Turn a tinwhistle into a "no-hole, bugle-scaled" whistle (Played with one finger & overblowing) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~NOTE: 1 photo and a sound sample of this instrument are available. Click here for information.
Take an inexpensive, $3, Cooperman "D" tinwhistle (any instrument will work, but I prefer this one), tape up all the holes. You play bugle tunes (it ONLY plays the bugle scale) by a very easily learnable combination of overblowing and stopping the end of the instrument with your right hand index finger. Perhaps an example (which uses most of the notes in a bugle scale) would be the best way to illustrate how to play this thing: --------------------------------------------------------------------- ON means play this note with index finger ON the end of the whistle. OFf means play this note with index finger OFF the end of the whistle. 1 means play in the whistle's first range (first octave). 2 means play in the whistle's second range (overblow) (second octave). Tune: REVEILLE (only 1st part shown) IT'S TIME TO GET UP ON/1 OFF/2 ON/2 OFF/2 ON/1 IT'S TIME TO GET UP ON/1 OFF/2 ON/2 OFF/2 ON/1 IT'S TIME TO GET UP ON/1 OFF/2 ON/2 OFF/2 ON/1 THIS MOR- NING OFF/2 ON/2 OFF/2 One higher note is needed in the tune's 2nd part. This note is made by sharply overblowing in the second range. --------------------------------------------------------------------- There is a very low note (OFF/1), but this note is rarely used in bugling. This undoubtedly comes under the heading of a novelty instrument, but is nonetheless fun to diddle with, besides being extremely easy to build/play. PS Tim Hoke, in Indiana, tells me similar instruments are very common in Scandanavia - being made of birchbark. The Norwegian name being "Seljefloyte" or more commonly "overtone flutes". I note a metal one for sale in an upscale musical-instrument catalog for $115 Yikes!! Click here to access my home page. Dennis Havlena - W8MI Mackinac Straits Northern Michigan