Flute used in Titanic

Subject: Flute used in Titanic
From: Craig
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 01:23 AM

A friend of mine would like to know what type of flute was used in the music played throughout the movie Titanic. He would also would like to know where he might purchase one.

Thanks, Craig

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: DonMeixner
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 01:27 AM

Its probably a Low whistle that you hear of the Shaw, Clarke, etc. variety and they aren't cheap.

Don

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Tucker
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 01:36 AM

Craig, I hate to disagree with Don but I believe it to be your plain and simple penny whistle or Irish whistle, available at most music shops for 10 bucks or less. they haven't been a penny for some time. They are fairly simple to play too. If your'e wanting to try a fife you can buy one circa the type used in the revolutionary and civil war from Dixie Gun Works in Gunpowder Tenn. They got a toll free # and I am sure are on the net.

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Colin The Whistler (inactive)
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 01:50 AM

ok brother...here's the answer. It's very hard to identify the make of any whistle from a recording. I agree it is an tin whistle, but as to the type..lord knows and I defy anyone to tell you! Go to the Chiff and Fipple Tin whistle site. Not only can you buy and read up on whistles but they have even recently conducted a pole on the things.

I having played for years (semi-professionally) the best one on the market is the 'Susato'.

Hopefully if you hav'nt played before the Titanic may inspire you. Stick one in your gub and go for it brother, it will lead on to many things if you can master it.

If you require any technical advice run up a thread on it and I'll hit you with some details.

Good luck and pop 'till ya drop !!!

Slainte

Colin The Whistle Blower

Ballygally Ireland.

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: alison
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 01:52 AM

Hi,

It is a low whistle and you can find it at this site, including prices.... and they are VERY expensive, and quite difficult to play unless you have very long fingers and very fit lungs.

Chiff and Fipple low whistle page

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: alison
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 01:58 AM

Hi again,

Low whistles are just like ordinary whistles only in lower keys........ and therefore are bigger .. some look like a bit of drainpipe with a mouthpiece stuck on.....

Back to an earlier discussion thread...

Tin whistle preferences

I like the tone of the Susato, but find them to be very unreliable in the top octave... give me a cheapy blue topped Generation any day.

Slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: alison
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 02:06 AM

Personal messages aren't working.. but if you're still there Colin.. come into the chat room for a natter....

Slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Big Mick
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 05:29 AM

It is a Low D Shaw. They run about $80 US from Elderly. I have one and they are a bit of a chore to play. In addition the "stretch" it takes to properly cover the holes, it also takes a great volume of air to maintain the sound. But it is a beautiful sound.

I also love the "edgy" sound of the Susato, but must agree with alison (big surprise, being as how I relentlessly and shamelessly suck up to the fair one at every opportunity) with regard to the reliability at the upper octaves. If you are beginning, I would go with the Generation or Soodlum. Nice sound and reliable.

Mick

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Bev Lawton
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 08:56 AM

Yes it is a LOW D whistle as also recently used by Davy Spillane in the RIVERDANCE show. I personally play a Chieftan LOW D whistle, these are made by an ex-employee of Overton's who made the original Alloy LOW D whistles. As it happens I am in the process of making myself one in wood (Pear wood)being a bit of a wood turner on the side. A good link for LOW whistle info is : Bev Lawton

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Bev Lawton
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 09:00 AM

Sorry that link should have appeared as :

Bev Lawton

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Bev Lawton
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 09:06 AM

This is embarressing (I'm a professional programmer!) You could have clicked on my name in the previous post and got to where I want you to go or use this

LOW WHISTLE INFO PAGE (Please work THIS time!!!) Bev Lawton

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Colin The Whistler (inactive)
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 02:59 PM

Now...Now...Now....Stop,

I'm tellin ya its not a Low D. And as for Generation Whistles...I'll give you one..over the 'Bap' with it. They are squeeky and take years to brake in and even then ar'nt very responcive to you after you've downed the customery ten pints at a session.

Tip Of The Week. Take your generation whistle or similiar and place it in a mug of hot tea. This melts the mountpiece adhesive. Take about 0.75cm of it with a hack saw...(Belfast people remove with their teeth). File the edge and smooth off. The mouthpiece can now move up and down the shaft allowing tunning..essential to any half decent session player.

Alison..I've finnaly got into the chat room, I must have scared everybody else off..and you must be getting up as I'm crashing out. I'll check this later to see what the crack is. Did you ever here about the early Eighties sessions in Kelly's Cellars and Tom Kelly's and the Rotterdam. Bill Mc Cormack, Brian Sutherland, Myself , Leslie Bingham and Cruncher...Jesus they where the days !

