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