Irish folk musical instruments - Wind of Water - folk-rock group, live music of pagan Russia and medieval Europe. Whistle - the basis of Irish folk music Flute whistle

The sound of the instrument Whistle at wikimedia Commons

Various whistles

Whistle(from the English. tin whistle, in literal translation "tin whistle, pipe", pronunciation options (Russian): whistle, whistle, the first is more common) - a folk longitudinal flute with six holes on the obverse, widely used in folk music in Ireland, Scotland, England and some other countries.

Build

The whistle is a diatonic instrument with a range of approximately 2 octaves. The fingering is simple, forked fingering and half-hole fingering are rarely used, except for the lowered seventh step, which allows playing in the second key. With the help of complicated fingering, an almost complete chromatic range can be achieved.

The most common tuning is D (second octave D), twistles are also produced in most keys from G (second octave G) to G (first octave G), instruments in A and G are sometimes considered low whistles.

History

The history of the instrument is lost over the centuries, since such flutes date back to prehistoric times and are found in almost every nation on Earth.

Actually "tin" - that is, tin, whistle appeared in 1843 in England. Poor farmer Robert Clarke had a wooden whistle and wanted to make a similar one, but from a new material tinplate(tinned sheet), which had just appeared then. The new tool turned out to be so successful that Clark decided to start his own business. He traveled to England with his son, carrying his tools and supplies in a handcart. Stopping in cities and villages, especially in the markets, Clark, in front of the population, rolled tin-whistles from a sheet of tin, a conical tube was obtained, which was then closed at one end with a wooden stopper - a whistle was obtained, then holes were cut in the tube. Clarke immediately demonstrated the instrument, playing melodies on it for the audience. The pipe cost one penny, from this comes another name for it - penny-whistle... Sometimes Clark's pipes were bought by Irish sailors and other people from the Green Island, who brought them home. This is how teen whistle came to Ireland.

In Ireland, everyone liked the pipe, as it was very well suited for playing Irish folk music. Robert Clarke's production has survived to this day, whistles of the brand Clarke are always popular all over the world, especially as a tool for beginners.

Subsequently, tin whistles began to be made from various materials, from metal tubes, brass, aluminum, etc. Various types of plastic and other materials.

Tin-whistle became much more widespread throughout the world in the 60s and 70s of the XX century in the wake of a revival of interest in folk music in Ireland and beyond. Almost all famous folk groups have used tin whistle in their activities. New firms and master-makers of tin whistles appeared.

Application

Despite the seeming primitiveness of the device, ting-whistle - in the context of Irish folk music - is a rather sophisticated instrument with much more possibilities than it seems at first glance. The technique of playing on it, most likely, developed under the influence of the technique of playing the Irish bagpipes. uilleann pipes which has a long tradition and is quite complex. Many Irish musicians became famous precisely because of their masterful playing of the whistle, for example Mary Bergin, who recorded two albums in the late 70s under the name Feadoga Stain 1 & 2 (Tin Whistles 1 & 2) who have had and continue to have a noticeable impact on the whistlers of the whole world.

Notable Whistler Performers:

• Willie clancy
• Mary bergin
• Paddy moloney
• Sean potts
• Brian finnegan
• Joanny madden
• Sean ryan
• Cormac Breatnach
• Michael McGoldrick

Modern whistles

There are many different types of tin whistles these days. These are tin conical whistles that have survived to this day. Clarke, and common brass with a plastic whistle Generation available plastic whistles Dixon and Susato and wooden whistles of professional manufacturers.

Most popular manufacturers:

• Clarke
• Waltons "s
• Feadog
• Tony dixon
• Susato
• Chieftain
• Overton / Goldie
• Abell

The whistle is one of the most common instruments in the world, largely due to its affordability: an entry-level pipe, quite acceptable in quality, can cost $ 5, professional-grade instruments cost from $ 100 to $ 700, but some professionals prefer cheap whistles. The most expensive, as a rule, wooden artisan whistles.

Low Whistle

Low-whistle musician

Low-Whistle- Low Whistle - A low type of ting whistle. It features a lower setting and larger size, as well as more demanding breathing and less mobility. Has a deeper and thicker timbre. Therefore, low-whistle is often used for playing slow melodies. Made from metal, plastic or wood.

The most common key is D (D is the first octave, one octave lower than the usual twistle). It is made in most keys from G (first octave salt) to G (minor salt). The lowest tonalities are very rare and are sometimes referred to as "bass".

History

Probably, longitudinal flutes, similar to low-whistles, existed as early as the 16th century, this fact remains controversial.

The inventor of low-whistle in its modern form is considered to be an English jazz musician and instrument maker. Bernard Overton, who in 1971 made a low-whistle for the famous Irish musician Finbar Furey who lost his bamboo whistle during the tour. Having made the first two low-whistles, which Fury actively used in performances, Overton began to receive orders from other musicians.

The beginning of the mass popularity of low-whistle fell on the 90s of the XX century after the famous dance show Riverdance in which the musician Davy Spillane played this instrument.

Links

• Whistle website (Russian)
• World renowned English-speaking forum for whistle and other wind instruments

Notes (edit)

Wind musical instruments
Wooden
Copper
Keyboards
Details

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Tin whistle (Whistle)

Twistle, Whistle, Vistula, Pennywhistle(eng. "Tin Whistle", "Penny Whistle") is a simple longitudinal folk flute, similar in structure to a flute and (in terms of a whistle device) to a recorder. It is widely used in Irish traditional music and other related genres.
At a basic level, this is a fairly simple instrument, even simpler than a recorder. However, the traditional style of playing the whistle presupposes the study of a rather complex system of finger ornamentation (ornaments). In addition, the tradition of performing most Irish (and not only) folk melodies involves playing at a fairly fast pace (slides, jigs, reels, polkas).

Basic information

The whistle consists of a whistle and a body with six playing holes on the face.

