a technical whistle in that you have many fractional adjustment available to set the whistle up for the way you play. At first I thought that would be a nuisance, but the setup and adjustment is really simple after I read the instructions. When all else fails, you should read the instructions! Anyway, I am very satisfied with my purchase and will be buying again . J. Willliams, CA.

I bought the Ultra D for my husband and it wasn't what he wanted. However, I really like it and have decided he can buy his own whistle and I will keep this one. The volume is impressive and I love the tone. I think this whistle is perfect for me! Jane B.

I received my Bb whistle I purchased from your website and it arrived in first class condition. Your package and packaging are first class. The whistle plays beautifully and is well tuned. It is an easy play in both octaves and is simple to clean and setup. I recommend that anyone recieving this whistle read the instructions as they are clearly written and make playing very simple. I will be purchasing again, Thank you. May Baily

I was wondering if the increased cost in shipping would be affecting the amount WhistleSmith products cost and if you will be raising prices this fall? I am saving up for a couple of more low whistles and thought I would ask. Please don't think I'm trying to get a scoop, I just need to keep my budget straight. Dave C.

The cost of WhistleSmith Wicked Good Whistles will remain the same for the foreseeable future. That means, that all whistles will cost the same $34.95 as they have been for some time now and the Low D will remain at $59.95 (cost was reduced earlier this year). The cost reduction was made possible by making the entire line of whistles modular. That means more uniformity in production with less setups and machining time going to waste when making parts. By getting this part of the production worked out, I can now spend more time tuning and assembling whistles and less time on making a lot of different parts for each style whistle. You get a better whistle for your money and I save a lot of time making the parts.

The cost of shipping single whistles overseas has now gone to $18. per pound. However, the whistle is now insured and can be tracked by number after it leaves customs. Most countries have signed on to the new plan, but not all of them. In the old postal format, we had no way to recover a loss and there were far to many to make it profitable to sell to individuals.

Shipping to Canada is also an $18. charge, but we can ship two whistles via UPS , which gives the package a shipping number and the items are insured..Canadian customers have said that service is very good and no parcels have been lost.

Packages to US customers are being shipped via UPS three day select which gives you shipping with a tracking number and insures the merchandise. Fees for a $34.95. whistle or flute is $9.99 and for a $59.95 item it is $12.95.

Three overseas customers have been upset in the past month that an additional VAT tax was added to their orders without them being aware of the charge in advance. The WhistleSmith information clearly states for customers in other countries to check and see if their country has additional taxes on goods being brought into the country. My wife Nadiene, does all the shipping and additionallly warns customers of hidden country tax and that we are not responsible for those taxes. Every overseas customer is advised to be aware that we do not collect or keep track of these taxes. The WhistleSmith does not calculate or add any tax, except Maine Sales Tax for resident purchases.

 

Wicked Good March Info and Comments

Fife and Flute Tuning notes

I recently spent the entire afternoon trying to recreate how you could put a little D fife completely out of tune. A customer in Connecticut had called and said he had a problem with his fife with the tuning. The instrument had played perfectly when he had received it, but after cleaning, the fife was completely out of tune and was not cooperating on going back into tune at all!

I consider these instruments to be bullet proof and they just never have problems. I thought it wasn't worth the cost of postage to and from the shop just to tune the fife, so I said I could figure out what was going on and I would call him back with an answer.

Once before, I had a fife sent back because it lost tuning ability, but after checking it out and cleaning, the instrument had played perfectly and I had returned it to the owner with a clean bill of health. I didn't hear from him again, so I calculated that perhaps something was in the airway and cleaning had corrected the problem.

So I pulled out a brand new fife, played it against the tuning program and a key board to verify it was in tune. I took the fife apart and pushed out the poly plugs, made sure it was entirely clean and put it back together. The fife played fine and the tuning was dead on. Since you can change the tuning buy moving the tone body and the mouthpiece slide, I tried moving the instrument in and out of tune by moving them. When I put the pieces back on the index marks, the fife went back into tune!

Then it occurred to me that the poly plugs move. So what if the primary plug was pushed too far away from the sound hole? I always have set this plug as close to the sound hole as possible just like a fipple plug is set on a whistle. When the plug was moved up and away from the sound hole, the fife went completely out of tune and no amount of persuasion could make it go into tune.

Then it occurred to me that regular fifes use these plugs for all of their tuning...too much head variable and that was the problem! I had simply never set the plugs differently on the fifes or flutes when I assembled them and when I checked my plans, I had instructed people to assemble them that way too.

I called the gentleman back and explained what was going on and he was in tune in less than a minute.

The diagram of the fife also pertains to flutes made on this plan and is included with your instrument when you receive it. Be sure to read all the instructions to make your start on the auto fife is a good playing experience.

Comments on Kids

I have had a reoccurring experience in the shop when children visit with their parents and decide they would like to play a whistle. The parents immediately ask "How much do they cost?" as if this were really a consideration. This is followed by some inquiry about "How much noise do they make?"

In an age where everything has a volume and it is generally turned up to the max, why do parents immediately ask about the noise level? You can literally see the child shrink when they hear the question and they begin to abandon ship immediately. The words noise and music don't go together in the same sentence when you speak to a child.

