ethnicwind.com
penny whistle, Celtic, Ireland, ethnic instruments, flute, flutes, ethnic D,
high C Low D, Bass A, bagpipes, nick metcalf, Nick Metcalf
high C Low D, Bass A, bagpipes, nick metcalf, Nick Metcalf
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1. Are my hands big enough for a low Irish whistle?
Well, honestly I don't know, but here's some tools to find out. CLICK HERE for a picture
of a low D and low C. If you print this picture at 100% size (full page) you can use it as a
template to see if your hands can make the stretch. I am also happy to have you scan
your hands and email them to me (the scans, not your hands please) and I can
customize the whistles to your hands at no extra charge!
Can I get a custom design on my Irish whistle?
Yes, I usually charge and extra $10 to put a word or name, or pretty much any other
customization in design. If it is really simple I might not charge extra, just let me know
what you want and we'll go from there! I also have recently added a Celtic cross design
to my regularly offered designs. This one costs $15 in addition to the cost of your Irish
Whistle.
Does the paint have lead or other toxic materials in it?
No! I am not trying to kill you, honestly! I wouldn't recommend eating the paint in large
quantities, but it is harmless, no lead, and the copper is all coated in paint, so no
copper residue will be absorbed my your mouth (plus, you aren't really supposed to
suck on a whistle, it should have just enough dry lip contact to blow into it, but slobber,
and whistles aren't a great mix no matter what the whistle is made of)
I am having moisture build up on the inside of my Irish whistle
what can I do?
Well, unfortunately this is a common problem in many different whistle types. There is
some debate as to the exact nature of the moisture, whether it is saliva, condensation,
or a combination of the two... Whatever it is, it gets in the way of good whistling! There
are a few things you can do about it:
1. Warm it. Cold metal attracts moisture from your warm breath, so make sure you
warm your whistle a bit before you play it. The best way I have found to do this is to
hold both hands around the outside of the mouthpiece covering the window on the top
and blow very hard into the whistle. You should feel the temperature change a bit, and
the hard blowing negates any possible moisture buildup during the warming process.
2. Suck it up.... Literally. Many players have found that they can become quite
proficient at putting a little moisture suck right in the middle of a jig or reel without
missing a beat. Me personally? Well, once moisture has left my mouth I prefer not to
take it back into my mouth if possible, so this method is not for me!
3. The Solution: Many players have found that putting a soapy solution into the
windway helps to break the surface tension of the moisture so it won't bead up causing
so much clogging. I recommend a laundry detergent, or something with a pleasant
odor. A good method of applying the solution is to cut a small piece of thick paper or a
3/5 card that will fit in the windway, soak it in your detergent solution and the apply it
inside the windway area making sure all the inside surfaces are moistened.
You can always check how well a detergent works at breaking the surface tension by
taking a cup of water, putting a small piece of toilette paper on top of it, then carefully
laying a needle or paper clip on top of the toilette paper. The paper should soak up
with water leaving the needle or paper clip floating. (really it works) now put a very small
amount of your detergent into the water and the needle or paper clip should
immediately sink if it is a good detergent to use. Now you should of course use a much
stronger solution for the inside of the windway then we did in this needle floating
experiment.
Now, as a caution: those of you who have already developed a sucking habit may find
that if you put detergent in your windway you are bound to forget a couple times and
get a nasty soapy mouth.. not pleasant.... so consider yourself warned.
My hands get sore after playing the Irish whistle, Is the whistle
too heavy?
No, The copper whistles are the heaviest ones I make. Many makers make a solid brass
whistle, now that thing IS heavy! It is a natural thing that if you haven't played a whistle
very much, or only a high whistle and you are switching to a low whistle, you are gonna
get sore hands. But never fear, it goes away (unless you are like 110, and you
regenerative powers have completely run out!). Just keep practicing everyday, and
eventually you will build muscle and muscle memory and your hands will get used to it.
Now, if you have some kind of joint disorder, or something else, you may need to
consult you physician to see if you should be playing a whistle, but other than that you
should be OK. Also, if you are having trouble you should look into a PVC whistle, or
something that is lighter than the copper, even the Ceol Pro model is far lighter weight
than the copper models.
I got my Irish whistle, and it doesn't sound like the sound clips!
First of all, I would suggest it is possibly the player and not the instrument. I know that
sounds harsh and I don't mean it to be, but any new instrument has a learning curve,
even if you are a professional whistle player, every whistle takes some getting used to.
Also, each Irish whistle is a little different, so there will be slight differences from one
whistle to the next when they are hand made. But the design and the specifications
used to make the instruments are very precise, so the differences aren't very big.
I am human however, and do once in a while make a mistake. If you have any problems
with your whistle I will be more than happy to repair it, or exchange it for a better one,
whatever the case may be.
Can I get alternate tunings or fingerings on my Irish Whistle?