Common names for the various parts of the instrument are:

A good story about the whistle, the basics like putting your hands on and picking notes:

The whistle is classified as a diatonic instrument, which means that all its notes are arranged in pure fifths or fourths. The first seven notes of the whistle played sequentially from the bottom note (all holes are closed) to the top one (all holes are open) form a diatonic major scale, the tonic (the first step (note) of the major scale) of which, obviously, coincides with the key (scale) of the whistle. Thus, for a whistle in D (D) we get the scale in D major, for a whistle in E flat (Eb) - in E flat major, etc. See below for a complete list.

Diatonic scales for various common whistle tones:
(Hereinafter, for brevity, I call the diatonic scale the diatonic scale)

Build a whistle	List of steps forming a diatonic scale
	I	II	III	IV	V	VI	Vii
F # (in F sharp major), the same, as Gb (G flat major)	F # (Gb)	G # (Ab)	A # (Bb)	B	C # (Db)	D # (Eb)	F
F (F major)	F	G	A	Bb (A #)	C	D	E
E (E major)	E	F # (Gb)	G # (Ab)	A	B	C # (Db)	D # (Eb)
Eb (E flat major), the same, as D # (D sharp major)	Eb (D #)	F	G	Ab (G #)	Bb (A #)	C	D
D (D major)	D	E	F # (Gb)	G	A	B	C # (Db)
C # (C sharp major), the same, as Db (D flat major)	Db (C #)	Eb (D #)	F	Gb (F #)	Ab (G #)	Bb (A #)	C
C (C major)	C	D	E	F	G	A	B
B (B major)	B	C # (Db)	D # (Eb)	E	F # (Gb)	G # (Ab)	A # (Bb)
Bb (B flat major), the same, as A # (in A sharp major)	Bb (A #)	C	D	Eb (D #)	F	G	A
A (in A major)	A	B	C # (Db)	D	E	F # (Gb)	G # (Ab)
Ab (A flat major), the same, as G # (G sharp major)	Ab (G #)	Bb (A #)	WITH	Db (C #)	Eb (D #)	F	G
G (G major)	G	A	B	C	D	E	F # (Gb)
Fingering (hole closure pattern) X - closed, O - open, whistle to the left	XXXXXX	XXXXXO	XXXXOO	XXXOOO	XXOOOO	XOOOOO	OOOOOO

You can achieve chromatic scale using forked fingerings or half-covered holes, but if you are going to play purely traditional music, this will rarely be necessary (except for raising the 4th or 6th step for playing in additional keys, read about that below).

The main fingering of the whistle (using the example of a whistle in D tuning):

Full fingering of a whistle, including semitones and notes of the third octave using the example of a whistle in D tuning (click to enlarge):

A good whistle has a range of two octaves, plus an optional third octave number. The transition one octave higher is made by overblowing - increasing the force of the blown jet, while the fingering does not change.
As is often the case with wind instruments, the fingering of the whistle does not depend on the scale, therefore, having learned, for example, to play a high whistle in D, you automatically master the entire range of keys, including low whistles (if you do not take into account the differences regarding air consumption, pressure and methods retention). Thus, for example, picking up a whistle in G and playing a piece on it as you would on a whistle in D, you will get the same piece, only transposed. This is partly due to the fact that most whistlers are more willing to use separate instruments in different keys when needed, rather than show off with alternative fingerings on one. The only exception is the "additional" diatonic, which can be easily obtained on any whistle by raising one of the steps by half a step - for a resolute whistle, this is primarily in G major (we raise B by half a tone - by extracting C) and, less often, in A major (increase the salt by half a tone - extracting the G-sharp).
Listed below are the most common "additional" diatonic scales for different whistle keys, each whistle has two of them (the rest are rarely used, because to extract them you need to increase more than one step, which is expensive to keep in mind, and it is easier to take a separate instrument).
The first of the listed "additional" diatonic in any tuning is performed by raising the 6th degree (or lowering the 7th degree, if you like this point of view), which is achieved by half-covering the 1st hole (we agree that the numbering of the holes begins with a whistle), or by fork fingering - closing the 2nd and 3rd holes. This is the most commonly used "additional" diatonic scale.
The second of the listed "additional" diatonic in any tuning is performed by raising the 4th degree (lowering the 5th), which is usually achieved by closing the 1st and 2nd holes and half-covering the 3rd. This diatonic is more complicated and is used much less often.

"Additional" diatonic scales for various common whistle keys:

Build a whistle	Raising the 6th step (performed instead of the 7th degree of the lower octave, the scale starts from the 4th step of the lower octave)	Raising the 4th stage (performed instead of the 4th degree of the upper octave, the scale starts from the 5th step of the lower octave)
F # / Gb	B major (extracting E)	C sharp major (extracting C)
F	in A sharp major (extracting D #)	C major (extracting B)
E	in A major (extracting D)	B major (extracting A #)
Eb / D #	G sharp major (extracting C #)	in A sharp major (extracting A)
D	G major (extracting C)	in A major (extracting G #)
C # / Db	in F sharp major (extracting B)	G sharp major (extracting G)
C	in F major (extracting A #)	G major (extracting F #)
B	E major (extracting A)	in F sharp major (extracting F)
Bb / A #	D sharp major (extracting G #)	in F major (extracting E)
A	D major (extracting G)	E major (extracting D #)
Ab / G #	C sharp major (extracting F #)	D sharp major (extracting D)
G	C major (extracting F)	D major (extracting C #)
Fingering (various options) X - closed, # - half closed, O - open, whistle to the left	#OOOOO OXXOOO OXXXOO OXOXXX OXXOXX OXXOOX	XX # OOO XXOXXX XXOXXO

The ratios of additional keys to the main whistle key can be quickly obtained using the circle of fifths and a simple rule: if you take the direction of movement in the fifth circle clockwise, and consider one of the major keys on the outer circle as the main key of the whistle, then the previous major key on the outer circle will indicate the first additional key (raising the 6th step), and the next one - the second additional key (raising the 4th step). For example, for a whistle in D: the previous major key on the circle is G, the next one is A, for a whistle in C # (Db): the previous F # (Gb), the next G # (Ab), etc.