I generally have an extra whistle or two in the shop, so I offer to have the child take a whistle home and report back in a week or so on how many different sounds they have figured out. Once they have played the whistle and gotten all the sound effects out of their system, they usually come back for a lesson on fingering and playing music on the whistle. If playing the whistle is a problem at home, the acoustically perfect barn is open on Thursday nights, and they are welcome to come out for extra tutoring and a chance to play with other whistlers.

When my boys were home, they sang, played instruments and spent untold hours playing all kinds of music. In the basement, we had an upright piano that Nadiene played and I would tune up the tenor banjo for impromptu concerts in the evening. On the weekends at camp, we had a bedspring for a grill with a big fire in the evenings and every one on the campground would drop by to sing songs and hear the banjo and guitar. I made sure that no one ever said "What's that noise? are you trying to sing?"

If you tell someone enough times that their music is noise, they will believe you and never try to be a singer, a player or know the joy of music. Many people start their musical career when they retire. This is the first time many folks have had to try their hand at playing an instrument after spending years just making a living and raising a family. I think the whistle is the best instrument available for the beginning musician and there is nothing as exciting as a new whistle player laying down some notes.

Whistle Comments for March

Dozens of people this past year have mentioned that "I used to play the sax (or some other instrument), but I think I'd like to try playing the whistle." I think there is a huge return to things that are a bit simpler and more familiar.

One lady told me that whistle playing was addictive and second only to the excitement of adding whistles to her collection. Apparently she searched for new and unusual keys and types of whistles and had given up clothes and shoe collecting entirely. Anyway, she was having a very good time and was whistle shopping for souvenirs to take home for her friends and family.

Children who already play some sort of instrument in school like a clarinet, trumpet, trombone, or flute, are looking for a simpler instrument to help them decipher music they are already working on. Some want an instrument that is more to their liking and the whistle really fits this category for many folks. One little girl after picking out her whistle of choice said in a small quiet voice, "You have saved me from the recorder! I just can't stand to play that thing"

Good and Plenty whistle

I received an email from a whistle buyer in Pennsylvania who lives near Lancaster in the midst of Amish country. Here is an excerpt of his letter with a story and a bit of humor. "I recently was waiting for my wife to do some shopping in a road side furniture store near Lancaster, PA. I got tired of sitting in the car , so I ambled over to where there were some rocking chairs for sale and took my whistle along for company. I bought the Traveler, Low A in October and I carry it on the road while I call on accounts.

There were no customers outside the shop, so I settled in to play a tune or two and probably had been playing a full ten minutes when I noticed I had an audience of two Amish children of about ten. I stopped playing and said hello and they responded that they liked my music and settled in to hear another piece. I had played a couple of my favorite songs when their father showed up and with a nod invited me to play some more.

I played for a bit more and then took a break and showed the two children the whistle and how it played. The father looked the whistle over and asked me if it had a name and I replied it was a WhistleSmith Low A. He smiled and said " I think you should call it 'the Good and Plenty!' because it plays plenty well and good too!" Thought you would enjoy hearing that you have an Amish admirer of your whistle. As you can tell I think this a great whistle to take on the road too.

Italian One Man Band

I recently had a Mr. Di Pantaleo buy a slide flute on the eBay store. We shipped it to Italy and he was very happy with his purchase. It turns out he is a one man band and has added a WhistleSmith slide flute to his repertoire, so we are now in an orchestra in Italy. How cool is that? You can see the one man band in person if you go to www.onemanband.org. Here is a picture from the website with the one man band in action.

 

Am I a Right or Left Handed Wicked Good Whistler?

I don't think I have published the brand name of any other makers products on these pages before. I'm sure you will excuse Don Simcocks enthusiasm for his new whistle and I did promise him I would post his letter. I am humbled by his praise, what can I say...when a whistler is happy, well, they are happy!

This also proves that the good old US mail does deliver and pretty fast too if you use Global Priority Mail.

Rod,
Cannot believe the speed of arrival of my Traveler! 11 AM on the 9th....that's quicker than some internal letters take to reach me. Thrilled by tone...really "breathy", as good as my "Chieftain", at a fraction of the price!
I am appointing myself your "volunteer publicist" for the UK (and anywhere else!)
Please use this in your "What people think" page!

Best wishes to all your folks, Don Simcock

The email for the past month has been loaded with inquiries about the Low D whistle. Most of the email contains at least one reference such as, "Can people with small hands REALLY play the Low D whistle like you describe it on your website?" And I repeatedly reply "YES" unless you can't reach 2.3" or you have arthritis and cannot stretch your hands with a minimal amount of grip to seal the holes."

It is a fact that the Low D is playable by anyone from ten to a hundred and ten if you can just reach that
2.3" requirement for your right hand.

You will also notice that I have Low D whistles for all you left handed players now. When you purchase a Low G Auto Flute, Low G whistle or Low D whistle, you will be asked if you want a right or left handed model. This is because these whistles have offset finger holes to make them more comfortable to play.

I have had some absolutely fabulous letters describing where folks hold their hands and fingers when they play the whistle and are they right or left handed? If you play with your right hand on the BOTTOM three holes of the whistle and your LEFT hand on the TOP three holes of the whistle, you are a RIGHT HANDED whistler.

