How the Hell Do You Whistle?

My momma taught me by sucking air in first, and it is easier.

Well I’m a master whistler and snapper but I’m still not happy becuase I’m not very good at the “play your hands like a flute” thing. I can only get like 4 notes out, and they have no relation to each other, so they are worthless in music making format. Once you start down the body as a musical instrument path you will never be happy. Well maybe Michael Winslow is happy but the rest of us just keep hoping.

My dad always whistled by just blowing air through his teeth. He doesn’t round his lips, so it doesn’t “look” like he’s whistling.

Back when I was a kiddie, I thought this was the coolest thing ever. I could only whistle by pursing my lips. So, in an effort to be like my oh-so-cool dad, I tried to figure out how he whistled. Eventually, I was able to do it, though I can’t whistle normally now. And whenever I try to whistle a tune, it always comes out somewhat out-of-key, and I don’t have a very good range.

Incidentally, I heard that the sound from snapping your fingers is a result of your finger hitting your palm, not any noise that the finger and thumb make when they rub against each other.

Once you figure out how to whistle with pursed lips, you can figure out the “through the teeth” way easy e mentioned.

Never figured out why they call it that–'sgot little to do with teeth.

Anyway, when whistling through your lips, the resonant cavity is formed by your entire mouth, with your tongue at the bottom of the cavity (make sure there’s no airspace around or below your tongue) and you change the pitch by changing the shape the cavity using your tounge and cheeks.

When whistling “through your teeth,” the cavity is formed by the roof of your mouth (inside your teeth) and your tongue, which is pressed against the bottoms of your top teeth at the back, and the roof of the mouth toward the front. The air comes out behind (not through) your front teeth. You change the pitch simply by changing the shape of the tongue, rather than moving your whole mouth.

I find I get better sound quality and pitch whistling through my teeth. YMMV.

Casey, I didn’t know you couldn’t whistle! Hey, the “Taxi” whistle is really useful. How else do you call someone headed out your driveway when you’ve just found something they’ve left behind? Oh, and who is Noone?
Love,
Mom