Obviously, the whistle can be played in minor keys corresponding to major ones, they can again be easily identified by the fifth circle (the keys of the outer circle are major, the keys of the inner circle correspond to them are minor). For example, for D major the parallel key is B minor, for E flat major it is C minor, etc. But here, of course, you also need to take into account the limitation on the available octaves - for example, it is more difficult to play B minor on a reshnom whistle in this regard than E minor, because the scale of B minor begins, suddenly, from the 6th degree of the lower octave, i.e. in two octaves you will not play very much, while E minor starts only from the second degree of the lower octave.

Thus, if we put everything together, we get, for example, that the whistle in D can be easily played in the keys: D major, E minor and G major, and making an effort also in F sharp minor, A major and B minor. Do you think that's all? Ha, no matter how it is. We have considered only major and minor. The whistle can also be played pentatonic, which further increases the formal list of keys. But it is much more important here to remember about natural frets.

Traditional music is much more often described not in terms of major and minor keys, but in terms of natural modes (since traditional music is not limited to major and minor). Most often, seven octave diatonic scales are called natural frets: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian. One natural mode is distinguished from another by the unique sequence of five tones and two halftones. For example, the Ionian mode is a major (tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone), Aeolian - natural minor (tone-semitone-tone-tone-semitone-tone-tone). Full list:

• T-T-P-T-T-T-P - Ionian (major)
• T-P-T-T-T-P-T - Dorian
• P-T-T-T-P-T-T - Phrygian
• T-T-T-P-T-T-P - Lydian
• T-T-P-T-T-P-T - Mixolydian
• T-P-T-T-P-T-T - Aeolian (natural minor)
• P-T-T-P-T-T-T - Locrian

Describing the nature of the Irish melody use the concept of the so-called. "tonal center", the basic note of the melody. Usually this is a "pedal" note, i.e. the note of which the whole melody or part of it ends, which one wants to pull pompously at the end. The full name of the melody scale consists of the name of the tonal center of the melody and the scale used, while considering the tonal center as the tonic (first note) of the scale. Take "Cooley's reel" for example. For one of the variants of this riel in the musical notation of this tune with the treble clef indicate two sharps, it would seem, here it is, in D major. But what if we want to describe this tune in terms of natural fret? The tonal center is the notes E, usually it is with this note that both parts of this riel end. Two sharps define the basic set of notes, from which we can compose a diatonic scale (we will specially write the scale starting from the tonal center): E, F #, G, A, B, C #, D. Tone-semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone- tone. This is the Dorian way. Thus, we can say that this variant of Cooley's reel under consideration is played in the E-Dorian natural fret. In practice, of course, everything is a little more complicated. In addition to the fact that the tonal center can walk with variations of the melody or transposition (which simply changes the name of the fret), there are tunes that simply go beyond the diatonic scale, the most common example is the use of both C and C # in the same melody. Such tunes can no longer be strictly attributed to one or another natural mode. Also, the tun can easily have several tonal centers, then they talk about different natural frets in relation to the parts of the melody. However, having an understanding of natural frets and tonal centers is useful, for example, if you are playing accompaniment.

In Irish traditional music, the most commonly used are: B-Aeolian (minor), A-Mixolydian, E-Dorian, D-Ionian (major), A-Dorian, G-Ionian (major), E-Aeolian (minor) and D- mixolydian frets. The first four are played through C #, the rest through C. Several pentatonic scales are also used. All such melodies can be played without any problems on a whistle in D. You can read more about this in Gray Larsen's book The Basic Course in Irish Flute and Tin Whistle.

Varieties and ranges

The most common and canonical whistle tuning: soprano Re (D). It is on him that a beginner should pay attention, it is he who should be bought as the first tool. This tuning is accepted by many as the standard, and almost always at sessions people play on D whistles. As mentioned above, the whistle in this tuning can be easily played in the keys of D major and G major, this is enough for the vast majority of Irish melodies and for a significant part of the music of Scotland, Wales and England. Such a prevalence of these keys is usually explained by the fact that these keys are easiest to perform on the violin, and since the violinist was almost an obligatory participant in the Irish bands, the music was formed accordingly.

The tuning (tonality) of the whistle is determined by the lowest note that can be produced on it (covering all the holes).
By closing all the holes in the whistle and additionally half-closing the outlet in the lower body of the whistle with the little finger of the lower hand or knee, you can extract the so-called "leading tone", that is, a note one semitone below the main tone of the whistle.

Conditional division of whistles by ranges:

Material and features

The canonical option is considered to be metal whistles (made of aluminum, nickel, brass, tin), budgetary - plastic, the most common and compromise - a plastic whistle and a metal body. Whistles with a plastic whistle are especially suitable for playing in cold rooms, as for obvious reasons they produce less condensation than metal whistles. Dear craftsmen, whistles are also made of wood.
Whistles are customizable and non-customizable. In tunable whistles, the whistle is movable relative to the body, which can be used for tuning (however, do not count on this too much, usually by tuning you can move a maximum of half a tone). An additional plus of the adjustable whistle is the ability to remove the whistle, which makes cleaning easier.
There are also whistles with adjustable volume (for example, the Every model from the master of Carey Parks), which is achieved by changing the size of the whistle window (the narrower the window is, the weaker and, as a rule, worse the sound, you can experiment with scotch tape).
There are whistles with a tapered channel. Its main purpose is tuning stability in both octaves. However, one should not think that any whistle with a cylindrical channel loses its stability, a high-quality whistle with a cylindrical channel is no worse than a whistle with a conical one. And in general, whistles with a conical channel are much less common, I think this can be explained by the fact that a whistle with a cylindrical channel is easier to manufacture (one of the common methods is to take a long metal / plastic tube and cut it into several parts, obtaining blanks for the bodies of future whistles) ...
As is often the case with folk instruments, for whistles, in principle, there are no well-established agreements about their sound and playing characteristics. It would not be a great exaggeration to say that each company produces a unique model of a whistle: some whistles are quiet, others, on the contrary, are loud; some - hissing (as they say, with "chief"), others have a clear or even sharp sound; some instruments have high pressure and air consumption, while others, on the contrary, are low. In general, no one is particularly surprised by this. This huge variety (as well as the relatively low price) very often leads to a funny effect - any avid whistler eventually turns into a real collector, ordering more and more whistles from those manufacturers that he does not yet have. In one form or another, everyone gets sick with it.