Then there is the letter explaining that "I am left handed, but I play the whistle the regular right handed way. Okay, you are a RIGHT HANDED WHISTLE PLAYER!

The best answer so far has been...I think I play right handed, but my friend says if I was a surfer, I would be "Goofy Footed:" on my surfboard. What does that mean? Will I not be able to play the Low D now that I have found this out?

No, you will be okay because...It is a fact that the Low D is playable by anyone from ten to a hundred and ten if you can just reach that 2.3" requirement for your right hand.

I also got three email inquiring about the Low F that I mentioned would be available soon.
The Low F is ready to go! I just have to decide a couple of more details before I can post up the description and a finished price. I have a five gallon pail of these cute little critters put together up in the shop and they will be ready to go before the end of the month. I promise.

I played the Low F prototype over the Christmas holiday and I really like this whistle key. The range of this whistle is very nice and I found it to be easy on air and played very economically. Not a big as a Low D and longer than the Low G, it has a very smooth voice. I would guess that the Low F is going to be a perfect practice whistle for a lot of players and I find it an interesting whistle to play. Small bore and low whistle don't always go together well, but I think this whistle has something going for it. We will see!

I haven't changed the instruction sheet that comes with the Mystic Auto Flute since I put the first batch together Everyone apparently read the instructions, picked up the flute and played it without having any trouble understanding the tech sheets.

Then in late January, I got several phone calls and email from folks who could not understand how the mouthpiece worked. Apparently they threw the instructions away with their Christmas tree and had never read them. When I was discussing the problem with one of my lady test players, she began to laugh out loud and then she told me about her experience with the auto flute.

She took her flute along with her during the holidays and during the course of events, several relatives and friends asked if they could try the instrument. She was not carrying the technical sheet so she had to instruct the new player on how the instrument worked.

She explained to me that at first not one of them could play the mouthpiece because they insisted on puckering up and trying to blow into the wrong hole. Apparently a hole is not a hole unless you can see down into it, and the idea of how you blow a flute in ingrained deeply into our mind. You MUST pucker up and blow into a little hole or there can be no flute music! That is the Rule!

She also explained that once one person got the idea and could play the flute, it became a contest to see who could show the next player what they were doing wrong. She concluded her story by telling me to put a sign on the correct hole in the mouthpiece and just say Blow into this Hole!

Good advise is good advise. When you receive your flute or fife, it now comes with this wrap around sheet on the mouthpiece.

Wicked Weather and Comments to Start Winter...

While the snow snows and the wind blows steadily from the North Pole. We Mainers like to touch up the landing strip for the four wheel drive.

Ebay auctions are interesting and you receive a lot of questions about your auction item. I have found that most buyers are concerned that the details of the whistle or flute on auction are clear, factual and truthful. I have probably said that I feel the buyers on eBay are not looking for a cheap instrument, but a good quality instrument with features that are important to them at a reasonable price. So, here are some quotes and answers from eBay buyers and a few from the website as well.

My favorite recent feedback on a Low D whistle comes from Australia.

Received my whistle on the 4th. Excellent service, awesome sound. Many thanks.The koalas on the back trees love it too. Beauty mate!

When you get a message like this, you have received feedback that lets you know everything you needed to know. Looks like poetry to me!

Another person in Australia wrote me a short letter about her Low D whistle.

Dear Mr. Brewer, I purchased a Low D from you about a year ago and learned to play it in about a month. Recently, I thought I would like a more professional whistle to play and sold the WhistleSmith and ordered another whistle for a lot more money than I paid for yours. By the way, I sold the Low D and made a slight profit on it, even though it was used to my neighbor. She really likes it and plays everyday.

Anyway, my new whistle arrived after four weeks wait and it was everything I had expected. The finish was beautifully done. The aluminum was a nice weight and overall it was as nice as I had expected. The only problem was that I cannot reach the fingering despite trying every thing I can think of. There is no use buying an expensive whistle that looks great if you cannot play it. I would like to order a new Low D in magenta with the silver stippling you do on some of the custom whistles on your website.

And the letter goes on a some length with some requests on voicing. I shipped her the new whistle the same week she ordered it and she has responded that she is very satisfied.

The same questions about the Low D come in every week. Are the facts about playing the Low D factual? What is a whistle with small hands playing sound like? What if I have large hands and will I be able to play the whistle? What is the distance between holes?

I try to answer these questions as clearly as possible. The email that really raises my ears is the one where you repeatedly get asked if your claims about the whistle are FACTUAL? W e l l . . . yes of course they are or why would you bother to type out a great big list of features if it was just something you made up?

I finally realized where this IS IT FACTUAL? query comes from. It is from all those folks who bought a Low whistle that requires BAGPIPE FINGERING. This is the myth that you can play a whistle with huge holes and a long reach for your fingers by using your BAGPIPE FINGERS. I would guess you get BAGPIPE FINGERS by tying your fingers to the bumper of your neighbors car and stretching them until they fit your new Low whistle.

If you have small hands, BAGPIPE FINGERS are not part of your bag of tricks. (How is that for a neat play on words?)

There are thousands of Low whistles available in new and used condition that require BAGPIPE FINGERING in on-line stores and auctions. They are usually accompanied by the sellers sad tale of a lack of time or patience to play the Low whistle and they are now selling the whistle in excellent condition on auction. If it says the whistle requires BAGPIPE FINGERING, please use your ability to solve puzzles and DON'T BUY IT!

