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Potential 2007 rule change


Whistles  

106 members have voted

  1. 1. How say you on whistles?

    • Whistles are a wind instrument - all should be banned
      11
    • Whistles are a traditional drum corps instrument, and should be allowed, and allowed to be amped
      42
    • Whistles are fine, provided they are NOT amped
      53


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My reference to usage is born out by wikpedia...

No one said it isn't. It is an instrument that percussionists sometimes play. But, that doesn't make it a percussion instrument unless you whack it hard enough. Note that the LP site markets whistles as "sound effects."

As always Mike, whatever floats your boat. Believe the sky is green if you want.

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For anyone interested, adding some info on Organology (the study and classification of musical instruments - yeah, I'm an instrument geek :) ) distilled from "Musical Instruments of the World," Paddington Press

Five classes of acoustic instruments:

Aerophone - wind

Idiophone - the object itself produces sound, like a woodblock or xylo key

Membranophone - drums and mirlitons (sympathetic membranes)

Chordophone - strings

A percussion instrument produces sound when struck and could be either an idiophone, membranophone or chordophone, because objects, membranes and strings all produce sound when struck.

Brass and woodwind instruments are subclasses of aerophones along with organs and bull roarers.

There are two classes of whistles, aerophones within the woodwind/flute family, "whistle flutes" and "vessel flutes." Further divided into those which produce multiple pitches or a single pitch. Quoting MIOTW:

"A whistle flute, sometimes called a fipple flute, is an end blown flute in which air is directed through a simple mouthpiece against the sharp edge of a hole cut in the pipe just below the mouthpiece." Recorder, slide whistle, tin whistle, cuckoo whistle and some bird calls included.

"A vessel flute is characterized by its body shape, which is globular instead of tubular." Police whistle, dog whistle (now THERE's some GE! woof), train whistle, and some bird calls included.

Why do I stick on this point? Because woodwinds have been in drum corps forever. They are just primative in design and left to drummers to play, as it is in band and orchestra. Do they sound good on the field? Not to me, but to each their own.

Edited by MarimbasaurusRex
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"A whistle flute, sometimes called a fipple flute, is an end blown flute in which air is directed through a simple mouthpiece against the sharp edge of a hole cut in the pipe just below the mouthpiece." Recorder, slide whistle, tin whistle, cuckoo whistle and some bird calls included.

"A vessel flute is characterized by its body shape, which is globular instead of tubular." Police whistle, dog whistle (now THERE's some GE! woof), train whistle, and some bird calls included.

Why do I stick on this point? Because woodwinds have been in drum corps forever. They are just primative in design and left to drummers to play, as it is in band and orchestra. Do they sound good on the field? Not to me, but to each their own.

I think there's a big difference between a slide whistle and a tin whistle, as far as how they're USED. All the whistles that are currently allowed and used in drum corps (slide, police, boatman's, samba, etc.) are used as sound effects, and if they are used musically, it's only in the RHYTHMIC context of the music. They are never used in the music's TONAL context. In other words, you'll probably not hear someone play a boatman's whistle "in tune" with the chords being played by brass or mallets, and you probably won't hear someone play a melody on the slide whistle.

Perhaps why all those whistles are legal in drum corps, but recorders, tin whistles, ocarinas, flutes, and bassoons are not.

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I can't believe no one has mentioned this.

9 people have voted in favor of banning ALL wind instruments.

That would include banning trumpets, melophones, baritones, euphoniums, and tubas. Yes, drumcorps would be amazing with no wind instruments.

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I can't believe no one has mentioned this.

9 people have voted in favor of banning ALL wind instruments.

That would include banning trumpets, melophones, baritones, euphoniums, and tubas. Yes, drumcorps would be amazing with no wind instruments.

Hey, some people like their drums and guard I guess...

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Until I hear a concerto for Police Whistle I'm going to consider it auxillary percussion.

that might actually sound kinda interesting.

but... :grrr:

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I can't believe no one has mentioned this.

9 people have voted in favor of banning ALL wind instruments.

That would include banning trumpets, melophones, baritones, euphoniums, and tubas. Yes, drumcorps would be amazing with no wind instruments.

:spit:

this is why I enjoy dpc. :lolhit:

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No one said it isn't. It is an instrument that percussionists sometimes play. But, that doesn't make it a percussion instrument unless you whack it hard enough. Note that the LP site markets whistles as "sound effects."

I can't recall the last time these instruments were passed out to the WW section, which is why I said through usage they have become percussion instruments.

As always Mike, whatever floats your boat. Believe the sky is green if you want.

Really? You mean the sky is not green to you? <**>

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Won't be long before we see DWCI....Drum and Whistle Corps International. A corps of dwarfs playing "Whistle While You Work" Someone deciding to do "Chattanooga Choo Choo", and putting a locomotive on the field for that 'authentic' train whistle sound! b**bs

Can't wait... :P

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