Buying a whistle

Read also the section Choosing a whistle
Instructions for buying a whistle, which I brazenly pulled from one group in VK - http://paste.org.ru/?je3yhj
http://dpshop.ru - D. Panfilov's Novosibirsk online store selling ethnic instruments, including whistles. In good years, you could even find Hilch's whistles here, but recently the range has diminished, but cheap whistles like clarks and fidogs are brought there regularly. Mail delivery.
http://ta-musica.ru - Moscow online store of ethnic instruments, whistles available. Susato and Tony Dixon whistles, Karavaev's workshop whistles are often sold here. Delivery by mail or courier service.
https://shamanic.ru/ - St. Petersburg store of ethnic instruments, Clark's whistles, fidogi, from the workshop of Karavaev.
http://whistle.jeffleff.com/makers.html - A collection of links to the official sites of various whistle companies and masters, some links are outdated, but it's better than nothing.
http://www.chiffandfipple.com/inexp.html - Choosing an Inexpensive Whistle Comparative Description
http://www.chiffandfipple.com/tutorial.html - Tutorial on varieties, differences (eng.)

Models and manufacturers

In terms of price and quality, whistles are often divided into categories of inexpensive (“Inexpensive”) and expensive, artisan, hand-made (“High-end”, “expensive”, “high quality whistles”). Interestingly, even professional performers often prefer cheap whistles, finishing them to the desired state (the so-called “tweak whistle”). Keep in mind that some professional whistles are difficult for a beginner (they may have higher pressure and air flow than professional whistlers). In general, a whistle (along with a recorder) is one of the cheapest instruments among winds, you can easily find a good entry-level instrument for 1-3 thousand rubles, and even the price of high-quality artisan high-quality metal / plastic whistles rarely exceeds 10-15 thousand . rub. Metal / plastic lowwistles are more expensive, but usually prices do not exceed $ 400-500. Wooden whistles can cost as much as you want, the price to a certain extent depends on the type of wood.

Budget whistles
Generation- very common, cheap high whistles with a plastic whistle and a body made of nickel or brass (your choice), which are stamped somehow. You can often hear the phrase - “if you bought Generation, then you bought either an amazing instrument or junk, as luck would have it”. Unfortunately, the percentage of junk is usually higher, so if possible, buy offline when you can immediately check the sound. However, people often take Generations precisely in order to tweak it with their own hands and get a quite passable instrument. There are even people who specifically purposefully buy Generations and similar whistles, tweak them and resell them, one of the most famous such masters is Jerry Freeman (his tweaked whistles are highly respected among professional whistlers). Another detail that influences the popularity of Generations is a good selection of different keys (G, F, Eb, D, C, Bb) for little money. Generations (usually tweaked) are very common among old school traditional musicians. Despite this, I want to emphasize once again that good tools among generations are very rare, but if you are lucky enough to find a good one, take care of it.
Feadog, Walton, Clare, Oak- cheap high whistles, similar to Generation. The reviews are usually bad, but they are sometimes taken for the purpose of tweaking.
Clarke- authentic whistles with a conical (tapering towards the end) metal body. There are several different models available with different sound characteristics. Keys are only soprano Do and Re. The most popular models are Sweetone (very simple and easy to play, with a fairly accurate tuning, often recommended for beginners) and Original (with a high air flow rate and a recognizable sibilant tone, the so-called "chief", for which he is so loved). Among these whistles you may come across not very high quality (especially for the “Meg” model), but less often than among Generation. From time to time, there are reports that the plastic whistles of Sweetone whistles and others like it crack and burst, I think this is due to the special shape of the body of the whistles, in cross-section the body of the Sweetone whistles is not quite round, but rather oval or even teardrop-shaped, and being worn on a round whistle will stretch it, which can lead to cracks. Personally, my Sweetone did not escape this sad fate, although perhaps I myself am to blame, since I dropped it a couple of times, in any case I was lucky - it cracked so well that it did not affect the position and integrity of the whistle, the sound did not change.
Shaw- the shape is very similar to the Clarke Original whistle, but (as far as I heard) it is louder, has even higher air consumption than the Original, and a characteristic hoarse rough timbre.

Whistles are more expensive, professional and semi-professional
Tony dixon- quite popular whistles, most often have a plastic whistle and a plastic / metal cylindrical body. There are quite a few models that differ in whistle shape, material, adjustment options and tonalities. Dixon sells both high whistles and lowistles. In general, the opinion of most people agrees that these are pretty good tools, not without flaws of course, but quite good in terms of price and quality.
I have played on two models: the "DX006D" made of aluminum (not the most pleasant whistle), and the brass "Trad D" (which I liked much more than the first one). The disadvantage of the DX006D whistle is its disgustingly uneven timbre, the trad has much better with this, which, by the way, is quite paradoxical, given the difference in price. The Whistle Trad is not customizable (although the plastic whistle seems to stick to the glue and you can actually try to remove it), it has a quiet sound with a small head, the pressure and air consumption on it are low and in general it is a good tool for the beginner.
Note that some Dixon models come with two interchangeable whistles, one of which turns the instrument into a simple cross-section. Take this as a bonus, you should not purposefully buy these models because of the transverse whistle, because the sound quality with it is worse than that of normal transverse flutes, it is better to buy a full-fledged transverse (or fife) if you need it.
Susato- extremely high quality and popular plastic whistles. They have a clear, rather loud, ringing sound. Susato produces several lines with different models, both with removable whistle and one-piece. Susato produces both lowistles and high whistles, with one of the highest available keys in this price range. Interestingly, within a separate range (soprano, alto), whistles from one line of models are standardized in size so that a removable whistle can be attached to different bodies. Thus, it is possible to order several whistle bodies in different keys from the same range and one whistle, which, if necessary, is installed on the desired body, which saves money and space in the bag. Susato whistles are almost the only whistles that can be purchased with special keys on the holes that make it easier to play lowistles with large distances between the holes. Although, on the other hand, getting used to these conveniences, it may be more difficult for you to switch to models from other manufacturers in the future, and you may also have problems with the play of some ornaments, so a lowistle with keys can be recommended for people with small hands who find it difficult to play on low whistles, but really want to.
Killarney- metal whistles from Ireland, currently available in nickel and brass versions. These are high-quality and pleasant instruments with excellent tuning, comfortable pressure and pleasant, even timbre. With the chief. The whistles are customizable, the whistle can be removed. Somewhere I seem to have seen information that the diameter of the game tube of this whistle is the same as that of budget whistles such as Generation or Clare, which allows using their game tubes with a Killarney whistle (at least I can personally confirm this for the Clare whistle ), it was allegedly even done on purpose. The design of these whistles is reminiscent of J. Sindt's whistles (especially the brass version). Currently released in soprano keys C (C), D (D) and E flat (Eb).
Hiltch(master Gal Hilch)
Overton / Goldie(master Colin Goldie)