A bagpipe uses a big bag full of wind to play. This steady flow of air makes a bagpipe playable. Unless you have the lungs of Goliath, you cannot make a whistle function in the same manner as a bagpipe. Extended fingering is another way of saying BAGPIPE FINGERING. Avoid the word EXTENDED when reading descriptions of whistles, unless it says EXTENDED WARRANTY. Enough said, I am sure you get the point.

While on the subject of Low whistle, I feel I should mention one more time, that you can not dry out and clean the bore on a NEW whistle too many times. I send out a complete sheet about cleaning and how to adjust your WhistleSmith Low whistle. I also repeatedly tell folks to read the instructions before they play their whistle and auto flutes to get the best results. Please read the instructions and you will have fun with your instruments and will give them the attention they need to break in and play properly. I will tell anyone that has not played a Low D whistle, that it takes two to three hours to get even moderately good at breath control and fingering the whistle. You should clean and dry the whistle a minimum of every half hour while you are breaking it in. That is a minimum of six times in three hours play...if you follow the instructions, you will have a swell playing whistle.

If you do not read the instructions and break the whistle in properly, it will not respond properly until you take the time to read the instructions and BREAK THE WHISTLE IN PROPERLY!

Several folks who have purchased the new Low A Traveler whistle responded with comments. Three of the remarks made by almost everyone is that the whistle has a nice heft to it and that it is accurately tuned and the octaves are well balance. I played this whistle all summer and on vaction and that really sums it up. No unwanted tricks to playing this whistle and people who got an on the road concert liked the sound of the Traveler.

Several dozen Low G Auto Flutes were sold on eBay auction for Christmas presents. Most folks played the automatic mouthpiece right out of the box with no problems. Six people called on the 1-800 line to find out the mystery of how the flute worked and had a good laugh about how easy it was. If you have a serious problem with anything you receive from the WhistleSmith, please just call and Nadiene or I will give you a hand.

And in closing for this week, an individual inquired if I knew where the name WhistleSmith came from and how did I qualify for that title. Well, I made it up to get a website name and it wasn't my first choice. I suppose that there might have been a Smith that made whistles and they called him The Whistle Smith to seperate his identity from the Smith that made tin stuff and was called The Tin Smith. His cousin who lived down the road was called The Black Smith because he was covered with soot from working the forge in his Black Smith Shop.

A name is a name and WhistleSmith is just something I made up to describe my new business. Did you happen to notice that my WhistleSmith is one word and the S in Smith is capitalized? I never intended to take anything away from anyone else who is a Smith. However, I noticed that my neighbor who is a Smith calls me The Whistlesmith instead of Brewer since I started the website.

Comments on White Whistles and Where the Whistlers are Whistling!

Here is an excerpt from John Hughes long letter on some of his observations on whistle color(especially white instruments) and other interesting whistle observations. I found this letter to have several interesting points and I will add them to the revue on the Low whistles as soon as I can.

“There are several advantages to owning a white instrument.
I find that students keep these instruments cleaner and ready to play, because dirt shows up more readily on a white instrument and it looks either clean and white or it looks dirty. Case closed.
A white instrument plays cooler in summer heat and stays in tune better when exposed to direct sunlight. I make it a point to instruct students to place their instruments out of the sunlight when not playing and to remove them from auto windows when traveling. Leaving any instrument in the direct sun, whether it is plastic or wood is not a good idea and can cause them to warp or even split. Here in the south, you can get a burn from a metal mouthpiece left in the sun and you won’t soon forget that!

You can find a white instrument (even if it is only the mouthpiece that’s white) easier when laid down. Black and dark brown instruments tend to get lost and at best are hard to find. I have searched for hours over the years trying to find lost instruments that were often right beside me. Outdoors events with a fife and drum corps are always a matter of someone losing their fife or drumsticks by laying them down on the ground and leaving them behind. I recommend dipping your drumstick ends in some white paint so they show up!

White instruments never need more than a good cleaning and they look like new. Paint, coatings, polished aluminum and even chrome have issues after being handled a lot. Brass looks okay when everyone polishes, but it looks terrible in a group if even one person prefers to have their instrument have a patina. Patina just means unkept and not polished in a band.
I appreciated the time you spent on the phone with me discussing the Fife & Pail concept. Will get back to you as soon as the Town has a chance to discuss the matter and I believe we will go with the idea because the kids need an activity like this that could be done all year round.”

Several folks have written about where they play their whistle. I would publish their letters complete, but I always ask if it is okay first and that takes a lot of time. If you want something posted during the month, please remember to state that it is okay to publish your letter in its entire form.

A lot of people play their whistle at funerals and wakes. Out of respect for the departed and also because there are not enough pipers around. I often remark that the pipers of our land must be tired out from piping at funerals, never mind all the parades they have to attend. I know that I hear more people say they have heard someone playing the whistle at a funeral than I have ever heard before. If you have not played for a funeral, you better practice outdoors under real conditions before you show up for your first performance. The wind can make your music go away if you have the wrong whistle in your hands.
At least one person is financing their college by playing whistle at dedications, funerals, and other events. What better incentive to practice than to have your own business that furnishes a wonderful service to the community as well.

