# Whistling



## Laurence (Mar 20, 2016)

I didn't learn to whistle I was about 17 when I was a Tesco delivery driver. I'm now 21 and my whistling skill towers above your average scumbag. I think it's due to my unusually large lips (for a white fella) and my love of folk music.

I want to take my skills to the next level and become the ultimate whistling champion! There are, however, no whistling forums. How does push beyond this natural whistling ceiling? Anybody have any tips? Should I be the one to found a whistling board? I'm a web designer with my own servers - if anyone's going to do it, it could be me!


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## Geo (Mar 20, 2016)

Ha! now I feel totally useless... I can't even get a good long whistling sound. 

I have tried to improve but never got too far. A friend of mine who can whistle beautifully (melodies, imitate bird calls, get her kids in line and paying attention) was determined to get me to whistle well... after a summer I was moderately better while her little boy was driving her crazy with his new, improved ability.

There has to be something more than large lips and good cheeks to be good at whistling because I kind of have both but to not avail.


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## Gryphos (Mar 20, 2016)

I can't whistle ... like, at all... Hell, I couldn't even click my fingers until I looked up a youtube tutorial. I'm kinda useless at things.


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## Laurence (Mar 20, 2016)

Geo said:


> Ha! now I feel totally useless... I can't even get a good long whistling sound.
> 
> I have tried to improve but never got too far. A friend of mine who can whistle beautifully (melodies, imitate bird calls, get her kids in line and paying attention) was determined to get me to whistle well... after a summer I was moderately better while her little boy was driving her crazy with his new, improved ability.
> 
> There has to be something more than large lips and good cheeks to be good at whistling because I kind of have both but to not avail.



Now bird calls, that'd be a treat. I wonder if anyone's ever actually tempted any birds nearer with a whistled bird call? Or is it just for having birds whistle back?



Gryphos said:


> I can't whistle ... like, at all... Hell, I couldn't even click my fingers until I looked up a youtube tutorial. I'm kinda useless at things.



Don't worry pal, these are the kind of useless things that are easily learned later in life without shattering your knees.


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## Caged Maiden (Mar 21, 2016)

hm. Now I've never given it a thought, but I whistle songs like that guy. I never knew this was unique. Hm, at lower notes, I whistle in and out, which is sort of necessary, as low notes require more vibration, like on a violin string...you have to move the bow faster to get a low note, while to get a high note, you only have to move the bow a tiny way. Anyways, so range is interesting, because again, it just seems like a  natural thing, to shape your lips and mouth differently to get different pitches. Is this simply a result of my being a saxophone player in Middle School? 

Laurence, do you play a woodwind instrument?


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## Tom (Mar 21, 2016)

I learned to whistle when I was eleven, by copying my Irish granddad, who whistles folk songs nonstop. I wouldn't say I'm amazing, but I'm better than the average person (and the only person I know who can whistle an Irish reel without passing out). I also whistle bird calls a lot. Sometimes they call back! Chickadee calls are the easiest, and they're one of the bird species you can hold a back-and-forth "conversation" with.

Maybe it's because I used to play the flute and penny whistle; thanks to the "tonguing" you have to do to achieve a crisp sound, I've got a good spatial sense of where each note is.


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