Whistle physics and anatomy

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Tue May 28, 2002 6:10 am

I couldn't find anything on this in the archives so I'll ask here. Does anybody know of a resource explaining how/why whistles work?

Mike

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Tue May 28, 2002 6:37 am

Yes. It explains it in Grove's music dictionary. Look in the article on "flutes."

Basically, your breath hits the wedge-like edge of the window, this causes the breath to vibrate down the tube. By lengthening and shortening the tube (covering and uncovering the holes) you lengthen or shorten the column of air, and make a lower or higher pitch.

The whistle is thought of as one of the "purest" sounds, as the air itself is primarily all that is vibrating.

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Tue May 28, 2002 9:53 am

Walden,
Thanks for the info. I'll take a look at Grove's.

Mike

MrTuffPaws · Post by **MrTuffPaws** » Tue May 28, 2002 10:15 am

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Museum/4915/02.HTM

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Tue May 28, 2002 10:39 am

Mr Tuffpaws,
Thanks, that fits the bill nicely!
Mike

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Tue May 28, 2002 8:15 pm

Don't believe these physics guys! Whistles work primarily by magic....

Thomas-Hastay · Post by **Thomas-Hastay** » Wed May 29, 2002 4:49 pm

Mike

If you wish detailed instruction on how to design and make flutes and whistles,I suggest the books of Lew Paxton Price. These books are written for the beginer and you only need a scientific calculator to work the simplified formulae. here is a source...

<a href="http://www.shakuhachi.com/TOC-CM.html">Shakuhachi.com's Craft manuals</a>

If you just wish a simple explaination on how a whistle voicing resonates or some acoustic examples,just post a specific question and I (and others)will be glad to help.

Thomas Hastay.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Thomas-Hastay on 2002-05-29 18:50 ]</font>

Daniel_Bingamon · Post by **Daniel_Bingamon** » Wed May 29, 2002 8:25 pm

Try http://www.windworld.com Bart Hopkins book on Air Columns and Toneholes. It's a great reference.

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Thu May 30, 2002 6:05 am

Thanks for the info, guys. I am not really interested in making instruments. I am new to wind instruments having played fretted strings all my musical life. I can get my mind around a vibrating string and why shortening it raises the pitch but whistles and flutes seem like magic to me. The resources you all have given me have answered most of my questions. Thanks very much! Or, as we say in Cleveland, thanks very much.
Mike

Frodo · Post by **Frodo** » Thu May 30, 2002 6:22 am

what is a whistle ?

dkehoe · Post by **dkehoe** » Thu May 30, 2002 2:36 pm

Thomas and Daniel -

There seems to be a lot of info on the methods for calculating tone hole location, size, etc., but not much on the fipple/windway. A while back I posted a link to some research done by Wade Blocker on organ pipes (a close analog), and although interesting didn't provide me with a lot of good design guidance. I have seen some stuff written by a guy in Europe named Johann Linincratz (or something like that) suggesting an Ising number as a design number for organ pipes, but the calcs don't seem to agree all that well for whistles. Any thoughts?

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Thu May 30, 2002 2:41 pm

On 2002-05-30 08:22, Frodo wrote:
what is a whistle ?

That thing that Capn Kirk played in the movie lamer