Many folks have found the wonders of echoes in playing their whistle. The echo coming back over at lake, the way the whistle sounds coming back from heavy woods over an open field, and the sounds you get in an open alley when it is quiet on a Sunday morning where all mentioned in the past month.

The amount of phone calls discussing various types of music and folks with ideas on whistle music in general has been very interesting. The whistle is being played in every type of music imaginable. Delta Blues, reggae, calypso, traditional, blues, and many more have been mentioned lately.

Many of the calls pertained to ideas that individuals have for new or different variations on the whistle. If you have ideas for an instrument don’t hesitate to call and discuss your idea. The data base information is getting larger every month and an answer to one of your questions may be available. Really secret projects will stay secret...that’s why I’m in Maine on top of a ridge.

More people than ever are playing their whistles during the Holidays! Some players are in symphony productions, some in stage shows and musicals and the whistle will be played with choirs and caroling on Christmas eve this year according to the folks ordering new whistles on the phone and over the website. I know there have been a lot of whistles ordered in green and red which I think is an indication of what they will be used for. I think this is just great! “The More the Merrier” as the old saying goes.

E-mail Excerpts

Condensed Comments via E-Mail:

A couple of excerpts from a nice letter from Roy Mayhugh were:

"You've clearly marked the key of the whistle right on the mouth-piece. That will make picking up the right whistle really easy when I want to play."

"The fingering charts are going to be really handy in helping me read music. What's more, they are almost exactly the size of an 8 1/2 by 11 inch piece of notebook paper when folded in half. That means I can put them in my three ring binder folded in half and fold them out on my music stand when I'm using them."

"Received my Low D whistle this week and I was amazed at the tone. I was really expecting a plastic sounding tone and this instrument sounds very woody just as you described it" - J. Winston

"I am playing the Hi D fife you furnished for our group to try out and it does exactly what you said. I have played it in all kinds of weather and it is bulletproof. This fife is perfect to get our kids to get playing in short order" Thank you, J. Hershel

"When you wrote that your mouthpiece was adjustable and you could "sweeten the top octave" to make the flute play better, I thought Yeh, I bet! I have played my G Auto flute for a week now and all I can say is "How sweet it is!" Thanks, Paul

"I was able to play it straight out of the box. At last I have a Low D which I can finger without my fingers and wrists getting very sore." - G. Terry

"I thought my Low D whistle had lost it's voice as it had a loss of volume after about 30 minutes of playing. I read the instructions and dried the bore and gave it a shot of silicon spray. What a difference, the more your play and clean it, the better the volume gets. Your directions on playing the Low D have been Spot On." - J. Deschesne

"I purchased a Bb fife and have played it for several weeks. I have taken it camping and played around the fire at night several times. No problem! it will play in any kind of weather and the night cold doesn't bother it at all..." excerpt from long letter from H.C. in Minnesota.

"The Hi-D fife I purchased came today and I have played all afternoon. It is hard to believe how easy it is to play. I thought it would be shrill, but it is not and I really like the sound." Thanks, Franco, Spain

Nice tip for Big Thumbs

Gary Robinson wrote a nice email with a fix for folks with big fingers. He cut the bottom out of his thumbring just below the halfway mark, filed it nice and smooth and found the open bottom ring was just fine and still gave a nice hold on his thumb. The original person that tested the thumbring wore a size 12 ring and had big hands, so I figured that would be sufficient. Nice solution, Gary

!

A Poem from My Neighbor

My neighbor Lloyd Archer is a poet and writes about the things that happen in everyday life. His poems tell you the stories of common things in an uncommon manner, sometimes seriously, sometimes with unbridled humor. When things happen, he has the ability to translate the event into verse, sometimes ten or twelve poems in a single day. When he showed me the amount of work in his collection of poems, I could not resist sharing the first publlshed piece on this website. You will see more of Lloyd Archer and his writing soon, so remember you saw it here first!

A GREAT TIP!... from my wife Nadiene

While putting together parts for some whistles the other week, I managed to get a body completely stuck in a tuning slide. I tried as hard as I could to twist the two pieces apart, but could not budge them at all. After contemplating the problem, I was about to put the pieces in the vise when my wife, Nadiene walked through the door and wanted to know what all the fuss was about. I showed her the stuck parts and vowed there was no way they were going to come apart. "Wait just a minute and I'll be right back" she said and promptly left.

In a minute she was back and passed me a rubber disc jar opener. "You should know this works on about everything in the kitchen, even stuck canning jar covers."

Well, behind every good Whistlesmith is a good woman!

A rubber disc jar opener is the best thing in the entire world to take a stuck whistle apart with. I am now sporting three in various colors so they are easy to find in the shop. A whistle is just plain hard to grab and a vise will ruin the barrel on your whistle in an instant. These jar openers are really a sweet deal to have in your whistle bag and you won't hurt your hands when you use one.

Got an old whistle and want to take the head off the tone body? A rubber jar opener after a good soak in boiling water will definitely do the job.

A Quote from Jack Houseman

Jack Houseman bought a couple of whistles from me in January last winter and after conversing with him at length, he voluntered to be an advisor on my whistles, flutes and fingering charts. Jack has extensive knowledge in advertising and collects whistles and all kinds of ocarinas, flutes and fifes. If you are a whistlesmith, I'll bet Jack has either talked to you or paid you a visit at some point in time.