I took it up tonight to sew covers for my whistles. Whistle is such a tool that contributes to the appearance at some point of the disease called whistlemania. I want to try all the tools I can get my hands on. I did not escape this infection either. So, I decided to sew covers. He took out all the whistles and laid them out. Then he began to play something on each. Once again, a simple truth came to me - how much they are all different in sound, character (in some cases, even temper), energy. I decided to write for each of them, so to speak, a brief description.

Clarke sweetone d

THE VERY FIRST. My first whistle. It is four years old, but despite the fact that I know for sure my preferences in this area, I still play on it. Plastic whistle, tapered body, rolled and welded from a strip of metal. The sound of the first octave is quite stable, even dense in places - despite the fact that the walls of the instrument are rather flimsy. On overblowing, it is slightly squeaky (especially the upper A and Xi).

A wonderful instrument, a classic of the genre - a conical body, a block of hard wood (I could not find out the breed). I love its sound. One of my most popular instruments. But I would have sounded a little louder! .. I slightly upgraded it - I carefully took out the block, soaked it with linseed oil and installed it back, sealing it with a sealant. After that, the air consumption became a little less, and the shower does not hurt from the fact that the unit will quickly deteriorate from moisture and condensation.

Tool manufactured in the workshop of David Shaw (England). It is similar in type to the Original, but this whistle narrows more sharply towards the end. In addition, its walls are thicker and harder, resulting in a sharper and louder whistle sound. Capricious in the second octave, but this is just a matter of habit and therefore is not a particular problem. A very temperamental whistle. And the air consumption is large enough. I usually play it on the street.

The site chiffandfipple.com gives, in my opinion, an exhaustive description of the Generation whistles: if you buy them, be careful, you will definitely fall into one of two extremes - either the best tool imaginable, or crap. It seems to me that I got exactly golimy trash. To somehow change the situation, there were three weeks of sex with elements of perversion. The playing holes were bored, the whistles moved, the blades were sharpened (or, on the contrary, dull), the plastic fringe inside the whistles was cut off ... As a result, the instruments Bb, C and Eb now sound more or less tolerable. People! Decide to buy Generation - be extremely careful!

Tunable whistle, classic Dixon plastic whistle and aluminum cylindrical body. The thick walls and overall massiveness give the instrument a very stable dense sound that can be made very gentle with proper breathing.

Whistle whistle

History

The history of the instrument is lost over the centuries, since such flutes date back to prehistoric times and are found in almost every nation on Earth.

Actually "tin" - that is, tin, whistle appeared in 1843 in England. Poor farmer Robert Clarke had a wooden whistle and wanted to make a similar one, but from a new material tinplate(tinned sheet), which had just appeared then. The new tool turned out to be so successful that Clark decided to start his own business. He traveled to England with his son, carrying his tools and supplies in a handcart. Stopping in cities and villages, especially in the markets, Clark, in front of the population, rolled tin-whistles from a sheet of tin, a conical tube was obtained, which was then closed at one end with a wooden stopper - a whistle was obtained, then holes were cut in the tube. Clarke immediately demonstrated the instrument, playing melodies on it for the audience. The pipe cost one penny, from this comes another name for it - penny-whistle... Sometimes Clark's pipes were bought by Irish sailors and other people from the Green Island, who brought them home. This is how teen whistle came to Ireland.

In Ireland, everyone liked the pipe, as it was very well suited for playing Irish folk music. Robert Clarke's production has survived to this day, whistles of the brand Clarke are always popular all over the world, especially as a tool for beginners.

Subsequently, tin whistles began to be made from various materials, from metal tubes, brass, aluminum, etc. Various types of plastic and other materials.

Tin-whistle became widespread throughout the world in the 60s and 70s of the XX century in the wake of a revival of interest in folk music in Ireland and beyond. Almost all famous folk groups have used tin whistle in their activities. New firms and master-makers of tin whistles appeared.

Application

Despite the seeming primitiveness of the device, ting-whistle - in the context of Irish folk music - is a rather sophisticated instrument with much more possibilities than it seems at first glance. The technique of playing on it, most likely, developed under the influence of the technique of playing the Irish bagpipes. uilleann pipes which has a long tradition and is quite complex. Many Irish musicians became famous precisely because of their masterful playing of the whistle, for example Mary Bergin, who recorded two albums in the late 70s under the name Feadoga Stain 1 & 2 (Tin Whistles 1 & 2) who have had and continue to have a noticeable impact on the whistlers of the whole world.

Notable Whistler Performers:

Modern whistles

There are many different types of tin whistles these days. These are tin conical whistles that have survived to this day. Clarke, and common brass with a plastic whistle Generation available plastic whistles Dixon and Susato and wooden whistles of professional manufacturers.

Most popular manufacturers:

The whistle is one of the most common instruments in the world, largely due to its affordability: an entry-level pipe, quite acceptable in quality, can cost $ 5, professional-grade instruments cost from $ 100 to $ 700, but some professionals prefer cheap whistles. The most expensive, as a rule, wooden artisan whistles.

Low whistle

Low-Whistle- low-whistle - a low variety of tin-whistle. It features a lower setting and larger size, as well as more demanding breathing and less mobility. Has a deeper and thicker timbre. Therefore, low-whistle is often used for playing slow melodies. Made from metal, plastic or wood.