Sure, Just let me know what you want, and I'd be happy to make it for you! I do a lot of
custom work, if it isn't a lot more work for me I don't charge extra.
Well, honestly I don't know, but here's some tools to find out. CLICK HERE for a picture
of a low D and low C. If you print this picture at 100% size (full page) you can use it as a
template to see if your hands can make the stretch. I am also happy to have you scan
your hands and email them to me (the scans, not your hands please) and I can
customize the whistles to your hands at no extra charge!
Can I get a custom design on my Irish whistle?
Yes, I usually charge and extra $10 to put a word or name, or pretty much any other
customization in design. If it is really simple I might not charge extra, just let me know
what you want and we'll go from there! I also have recently added a Celtic cross design
to my regularly offered designs. This one costs $15 in addition to the cost of your Irish
Whistle.
Does the paint have lead or other toxic materials in it?
No! I am not trying to kill you, honestly! I wouldn't recommend eating the paint in large
quantities, but it is harmless, no lead, and the copper is all coated in paint, so no
copper residue will be absorbed my your mouth (plus, you aren't really supposed to
suck on a whistle, it should have just enough dry lip contact to blow into it, but slobber,
and whistles aren't a great mix no matter what the whistle is made of)
I am having moisture build up on the inside of my Irish whistle
what can I do?
Well, unfortunately this is a common problem in many different whistle types. There is
some debate as to the exact nature of the moisture, whether it is saliva, condensation,
or a combination of the two... Whatever it is, it gets in the way of good whistling! There
are a few things you can do about it:
1. Warm it. Cold metal attracts moisture from your warm breath, so make sure you
warm your whistle a bit before you play it. The best way I have found to do this is to
hold both hands around the outside of the mouthpiece covering the window on the top
and blow very hard into the whistle. You should feel the temperature change a bit, and
the hard blowing negates any possible moisture buildup during the warming process.
2. Suck it up.... Literally. Many players have found that they can become quite
proficient at putting a little moisture suck right in the middle of a jig or reel without
missing a beat. Me personally? Well, once moisture has left my mouth I prefer not to
take it back into my mouth if possible, so this method is not for me!
3. The Solution: Many players have found that putting a soapy solution into the
windway helps to break the surface tension of the moisture so it won't bead up causing
so much clogging. I recommend a laundry detergent, or something with a pleasant
odor. A good method of applying the solution is to cut a small piece of thick paper or a
3/5 card that will fit in the windway, soak it in your detergent solution and the apply it
inside the windway area making sure all the inside surfaces are moistened.
You can always check how well a detergent works at breaking the surface tension by
taking a cup of water, putting a small piece of toilette paper on top of it, then carefully
laying a needle or paper clip on top of the toilette paper. The paper should soak up
with water leaving the needle or paper clip floating. (really it works) now put a very small
amount of your detergent into the water and the needle or paper clip should
immediately sink if it is a good detergent to use. Now you should of course use a much
stronger solution for the inside of the windway then we did in this needle floating
experiment.
Now, as a caution: those of you who have already developed a sucking habit may find
that if you put detergent in your windway you are bound to forget a couple times and
get a nasty soapy mouth.. not pleasant.... so consider yourself warned.
My hands get sore after playing the Irish whistle, Is the whistle
too heavy?
No, The copper whistles are the heaviest ones I make. Many makers make a solid brass
whistle, now that thing IS heavy! It is a natural thing that if you haven't played a whistle
very much, or only a high whistle and you are switching to a low whistle, you are gonna
get sore hands. But never fear, it goes away (unless you are like 110, and you
regenerative powers have completely run out!). Just keep practicing everyday, and
eventually you will build muscle and muscle memory and your hands will get used to it.
Now, if you have some kind of joint disorder, or something else, you may need to
consult you physician to see if you should be playing a whistle, but other than that you
should be OK. Also, if you are having trouble you should look into a PVC whistle, or
something that is lighter than the copper, even the Ceol Pro model is far lighter weight
than the copper models.
I got my Irish whistle, and it doesn't sound like the sound clips!
First of all, I would suggest it is possibly the player and not the instrument. I know that
sounds harsh and I don't mean it to be, but any new instrument has a learning curve,
even if you are a professional whistle player, every whistle takes some getting used to.
Also, each Irish whistle is a little different, so there will be slight differences from one
whistle to the next when they are hand made. But the design and the specifications
used to make the instruments are very precise, so the differences aren't very big.
I am human however, and do once in a while make a mistake. If you have any problems
with your whistle I will be more than happy to repair it, or exchange it for a better one,
whatever the case may be.
Can I get alternate tunings or fingerings on my Irish Whistle?
Sure, Just let me know what you want, and I'd be happy to make it for you! I do a lot of
custom work, if it isn't a lot more work for me I don't charge extra.