Whistling Vs Vocal Range

Subject: Whistling Vs Vocal Range
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 10:51 PM

The upper note in my whisling range is only as high as my vocal range, before I have to resort to vocal falsetto (Eb). Is this coincidence or is there some physiological link between the two? Does anyone else suffer insomnia pondering this type of lif'e mysteries?

Regards, John

Subject: RE: Whistling Vs Vocal Range
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 27 Aug 02 - 11:53 PM

No real mystery here.

For an "ordinary" puckered lip whistle, the pitch is determined - like a "Helmholtz Resonator" - by the volume of air immediately behind the "pucker," divided by the cross section area of the hole(s) connected to that volume.(There's at least one hole where the air comes in, and another where it goes out.)

This is the same "resonance chamber" you use when singing, so the frequency range will probably be about the same.

When singing, you can "go falsetto" by driving your vocal chords to a harmonic of the natural frequency of the air volume. It is rather difficult - with air flow only - to make a Helmholtz volume "break" to a harmonic, so with unsophisticated whistle technique, you probably can't whistle in your "falsetto" range.

Blowing through the normal pucker, you can change pitch by shoving the tongue forward and, by various roll, curl, and tuck techniques, creating a smaller volume immediately behind the pucker. Note that the "inlet" hole counts in determining the pitch too, so you have to develop a technique for minimizing it too, while keeping an "open-but-small" resonance chamber much smaller than your whole mouth.

As mentioned, it is very difficult to "overblow" to a harmonic with a Helmholtz chamber, but a few people are able to form a "long-slender" air pocket with the tongue that can produce overtones - although it tends to be sort of a "falsetto whistle."

A "slit lip" whistle, where the lips are pulled back as in a big grin (grimace) can use the small air pocket between the bottom of the tongue and the lower teeth to produce very high pitched (and loud) notes, but usually with only a very limited pitch range. Useful for signalling your hound, but not much valued in musical endeavers.

The "two fingers in the mouth" method can also be used to produce a very small air volume and hence a high pitch, but most people who use this method are literally "one note Johnnies."

The imponderable part of this is - since the development of versatile and precisely controllable tongue thrusting is essential to being a first class warbler, will bottle feeding our children hinder (or help) their musical careers?

John

Subject: RE: Whistling Vs Vocal Range
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 28 Aug 02 - 12:05 AM

I'm no expert, but I wouldn't think there would be much of a correlation. Pitch in speaking or singing is determined by the frequency with which the vocal cords are vibrating. Frequency in whistling is determined by a number of variables including: 1)the shape and size of the mouth 2)the shape in which the tongue is held 3) the shape and size of of the opening produced by the lips 4) the velocity of the air as it moves through the mouth. Change any of these and you change the pitch of the whistle.

Hopefully someone who really knows what they're talking about will add more.

Bruce (Who is a decent singer but can't whistle for shit)

Subject: RE: Whistling Vs Vocal Range
From: Genie
Date: 28 Aug 02 - 12:29 AM

I don't know, John, but I'd be interested in hearing any insights from those "in the know." FWIW, my singing range is about 2.5 octaves, and my whistling range is about 1.5 octaves, roughly in the middle of my singing range.

Genie

Subject: RE: Whistling Vs Vocal Range
From: GUEST,Bagpuss
Date: 28 Aug 02 - 05:00 AM

My singing range is a couple of octaves, but my whistling range is less than an octave - on a good day, and usually off pitch. I've always wished I were a better whistler.

I can't click my fingers very well either.

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: Whistling Vs Vocal Range
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 28 Aug 02 - 07:11 AM

I can whistle through my fingers and have about an octave range. It's not only good for summoning your hound, but for calling your kids home. I used to whistle them home at suppertime, and a mockingbird started mimicking me! I also used to find them in crowds by giving a shrill whistle (then looking around me and pretending it wasn't me.) But the best was embarrassing them at football games.

Subject: RE: Whistling Vs Vocal Range
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 28 Aug 02 - 08:13 AM

I'm a basso profundo and can (with a good warm up) go from Bb, just over an octave below Middle C ti Eb just a bit over octave above Middle C. No macho male likes singing falsetto but I find that a lot of sadistic composers insist on writing bass parts that go way above the top of the bass clef, where I can hit Bb.

Ive had a good experiment witH it tonight and can whistle the two octaves from Eb below Middle C to the Eb in the octave above Middle C. I can blow till I'm blue in face but I can't get above that Bb for love or money.

And just to add another intersting dimension to the equation, I find that I can whistle a semitone tone lower in my bass register if I inhale and whistle - my 'suck' range is a bit lower at the top end - but I haven't measured it. I not that if I block my nose when suck whisling that the technique falls in a heap.(What stimulated this thread was a conversation last night with my 7 year old nephew who learned to whistle by inhaling).

While I'm at it I might as well pose the question of (my words) 'yodel whisling'. I think that it's a mimic of some bird song where the note trills automatically. Unlike yodelling it doesn't happen for me at the top of my range, but occurs somewhat lower. A colleague of mine from 20 years back used to do it and it sounded fabulous. I was too stubborn to ask him how he did it, but finally I latched onto the technique. (I can't remember the word for it - but is 'carroling' the song that male canaries make.

JiK's message was pretty impressive, so I'll look forward to a physics analysis of inhaling.

Subject: RE: Whistling Vs Vocal Range
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 06:03 AM

John in Brisbane: I'd argue with your description as a Basso Profundo. Even a 'normal' Bass register will take in the F below the Bass stave to the D above that stave. Your Bb is on the second (up) line of the bass stave. Unless you meant the Bb just over TWO octaves below middle C

Nigel

Subject: RE: Whistling Vs Vocal Range
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 08:40 AM

Yes Nigel, I meant the Bb below the bottom Bass line. It's a pity that there's not that much SATBB opera or classical music written down there below the staff, but quite a lot written above the bass staff - Beethoven can be a real bitch. Apart from that it's great for low country harmonies. If you have any other ideas please let me know.

Regards, John