The most common key is D (D is the first octave, one octave lower than the usual twistle). It is made in most keys from G (first octave salt) to G (minor salt). The lowest tonalities are very rare and are sometimes referred to as "bass".

History

Probably, longitudinal flutes, similar to low-whistles, existed in the 16th century, this fact remains controversial.

The inventor of low-whistle in its modern form is considered to be an English jazz musician and instrument maker. Bernard Overton, who in 1971 made a low-whistle for the famous Irish musician Finbar Furey who lost his bamboo whistle during the tour. Having made the first two low-whistles, which Fury actively used in performances, Overton began to receive orders from other musicians.

The beginning of the mass popularity of low-whistle fell on the 90s of the XX century after the famous dance show Riverdance in which the musician Davy Spillane played this instrument.

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Excerpt from Whistle

- Oui, madame, [Yes, madam,] - he answered, looking around.
- Have you seen my husband?
- Non, madame. [No, madam.] - He smiled quite inappropriately.
- You seem to have been to Paris recently? I think very interesting.
- Very interesting..
The Countess exchanged glances with Anna Mikhailovna. Anna Mikhaylovna understood that she was being asked to occupy this young man, and, having sat down with him, began to talk about her father; but just like the countess, he answered her only in monosyllabic words. The guests were all busy among themselves. Les Razoumovsky… ca a ete charmant… Vous etes bien bonne… La comtesse Apraksine… [The Razumovskys… It was delicious… You are very kind… Countess Apraksin…] was heard from all sides. The Countess got up and went into the hall.
- Marya Dmitrievna? - I heard her voice from the hall.
“She's the one,” a rough woman’s voice was heard in response, and after that Marya Dmitrievna entered the room.
All the young ladies and even the ladies, except for the oldest, stood up. Marya Dmitrievna stopped in the doorway and, from the height of her corpulent body, holding her fifty-year-old head high with gray curls, looked at the guests and, as if rolling up, unhurriedly straightened the wide sleeves of her dress. Marya Dmitrievna always spoke Russian.
“Dear birthday girl with the children,” she said in her loud, thick voice overwhelming all other sounds. “What are you, an old sinner,” she turned to the count, who was kissing her hand, “tea, do you miss Moscow? Nowhere to chase the dogs? But what, father, to do, this is how these birds grow up ... - She pointed to the girls. - If you want or not, you have to look for suitors.
- Well, what, my Cossack? (Marya Dmitrievna called Natasha a Cossack) - she said, caressing Natasha with her hand, who approached her hand without fear and cheerfully. - I know that the potion is a girl, but I love it.
She took out yacht earrings with pears from a huge reticule and, giving them to Natasha, who was shining and blushing for her birthday, immediately turned away from her and turned to Pierre.
- Eh, eh! kind! come here, ”she said in a feigned low and thin voice. - Come on, my dear ...
And she ominously rolled up her sleeves even higher.
Pierre approached, looking at her innocently through his glasses.
- Come, come, dear! I told your father the truth alone, when he was in the case, and then God commands you.
She paused. All were silent, expecting what would happen, and feeling that there was only a preface.
- Good, there is nothing to say! good boy! ... The father lies on the bed, and he amuses himself, puts the quarterly on the bear on horseback. Ashamed, father, ashamed! It would be better if he went to war.
She turned away and held out her hand to the count, who could hardly refrain from laughing.
- Well, well, to the table, I have tea, is it time? - said Marya Dmitrievna.
The count went ahead with Marya Dmitrievna; then the countess, who was led by the hussar colonel, the right person with whom Nikolai had to catch up with the regiment. Anna Mikhailovna - with Shinshin. Berg gave his hand to Vera. Smiling Julie Karagina went with Nikolai to the table. Other couples followed, stretching across the hall, and behind them all, one by one, children, tutors and governesses. The waiters stirred, the chairs rattled, music played in the choir, and the guests settled down. The sounds of the earl's home music were replaced by the sounds of knives and forks, the guests talking, the quiet steps of the waiters.
The Countess sat at one end of the table. On the right is Marya Dmitrievna, on the left is Anna Mikhailovna and other guests. At the other end sat the count, on the left a hussar colonel, on the right Shinshin and other male guests. On one side of the long table there are older youth: Vera next to Berg, Pierre next to Boris; on the other hand, children, tutors and governesses. From behind the crystals, bottles and fruit bowls, the count looked at his wife and her high cap with blue ribbons and diligently poured wine to his neighbors, not forgetting himself. The countess, too, because of the pineapples, not forgetting the duties of the hostess, threw significant glances at her husband, whose bald head and face, it seemed to her, with their redness were more sharply different from the gray hair. There was an even babbling on the ladies' end; on the men's one, voices were heard louder and louder, especially of the hussar colonel, who ate and drank so much, blushing more and more that the count was already setting him up as an example to other guests. Berg spoke with Vera with a gentle smile that love is not an earthly feeling, but a heavenly one. Boris called his new friend Pierre the guests at the table and exchanged glances with Natasha, who was sitting opposite him. Pierre spoke little, looked around at new faces and ate a lot. Starting from two soups, of which he chose a la tortue, [tortoiseshell,] and kulebyaki, and to hazel grouses, he did not miss a single dish or a single wine, which the butler mysteriously poked out of a neighbor's shoulder in a bottle wrapped in a napkin, saying or “dray Madeira, or Hungarian, or Rhine. He substituted the first of the four crystal glasses with a count's monogram standing in front of each device, and drank with pleasure, looking more and more pleasantly at the guests. Natasha, who was sitting opposite him, looked at Boris, as girls of thirteen years old look at the boy with whom they had just kissed for the first time and with whom they are in love. This very gaze of her sometimes turned to Pierre, and under the gaze of this funny, lively girl he wanted to laugh himself, not knowing why.
Nikolay was sitting far from Sonya, next to Julie Karagina, and again with the same involuntary smile he was talking to her. Sonya smiled ceremoniously, but, apparently, was tormented by jealousy: she turned pale, then blushed, and with all her might she listened to what Nikolai and Julie were saying among themselves. The governess looked around uneasily, as if preparing for a rebuff, if anyone had thought to offend the children. The German governor tried to memorize all kinds of food, desserts and wines in order to describe everything in detail in a letter to his family in Germany, and was very offended that the butler, with a bottle wrapped in a napkin, carried him around. The German frowned, tried to pretend that he did not want to get this wine, but was offended because no one wanted to understand that he needed wine not to quench his thirst, not out of greed, but out of conscientious curiosity.