I'm just back from Kilenora Co.Clare playing music for four nights 'till five in the morning. I even played with Tommy Peoples....Heaven..Than I passed out in a drunken state in the corner..Just my luck ..Well touch base soon

Colin Ballygally

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Pete
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 03:10 PM

Not being a whistle player myself but having heard plenty played, I prefer the sweetone. And no Colin your not getting mine!!

Pete

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Colin The Whistler (inactive)
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 03:45 PM

Ahh go-on pete...you will..you will See you tomorrow Colin

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Bert
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 04:00 PM

I'm not a whistler, but here's a site for you. Here

Bert

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Colin The Whistler (inactive)
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 04:15 PM

Good man Bert

Ballygally

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Den
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 07:39 PM

I'm with colin the whistler. First off the tone is much too high for a low whistle. Second the key sounds more like the range of a C tin whistle or a b flat. Thirdly I saw Celine Dion perform the song on a CBC special and the whistle player in her band was playing a normal whistle. Looked like a C, could have been a b flat. It was hard to tell. The b flat is longer. I'd have to say c though because its a more popular key to sing in. Fourthly I've played along with the recording on a

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Craig
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 08:33 PM

You all have given me an awful lot of information. I will have to sit down and cogitate on it.Thank you all for your ideas and the other sites. I will pass it on what you have told me. Not bad for my first thread.

Craig

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Craig
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 08:42 PM

Bert, I just read your instructions on how to make a Low D whistle and will pass it on to my friend David. He knows a bit about pipes. Especially pipe organ pipes. (Try writing that three times real fast.) Seems like an excellent idea for him to make it. Thanks again.

Craig

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: alison
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 09:30 PM

There's a simple answer to this,

there are two different whistles being talked about here.... personally I think the one in the Celine Dion song.. is just your ordinary standard tin whistle (not in D)..... I haven't got a recording here. but I tend to agree with the people above who say Bb or C.

But in the movie itself...... there is a low D being played... (don't ask me to quote scenes)

Colin.... my generations have been easy to break in.. always played right from the word go....... and I've never had to tune them (unlike the sweetones), although I have cleaned them using a method similar to your one above..... if susato came up with a decent mouthpiece I'd probably play susato.........

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Don Meixner
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 09:57 PM

Thgis discussion was beat to death in The Chiff and Fipple awhile ago. The atmospheric stuff was a low whistle and the stuff in the Celine Dion song and in the Stearage party were regular old PennyWhistle type flageolettes. At least thats what the regulars were saying.

I just report the news, I don't make it.

Don

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Big Mick
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 10:20 PM

Thanks, Don, I was about to point this out to the Whistle Master.

Mick

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Big Mick
Date: 13 Apr 99 - 10:46 PM

We had a thread that dealt with tweeking whistles for best performance. Press here to go to it. That way we can keep all these great tips in one spot. We have many very fine whistlers in our town, let's try and consolidate the tips in one spot so they are easy to find.

Mick

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Tucker
Date: 14 Apr 99 - 07:21 AM

So......I was right about it being a penny whistle (tin whistle)? It sure sounded like my little Feadog.

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Don Meixner
Date: 14 Apr 99 - 07:32 AM

Tuck,

I had a Feadog myself once. It played real nice most of the time bur at times it only howled. The kids loved it but it left a stain on the carpet so it had to go.

Don

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Bev Lawton
Date: 14 Apr 99 - 08:52 AM

I have to agree with Colin & Alison! I have a 15 year old daughter who has worn the video of Titanic out! (Shall I start a I hate Leo D thread?) It drives me mad as i've ONLY seen it 5 times BUT I get to hear it a lot more. It SOUNDS like a LOW D to me but with all the sound tweaking going on it could be any lowish whistle key - but it sounds like a LOW D to me. When Celine Dion sings live the whistle player IS playing a conventional whistle - not sure which c ish? The only sure way is to look at the letter stamped on the top! Bev Lawton

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: Mike Ireland
Date: 14 Apr 99 - 03:04 PM

Alison your generation whistles probably work because they are scared of you shouting at them *** GRIN*** or it could be the warm air in Oz and not the damp, drizzley weather you left behind.

Mike

Subject: RE: Flute used in Titanic
From: alison
Date: 15 Apr 99 - 05:35 AM

Mike,

I never shout.... (my kids might disagree though...).....**grin**

My first generation.. bought in Belfast liked to play in drizzle and lasted me for 15 years... it wasn't so fussed on the heat in Oz though... and it has since gone into retirement.... I don't think the later Generations are built to last quite so well... they only do me a couple of years at the most......... but I suppose they are getting a lot more of a workout at gigs.

Slainte

alison