The list of improvements I made this year to the product line, have almost all been because of Jack. He has scutinized every aspect of the whistle line, asked me a lot of questions, and been absolutely fair in his assessments of what he has liked and what he felt should be modified. The information in the fingering charts and diagrams for the individual instruments and their care are correct only because he has studied and proofread them after using the information to make sure it is clear and easily understood.

So when I recently received this e-mail I felt like I had graduated a grade in school.

Hi Rod! I had a chance to play the new two-piece, Low G Mystic Auto Flute with the Automatic Sideshooter Mouthpiece that you sent me last week. And, after playing it over the weekend, I can tell you that the tone is quite even over the first and second octaves, and it is very easy to play. Moreover, the sound is mellow, and it has a nice heft. I also really like the fact that the new copper tuning slide lets you position the head for ease of fingering and playing. The playing instructions are great, and the new, revised fingering chart is colorful, and quite easy to follow. And, the improved thumb rest that snaps onto the flute body enables you to hold it comfortably while playing music. Bottom line: I really like it. Regards, Jack Houseman.

What kind of whistle is it?

I had a first time whistle buyer drop in the other day and it was obvious that he had spent a lot of time reading about whistles on line. Here is some of what we talked about.

"If they don't cost a penny and their not made of tin...Why are whistles called that any more? My reply was that they should just be called whistles, plain and simple. The whistle is so common to so many kinds of music world wide today that the old terminology just doesn't fit. There are probably more people playing whistle in Africa than there are people in all of Ireland and Scotland combined. The music is not the same, but that only shows the wonderful versatility of the whistle and the variety of music it can be used for. That is why I call my whistles "Wicked Good Whistles".

"What's the deal with small hands fingering? Is that something just for kids or am I not understanding that part of how a whistle is made?"

I replied that on small whistles in the higher keys that small hands fingering was not important. Everyone can reach the holes on a D, C, or Bb whistle without any strain. When you get down to the low whistles, it is common to have holes that are too large and too much reach in the fingering to be comfortable. If your hands are stiffer than they used to be and the carpal tunnel seems a little on the longer side, and you have a touch of arthritis in a joint...then small hands fingering is a must. I also pointed out that I had started on my whistle making because my Granddaughter Marilyn was so disappointed when she received her first two low whistles and could not play them. You have to see the look of satisfaction when someone with very small hands and reach plays that big low whistle for the first time.

"There are so many keys, how do I pick out a whistle to start?" I had been discussing the same subject with a friend the night before and this is the conclusion that we had come to. High keys and small size are the only whistles for jigs and really fast music. That's the reason that Irish music is almost always written in the key of D. It stands to reason that a large low whistle is going to play slower and is more suitable for ballads and waltzes etc. If you are not going to play Irish or fast music and instead wish to play Traditional, Country and Western, John Denver, Blues, Ragtime (you get the idea!) then start out on a Low G or even a Low D and play away. A man that is almost seven foot tall is going to dislike playing a tiny little whistle with his fingers jammed together. There is no reason not to start out playing a whistle that fits your style and taste in music.

"Your whistles have no metal, wood or glue in the mouthpiece and most have none of those materials in the entire whistle, How come?Well, I am very leery of wooden plugs in the mouthpiece of a whistle , because many types of wood are toxic. A lot of people are allergic to walnuts for instance, and any contact with walnut oil or the nut itself can cause an extreme allergic reaction that can be fatal. Many exotic woods like coca bola and teak, that are fine for furniture, should not be put in your mouth. A lot of whistle players chew on the mouthpiece and I heartily recommend not doing that for health reasons. Ten years ago I got an incrediable reaction to a piece of butternut wood doing a small furniture project and almost ended up in the hospital. There is no reason to use treated woods in a whistle other than aesthetics as it has absolutely no bearing on the sound of the whistle at all.

If you chew on a mouthpiece made of preserved wood or wear it down and expose particles of wood, you are going to be open to an allergic reaction or worse. Wood is treated with plastic to make it machinable, wear resistant, and non absorbant. It is basically a process to preserve wood that is unique in appearance to be made into writing pens and novelties on a wood lathe and not produced specifically for whistles. One of the most prized woods for pens is spalted wood. Spalting is caused by decay and mold in the wood and is not recommended by anyone for consumption or contact in your mouth or digestive system.

Likewise metal residue in a whistle is harmful and chewing on a metal mouthpiece will absolutely ruin your tooth enamel over a short period of time. I do use a copper connector in a couple of models of whistles as slides, but you are not in contact with those in any manner because the slide is inside the body of the whistle and not in your mouth or hands.