At the male end of the table, the conversation grew more and more lively. The colonel said that the manifesto on the declaration of war had already been published in St. Petersburg and that the copy he had seen himself had now been delivered by courier to the commander-in-chief.
- And why is it difficult for us to fight Bonaparte? - said Shinshin. - II a deja rabattu le caquet a l "Autriche. Je crains, que cette fois ce ne soit notre tour. [He has already knocked down arrogance from Austria. I'm afraid our turn would not come now.]
The colonel was a stout, tall and sanguine German, evidently a campaigner and a patriot. He was offended by Shinshin's words.

An instrument now known among Irish musicians as , , or tinflute , has a long lineage in the historical annals of folk music.

For the first time such pipes were known in China, about 5000 years ago. Their design came to Europe around the 11th century. The oldest surviving examples are 12th century bone whistles, recently unearthed during excavations on High Street in Dublin's old Norman quarter.

The various types of whistle flutes that were the progenitors of the modern tinwhistle are often mentioned in the stories and laws that govern ancient Irish society. There is a story in which Ailen, the leader of the magical tribe Tuatha de Danann, uses feadan to wake up the residents of the High King's palace Tara so that he can fulfill his "November Eve Revenge" held annually (one can only guess what kind of event it is).

Players on feadan also mentioned in the account of the King of Ireland found in the Judicial Acts dating from the third century AD.

The 12th century poem mentions cuisleannach (performers) on cuisle or pipes) often present at fairs in the pre-Christian period. However, the poet himself describes them rather disapprovingly. (perhaps due to only personal hostility, or still because of their game).

More approving attitude towards cuisle expressed by a 12th century translator in Acallam na Senorach comparing this instrument to the timbre and sound of a girl's voice.

One of the most interesting references comes from a poem found in an ancient city Teach Miodhchuarta... It contains descriptions of the royal banquets at Tara; cuisleannach assigned to the same division as blacksmiths, armor makers, jugglers, shoemakers, fishermen (in short, common people, artisans), and named by their social compatriots.

Through research by 19th century scholars, some understanding of what these various "musical pipes" were that flourished at the time became possible.

Both instrument names are - feadan (also called feadog ) and cuisle (cuiseach ), refer to "pipe, pipe, artery, vein", which were made from curved stems of plants such as reeds and other herbs, (additional meaning feadan - "hollow stick").

Manufacturer uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes) Patrick Ennellay of Chicago recalled that as a boy in Mayo, he often made musical instruments from ripe oat straw by simply removing the stem from the stem and then shaping the whistle and finger holes with a penknife.

Most likely, the basic principles of the design of such instruments were discovered quite early by many people. Later, as processing technology advanced, more durable materials such as wood and bone were used, as well as various whistle designs, tongues and reeds were invented to produce sound in instruments.

Carved stone drawings from the 9th-11th centuries show these flutes straight, or sometimes slightly curved at the base. They had a narrow tapered channel that widened towards the base and were approximately 14 or 24 inches long.

The currently produced Bb (B flat) whistles (two tones below the "standard" D key) are 14.3 / 4 inches long, this is speculative but not the meticulously accurate tuning of the time. feadog or cuisle .

Harmonic and possibly "overblowed" "Overwhelmed" notes were used as for similar types of simple flutes all over the world.

Longitudinal members of the flute family, first found in medieval Brittany and Ireland, were later also found in Somerset and Mountutshire, England. Two pipes made of deer bone had five upper holes; one had two lower thumb holes, while the other had only one. One pipe had a range of one and a half octaves, the other two and a half octaves. These instruments have been restored to working order and found to produce a diatonic scale (as modern ). This indicates that in those days, simple melodies could be played on such instruments.

Modern belongs to a variety of musical instruments called (in the Western tradition) flageolets - harmonics, of which the recorder is a famous example. To distinguish these instruments by their construction from other flutes, the term "whistle flute" or " fipple-flute". I would like to draw your attention to the fact that now flageolet "ohm is called a whistle flute, which has four upper and two lower holes, one of which is octave.

Fipple (whistle, phipple) - a device formed by a small block, usually of wood, which closes the flute channel from the upper end and forms an air channel, through which air enters the whistle blade; in some cases this wooden block is not manufactured separately, but is an integral part of the whistle.

Fipples in medieval bone flutes were made of clay. A narrow space was created in the form of a gap between the phipple and the inner wall of the instrument.

The air flow generated by the performer is directed by this system to the sharp edge of the pipe just behind the phipple, thus producing sound. This type of flute with a longitudinal air channel became known in Europe in the 11th century, and, according to musicologists, exists today in various forms throughout the world.

Early 19th century English finally took shape as an instrument with six play holes. Some still had a traditional hole for the thumb, however, the blowing technique made it possible to successfully do without it.

The Robert Clark story

Robert Clark lived and worked on a farm in the small village of Coney Weston, England, as a simple laborer. He was a talented musician, and at every opportunity he played well on the wooden whistle. Maybe because of this, or maybe for another reason, but in 1843 the owner of the farm accused him of dishonesty, and fired the poor man.

Robert had to find a way to earn his living, and even support his family.

Then he became interested in the possibility of making a whistle from metal, like the wooden one he had. Why metal? And ask modern manufacturers of wood whistles, why are they so expensive? :) Robert learned about the existence of a new material - "tinplate", that is, tinplate. This was the name given to tin-plated steel sheets. Tin prevented corrosion of steel, and generally improved the aesthetic properties of the material.

Clark went to the blacksmith he knew and asked if he could get tinplate, and how to make a pipe out of tin "... like this one, wooden"? Seeing no difficulty in this, the blacksmith helped (and when did the guys not help?) and Robert made a pretty good instrument. Moreover, it was so good that he decided to start a business to manufacture !

