a question: what is the "chiff"??

[rhulsey]

We all know about "Chiff". It is the little incise or transient that an organ pipe gives out naturally when it begins its tone. The chiff sounds like "KAA. . . " and sometimes "CHAA. . ." or even "SHAA." With too little wind it takes on a tubercular quality, a kind of cough. In E. Power Biggs's words, the chiff is the consonant that precedes the vowel. Using his metaphor it is easy to show that the chiff, or something like it, is essential to articulateness--for: Who ever heard of articulation without consonants? Some form of chiff was present in all the early organs.

This is actually a quote from the late Charles Fisk, an American organbuilder concerning the topic of articulation.

What has not been brought up is the term organbuilders use for the noise or breathiness in the tone - 'sizzle'. It is often referred simply as noise, or trashiness, but sizzle is most common one.

So, I guess that leaves us with Chiff, Sizzle and Fipple!

[hans]

'sizzle' - I like that one - "I got a sizzling whistle!"
'trashiness' - that sounds so blatant negative "Some like cheap trashy whistles."
'noise' - a more objective term, but could be mistaken for excessive volume or bad playing.

What about 'hiss' as an onomatopoeic for breathiness?

In any case I think whistle makers need a wider range of vocabulary to describe a whistle's sounds than one need for an organ pipe, since the tonal complexity varies for each note and with the player's air pressure and dynamics.

[pancelticpiper]

So when did whistleplayers on this site begin using this term borrowed from Pipe Organ building?

I'd played whistle for well over 20 years before joining this site, and I had never previously heard the word.

I've no clue whether any of my whistles have "chiff" or not, or to what extent they may have it, or even what it might be.

[Peter Duggan]

So, I guess that leaves us with Chiff, Sizzle and Fipple!

Think just 'Chiff & Sizzle' sounds snappier!

What about 'hiss' as an onomatopoeic for breathiness?

What, like 'Hiss & Fipple'? (But, seriously, do we actually need one?)

I've no clue whether any of my whistles have "chiff" or not, or to what extent they may have it,

Bet you do (because you know your whistles)...

or even what it might be.

But just don't call it that (when I don't either)!