Heh. I did “Yankee Doodle.”
I couldn’t whistle at all until I was about 13. One day it just clicked. Probably related to learning to play the saxophone and learning embouchure.
I can whistle a full scale or two - major, minor or chromatic.
I still can’t do the intensely irritating “two fingers at corner of mouth piercingly loud” whistle. Oh well.
I did Dixie, because I wasn’t wearing any pistols to pull.
I can get by but there is a guy at work who whistles sometimes while he is working. He is absolutely fantastic and no-one ever complains. He has a huge repertoire of songs, particularly show tunes from musicals, every one instantly recognizable.
Used to be I could only whistle across my teeth.
Then I could only consistently whistle on the inhale.
Now I can more or less whistle normally, though exhales do sometimes get weak.
I lost the ability to whistle when I had braces. After they were removed, it took a few years to get it back. Now I can whistle a tune no problem.
I’ve never been able to whistle, with or without finger use.
Me too!
So am I the only one whose mom said whistling is unladylike? I remember being thrilled at learning how to whistle (I was around 7 or 8 as well), and ma would chastise me because whistling was “for boys.” Oh, mom, your ideas are so wacky.
Not only can I whistle a tune in the standard way but also with my tongue almost against the roof of my mouth, I can whistle while I’m smiling!
It’s not much to be proud of but it makes me happy.
I whistle damn good, although my technique needs some work before I’d try out for regionals. My vibrato is fine but my inhale-whistling is weak. I also have never learned how to put two fingers in my mouth and make all my surrounding humans’ eardrums bleed.
I can’t whistle at all. Having a huge overbite is probably a good part of the reason.
I have an overbite, too. Never thought that it was the reason I couldn’t whistle. Are people with overbites typically incapable of whistling?
I can whistle 4 different ways.
The LOUD whistle - requires use of 2 fingers - some can do it without, but I cannot
The common whistle - inhaling - lips appear as if you are kissing someone, or drinking from a straw - able to achieve high or low pitch
The other common whistle - inhale or exhale - similar to the common, except you make use of your tounge - higher pitch
The dog whistle - my own creation - inhaling - very similar to the common whistle except I can achieve a very high pitch sound, and have been able to perfect it to be very loud also - when done around dogs it’ll usually get their attention but some it doesn’t bother
I’m a great whistler and I come from a long line of whistlers - my grandfather and his brothers used to have a group that performed in three-part harmony (they also sang together and my grandfather used to sing the national anthem at the Senators baseball games). My dad is also a great whistler. My mom says I used to lie in my crib and whistle - not a tune, but just a one-note, inhale/exhale whistle. I may not have many talents, but I can whistle!
My sister-in-law can do the two finger whistle thing. She has four rowdy boys and this has come in handy. We’re getting ready to go on vacation with them in a couple weeks and my goal is to get her to teach me how to do that.
I can only get consistent whistling on the inhale. I can whistle tunes pretty well, but only while inhaling. I don’t get it.
I had braces for a long time and couldn’t whistle at all, so maybe this is a consequence of the new shape of my mouth or something.
I’ve no idea, but I do know that my mouth doesn’t fit together properly.
Nope; I’ve got a pretty good overbite and to the contrary always felt it helped, instead.
I was never great at whistling, but I had jaw surgery in 99 that left some permanent numbness in the left corner of my mouth (particularly the lower left lip). I have been unable to whistle since.
But, about a month ago, I found out I can make whistle sounds again! The numbness is a little less (it’s been so gradual, it’s hard to tell*). I am still not even back to my previous “I am not great at whistling level” but it’s a huge improvement.
*after my surgery, my stepfather told me he had a cyst removed on his cheek when he was 18 and it took 30 years for the feeling to come back. About halfway there!
My whistle-on-the-inhale is very weak-sounding and takes a lot of effort to get it louder, but I can whistle a tune very well on the exhale, including doing a very fast series of tones by vibrating my lower lip. I can’t do a loud “c’mere!” whistle, with or without using my fingers.
Never been able to whistle.