"I know there is a good answer for this , but why do you use the Bristol white and tan kind of pipe in these whistles" There a several reasons, the first being that the material is a very high tech material and the quality control for this type of pipe is very good. It is made to carry both hot and cold potable(drinking) water and is extremely strong. It has a wonderful finish right from the factory and the inside bore is better than anything you would ever bore out of solid rod or wood. It has properties like stretch, memory, and elastisity that can be used to good advantage in making whistles. It machines with regular wood working tools like bandsaws, routers, drills, and shaping machinery and there is practically no dust residue in the workplace. Because this type of plastic material is heavy, it does not float in the air like wood dust and can be collected on a static metal plate instead of off the floor. I make all the parts for the whistles and flutes from four sizes of piping and I don't buy any connectors from a supplier. As long as I have pipe in my inventory I will never run out of the pieces to produce or repair any model whistle I have or will make in the future. A whistle made from this type pipe is virtually unbreakable, plays outdoors when a metal instrument would freeze up, and contrary to some published information, always stays very white. Those people that would try to convince you that it ages and looks like old ivory after a period of time... just have a dirty whistle that needs a good washing. I have used Bristol pipe for stakes outdoors in my garden that have been there for six or seven years and they are still bright white so that should be proof of the finish on the material.

"What kind of warranty do you give for your whistles?" .I personally, don't think a warranty is any good at all if you cannot talk to the person who is going to fix your problem and explain what you need. I am not a vendor, a distributor or even a good salesman. I listen well and it is my pleasure to make a customer happy. When someone takes the time to call or e-mail it means they have enough interest to spend a bit of time and get a proper answer to their inquiry. All the instruments that are presently available and including future designs will be modular. Every instument can be easily repaired, updated, and refurbished to brand new condition. I can send a replacement piece for your whistle or flute to correct any problem you might have on the same day you call. I'm never out of parts and it pays to check on updates available for a specific model and key of whistle(like a new style mouthpiece), because I will always be making changes to improve either the instruments or they way they are constructed. If anyone has a damaged whistle, they need only to send it with round trip postage and I will refurbish it, check the tuning and replace parts if needed for as long as they own the whistle. There is a $10. flat charge to make the whistle like new.There is a restock charge of 25% on custom made whistles and flutes and returns are limited to seven days. Return shipping is the responsibility of the buyer.

Places to Play Your Whistle

When I mentioned that whistles need good acoustics to be their very best, I began to make a list of places to play. My brother Alan and I used to team up on guitar and the banjo and do the entertaining around the campfire in the evening at St. Froid lake. Folks around the lake would hear the music and drop by the big fire and listen for a while and cook hot dogs and marshmallows. Some nights we would draw a large crowd and on the Fourth of July, we would have an all night party with fireworks over the lake.

There is no place better to play than a big lake at night with a strong echo and the woods for a background. I remembered that sound and when I vacation, I travel with a whistle tucked in my luggage. Overpasses and bridges make awesome ampitheatres for playing the whistle.

My brother in law in Connecticut possesses a railroad bridge made of solid concrete just down the street from his house. I discovered it on a walk to town and it is the greatest sounding place to play a whistle you could ask for. Passersby often stop and listen for a bit and remark that they would have never thought about playing music there.

Empty buildings of about every sort are sound stages just waiting to be tried. This is a picture of the largest barn in northern Maine and was the site of many gatherings and barn dances. Although it is now gone, many folks remember the wonderful acoustics it possessed.

I have played whistle for folks cleaning fish in Marathon, Florida in the Keys, ladies selling at yard sales along the road, people waiting for a bus, an Amish family in a furniture store in Lancaster, the Captain of a fishing boat looking for schools of fish, folks under my porch, visitors in the Acoustically Perfect Barn out back, and a lot of places in between.

There is a spot in the middle of my field that is bounded on one side by my neighbors house and on the other by my barn. If you stand exactly right, you get a double echo off both buildings and in the evening it is a great place to play some important music. I'm sure you can find places like that everywhere you go if you are just aware of what you are looking for.

What makes an Auto Flute and Fife Different?

I have recently had inquiries about the new Mystic Auto Flutes and Fifes. Why are they Mystic? and what is the difference between the two instruments?

Well...the Mystic part comes from the fact that most folks cannot see how the instruments play. Without exception, everyone picking up the instrument puckers up and tries to play it like a regular flute,because the hole you blow in doesn't look like a hole at all! These flutes and fifes are made to play automatically and require no special skill that a whistle player doesn't already possess. The fingering is the same as a regular whistle that everyone learned to play and the tone is very clear and air requirements are minimal.

Because these instruments are purpose built ( by that I mean that I designed them to be the way they are and perform in a certain way) they do not fall into the "traditional" manner of flutes and fifes other than a general way. I believe they are the right instrument for beginning players, folks with a bit of stiffness in the joints and all of us who just want to have fun and don't have that much time to practice. Every time I say things like this, someone will write and correct my assumption by saying that "its not a toy or plaything...this is a serious instrument with great sound" as a lady in Colorado did recently. Its hard to be humble when you get a comment like that.

The Flutes are in lower keys, A,G,Low D etc. and the instrument is larger. The Fifes are smaller with higher keys, Bb, C,D etc. The fifes are pleasant sounding instruments and not shrill, but they can be played much harder than a whistle and still behave themselves in the upper octave. Folks that try the G Auto flute for the first time generally just smile, because they like the sound,and then they say "I've always wanted to play a Sideways instrument!"

The appeal of playing these instruments is the fact that you really look great playing in the flute position and others notice your ability and recognize it as being exceptional. It is a great advantage to play the Auto Flute, because you never miss a note and the sound is right on key every time.