His home village was not a place to start a real business. Therefore, Clark, having collected tools and other belongings, loaded it all into a cart, and, together with his son (by the way, also Robert) went to Lancashire, where, as he was told, "there is where to turn around."

So they walked, pushing the cart in front of them from Coney Weston all the way to Manchester.

When along the way met villages and towns where there was a market, Clark stopped there and made ting-whistles to sell right there. In front of everyone, he made his pipes and immediately played them. They say that the buzzing market froze and listened to our hero playing his favorite melody " Danny boy«.

Sometimes he met Irish laborers who built railways and canals, and he sold whistles to them - after all, Robert asked for a little, and almost everyone could buy this simple musical instrument for himself. This is how the tin whistles came to Ireland, and soon became the most beloved Irish folk instrument.

Upon reaching Manchester, Robert Clark set up a factory and soon became a thriving manufacturer. Later he rebuilt a new, real factory, two

at home, and even a church in the nearby village of New Moston. By that time, he was already a rather rich man ...

Still The Clarke Tinwhistle Company produces whistles, and they are still available to almost everyone. The whistle is arguably one of the most inexpensive and simplest musical instruments. Clarke called his first whistles "Meg", this Victorian word means a half-penny coin - it was for this amount that you could buy an instrument from Robert.

The current Meg model commemorates those days and is now the cheapest (but far from the worst) whistle in the world.

You can buy yourself this, or even the original version - Clarke original, and touch the history of Robert Clark - a man who made tools for the people ...

A little bit about

The tool now called (literally: low whistle) is a very close relative of a regular whistle (I will not use the expression , which is sometimes used for a clearer semantic distinction between these instruments). Widespread popularity among traditional musicians of our time makes us take a closer look at this relatively young instrument. A richer, more complex, deeper and brooding sound allows you to make interesting arrangements of works not only in the genre of traditional folk, but also in styles derived from it.

Consent as to origin no, there are three main versions of the origin of the "low whistle".

Low whistle as a 17th century instrument

The low whistle was first called the "upright flute" because of its shape. It is a descendant of recorders developed during the 16th century. The first had a tapered channel and six playing holes, borrowed from early transverse flutes. They were made of wood and were not customizable. At the end of the 17th century, when metalworking reached the desired level, low whistles began to be made from brass and nickel. For this, as a rule, the metal was rolled into a tube and soldered, like Clark's conical whistle. Some tools already had a slide for customization. These whistles were used throughout the 18th century and have been found in Ireland, Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. The re-emergence of vertical metal flutes in Irish music is said to have occurred in the 1970s thanks to the musician Finbar furey... It is also believed that it was he who introduced the term " «.

Low whistle as a 20th century instrument

The low whistle is a recent invention (perhaps no more than 30 years ago); and, moreover, has been adopted into the Irish tradition even more recently. Using low-whistle in a show "Riverdance" contributed to the recognition and popularization of the instrument, however, few musicians found this novelty usable instead of the traditional flute or ordinary ... Generally speaking, most often used as a tool of "special effects" on several separate melodies. Although there are some performers who play exclusively on low whistles. It seems to many that a low whistle allows you to get a sound similar to a flute, while without the technical efforts that a flute requires. This opinion is not entirely correct, since the flute still sounds unique, and not always as easy to play as ... It can be said with the assumption that - something in between a whistle (for the simplicity of the game) and a flute (for the richness of sound). But this is purely my opinion, let's move on to the third, most common theory.

Low whistle as an invention of Bernard Overton

In the late sixties, some of the most famous musicians to set the tone for the English folk scene were the brothers Eddie and Finbar Fury. The main phenomenon was Finbar's lineup called The Lone Boatman. Finbar himself played in this group the Indian bamboo flute in La flat. In the end, this tool, due to physical wear and tear, cracked, and kept its last days only thanks to adhesive tape and chewing gum. One night, Finbar accidentally sat down on his unfortunate flute, finishing it off completely.

The need for a new tool forced Finbar to place an order with an English master named Bernard Overton. At that time he was engaged in the manufacture of transverse flutes. Bernard took on the creation of a prototype in the key of SALT ... When the instrument was ready, Finbar liked it so much that he asked Bernard to make another one for him, in the key of PE (below exactly one octave). This was the birth of a dynasty Overton…

The popularity of Finbar Fury was high, and at concerts many people asked him where he got this new instrument. So Bernard Overton began to receive his first orders, and soon left all the rest of the work, completely focusing on the manufacture of low whistles. Currently low whistles Overton are made in more than 20 different keys, special models are also produced (with additional playing holes and non-standard characteristics).

Many manufacturers have started to make , to a greater or lesser extent copying the models Overton... However, few people have managed to come close to the sound of the "space drainpipe", as this brand of low-whistles is sometimes called for its recognizable sound.

Several years ago, Bernard Overton decided to abandon whistle making, making decisions that could disrupt the fragile market for artisan whistles. Bernard sold the rights to make whistles Overton two people - Colin Goldie and Phil Hardy.
Colin Goldie is completely handcrafted and makes whistles just like Bernard Overton did them. His instruments are highly respected and in demand for their impeccable and consistent sound quality. Unfortunately, in 2008, Berdnard passed away, and since August 2009, at the request of the Bernard Overton family, Colin Goldie no longer names his whistles. "Overton"... Now he uses his own last name - "Goldie" while maintaining the highest quality and unique sound of the instruments. Phil Hardy took a more commercial route. Quite quickly, he developed a new series of whistles based on the design Overton, but factory-made, not hand-made. Now these whistles are badged "Chieftain", and, thanks to mass production and good price / quality ratio, steel is very common. Phil Hardy, odako, also produces more expensive fully handcrafted low-whistles under the brand name "Kerry Pro".
“Here's PR again!”, You say, but there's nothing you can do about it ... For many years, the terms “ " and " Overton "Were practically synonymous, and I do not know of another story that could more adequately tell about the birth of this new instrument, one of the youngest instruments in the world. A beautiful instrument is a beautiful story, as we have done ... :)

The article is taken from the site tinwhistle.breqwas.net