The Sideshooter mouthpiece is adjustable by sliding slightly forward or backward to improve the ease of playing the high notes or adding a bit more volume into the low notes. Rotate the mouthpiece slightly right or left (thickness of a piece of paper) and you can add as much chiff as you like or eliminate it entirely. The best feature of both the flute and fife is that they are easy to clean and fast to remove moisture from the windway in high humidity conditions. My grand daughter Marilyn is visiting this summer for a month and she has been playing both instruments in the various keys and making comparisons for me. She just grins when I ask if they play OK. "Sure she says, you can play it sideways and thats just better." Appearances are everything when you are sixteen and looking your very best.

How I Handmake a Whistle

I recently received an email inquiring about how I make whistles and do I make them one at a time? I suppose a movie of the process would be best, but here is how I make my handmade whistles.

First I make a prototype whistle that plays correctly and is in good tune. I take this prototype and all my notes made during the creation of the prototype to the art department where I measure all the pieces and draft a finished blueprint and write my notes into instructions before they get misplaced or worse still, I forget what they meant in the first place.

I set up machinery and jigs to precisely cut each piece to make a particular part of the whistle. For instance, I will set up and make a hundred mouthpiece blanks. Every third or fourth blank, I will carefully check that the blank is to size and measure diameters with the digital calipers. After the blanks are machined, they are hand washed, deburred, and put in a bin with a note and description of what whistle they go to. Each part in the whistle is made in the same manner and made as closely as possible to the blueprint.

When all the parts are complete, I assemble the whistles according to their key. The assembled whistle is completely cleaned and tuned for the first time at this point. All that remains is for the tone body to be painted when an order for that type and key whistle comes in.

When the whistle has been painted, striped and labeled for an order, I play the whistle, check the tuning and completely clean it inside and out. The bore is polished and the whistle gets a final wash. Fingering charts, thumb rings and instruction sheets are placed in the shipping box and the whistle is shipped to the customer.

That is what a handmade whistle is all about, lots of handwork and attention to details.

Great Tip! Playing in Front of the Mirror

I have had several groups of children in to visit and discuss the possibility of starting a group to play the whistle. One of these children later came back to visit and told me that her playing had improved a lot by playing in front of her mirror at home. She puts her sheet music up beside the mirror for reference when she practices and can now see her fingers on the whistle in the same direction as the music chart that came with her whistle. She enlarges all her sheet music up to 11x17 inches on a photo copier so it is a very readable size to play from. This extra bit of effort has really improved her playing in a few weeks time.

When you play in front of a mirror you gain confidence about your appearance when playing your instrument. You can practice the way you react to the music and show your moves with the whistle just like big time entertainers do. Tom Jones would be pretty dull if he sang and never moved!

When learning a piece of music with someone else, it is really neat to stand side by side and be able to observe what the other player is doing from the same position. If you stand face to face everything is backward...no wonder I had so much trouble learning banjo chords from my Granddad.

You will pick out your fingering mistakes much faster and learning some alternate fingering is improved. I find that everyone that tries playing in front of a mirror is able to learn the repetitious phrases in music and relate to them faster .

Well, anyway give the mirror a try and you will be amazed at what a good looking performer you are and how interesting your whistle playing performance is!

Tips, Comments and Things to try

One of the features I incorporate into the whistles I make is that they can be easily taken apart and cleaned. I believe this feature is especially important because children share their toys and whistles when they play together. A whistle that is easily cleaned allows another person to try the instrument without having to try the owners germs along with the music. If you think other people are not afraid of catching something from a borrowed whistle, just pass it over and the first reaction is for that person to wipe the whistle off on their sleeve to try and clean it.

I have a lot of folks drop by and look at whistles in the shop. If a particular whistle catches their eye or they are interested in a different key it is natural that they ask to try the whistle out for a test drive (especially to play in the Acoustically Perfect Barn outback!) I keep several clean mouthpieces in a zip lock bag to hand out to individuals and when they are through playing I always give a little demonstration of how easy it is to clean the whistle and disinfect the mouthpiece from germs.

I use a water pick to blast the mouthpiece clean and then drop it into a container with Listerine. The water pick removes all the particles from the mouthpiece and is quick and efficient.

If you have whistles in your collection and would like to make them like new, you probably need to give them a good cleaning. A tiny particle, thinner than a human hair can knock the tune right out of your whistle and make it sound dull or thin in tone. Remember when that Acorn or Clark sounded great, but now you have tossed it aside and never play it because the whistle sounds funny? The water pick seldom fails to bring those old whistles back to life.

Many people clean their new whistle when they first purchase it and find particles of plastic in the mouthpiece. Generally , this is caused when static electricity in the plastic mouthpiece pulls a particle in and hides it from the inspector. If you think this is a bad thing, how much stuff do you think you blow into the end of your whistle when you play after eating a pizza? Cleaning your whistle is important if you want it to sound good when you play.

The tone body of the whistle also catches saliva and particles inside(a good combination to produce plaque, just like the stuff the dentist takes off your teeth!) that deaden the sound. A shotgun cleaning sock in your cordless drill will polish the inside of the tone body and is absolutely harmless to your whistle. You will be amazed when you buff the inside of the bore how much dust comes out of the finger holes. That dust is dried plaque which has collected on the inside of your whistle. Take those old whistles out of the drawer and make them your friends again!