Talk:Whistling

Various (with some additional comments in February 2008)

Just from personal observation it seems whistling is contageous in a similar way that yawing is. As in if you whistle in a public place you are more likely to hear others chirp in! Try it out.

Yes, that's very obvious if you're a public whistler (in Sweden), and worth mentioning. Also, it seems to be a male thing. JöG 14:27, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

i have heard people using two fingers for whistiling, and it is Very loud. would be nice to have some picture or info on HOW TO

There is more than one way to do two-fingered whistling as well as several non-fingered methods for producing loud whistling. Is Wikipedia the appropriate location for such information? I have whistling lessons I know on my own website since I am considered an expert on whistling but it is not appropriate to list the link on Wikipedia since it would be considered self-promotion. Lhamilton1 (talk) 03:57, 5 February 2008 (UTC) lhamilton1

wikiHow and eHow are two sites better suited to How-to although I'm not sure you can list your websites there either. Flowanda | Talk 16:57, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

I think technical explanations of how various ways of whistling work are definitely on topic here. Rp (talk) 19:57, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

That is not the purpose of Wikipedia - Wikipedia is not a how-to site. Unless there is a non-instructional purpose to such content, it is much better suited for another site, as explained. --Cheeser1 (talk) 20:14, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

Linking to yahoo groups or other forums or product pages is what flags either COI or a bot; I had added your main site as an external link, but you removed it. I think northernnightingale.com passes WP:EL as an expert site, but even adding links should adhere to WP:BLP (i.e. being sensitive to the requests of people included in articles), so I won't add it back in if you object. Flowanda | Talk 22:49, 5 February 2008 (UTC)

My main page isn't really a Wikipedia type thing -- it's just a site homepage with little Wikipedia-type interest other than the links at the bottom of the page. I'd rather put a link to the Other Whistling Sites page that I maintain (and possibly to the Whistling Lessons page near the How to Whistle Loudly link). Lhamilton1 (talk) 18:25, 8 February 2008 (UTC) lhamilton1

I know -- I can link to northernnightingale.com and just mention the whistling lessons and links to other sites in the link. That would do it. Lhamilton1 (talk) 20:41, 14 February 2008 (UTC)lhamilton1

I can produce two tones simultaneously when I whistle using the second method. Any idea why? I just picked it up from my dad, and he did from his...

This type of whistling is called duotone whistling. Many whistlers find it very difficult to do. It can be done quite beautifully. Some whistlers can even do duets with themselves by whistling two different tones at the same time. Lhamilton1 (talk) 03:57, 5 February 2008 (UTC)lhamilton1

I just added a remark about this (before I read this talk page!) since it isn't technically difficult as far as I'm aware. Rp (talk) 19:57, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

Although duotone whistling is done by many whistlers, it is not common to hear it done musically. Still less common is to hear complex duotone in which a whistler does different things with the rhythm and notes of both parts of the two tones at the same time. Many whistlers do not easily learn to do duotone.Lhamilton1 —Preceding comment was added at 01:37, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

---

Some cultures find whistling to be offensive, and not just in an annoying way, but that the act itself is a summoner of evil/misfortune. I whistled in my Taekwondo class the other night and the master told me not to, it's a tradition of some sorts. A greek classmate says that in Greece, whistling at night would summon EVIL which is why it shouldn't be done.

Was hoping this article would say more.

There are a number of cultures that have negative associations related to whistling. I recently read an article that mentioned a Turkish superstition that whistling in a house was essentially an invitation to the devil to come in. However, I don't have a formal source for the information. Lhamilton1 (talk) 02:31, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

Whistling is also traditionally considered bad luck aboard sailing vessels, as it is said to "call up the winds"—presumably not the desirable variety. --Ninly (talk) 16:31, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

--Just curious (still trying to get my head around what we should include -- Is Whistlersnet considered a discussion forum-type site -- I notice it's listed as an external link. I'm also wondering if the Indian Whistlers Association is listable -- it's partially a Yahoo forum. Thx. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 205.210.222.150 (talk) 13:44, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

You're right -- like Orawhistle, it's a social networking site which according to Wikipedia guidelines isn't appropriate for external links. Lhamilton —Preceding unsigned comment added by Lhamilton1 (talk • contribs) 04:37, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

Irish whistling champions -- I've read this section and am still unclear whether these champions puckerwhistle or play "penny" whistle. Does anybody know for sure? -- lhamilton1 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Lhamilton1 (talk • contribs) 04:00, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

Darryl Hanna - Whistling

In Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Kill Bill Vol. 2 the song which is whistled is called Twisted Nerve from the movie of the same name (1968) and was writen by Benard Herrmann. The whistling, I believe, is part of the original soundtrack and not whistled by Darryl Hanna as the article implies. I have no source to back either claim, however. Can someone help out?

no sources here either, unfortunately, but I believe you to be correct Oreo man 22:34, 29 May 2006 (UTC)

An interview of Tarantino by Richard Roeper on 5 October in the Chicago Sun-Times claimed that Darryl Hanna whistled the theme. However, on listening to that section of the movie, it appears to me that although she certainly is whistling on her own at the start of the scene, a more accomplished whistler takes over -- possibly the original track from the Twisted Nerve Lhamilton1 (talk) 03:49, 5 February 2008 (UTC)lhamilton1

Split musical whistling

The musical whistling section is just a list and not a description of musical whistling itself; any objections to it being split off into an article like List of songs featuring whistling (which could then be put in Category:Lists of songs and Lists of songs#Technique) or something similar? Ziggurat 00:15, 19 May 2006 (UTC)

Good idea. Nobody has objected so I've gone ahead and done the deed. CiaranG 13:41, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

So far I've identified 376 popular songs with whistling in them. The list keeps growing. Lhamilton1 (talk) 04:00, 5 February 2008 (UTC) lhamilton1

What are the sources for the assertions that whistling produces a single frequency with no harmonics?

This information is being copied to other wikipedia articles but I don't believe it is true. The same can be said about tuning forks. -Crunchy Numbers 20:25, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

Yes, that struct me as very unlikely.

I don't think sine waves sound like that. JöG 14:22, 6 December 2006 (UTC)

It's almost true. Whistling typically has very low levels of upper harmonics. I changed the article's assertion a little but I can't find a reference to cite. My own knowledge comes from my work with installing and tuning sound systems and my habit of singing or whistling certain room mode notes into my spectrograph/RTA which shows strong harmonics in a sung note but very weak harmonics with a whistled note. Flutes also have relatively weak harmonics, which is to say that both steady-state flute notes and steady-state whistled notes are closer to pure sine tones than many other musical sounds. I'm sorry, but I won't be putting this information in the article as it would be at cross purposes with WP:OR. Binksternet 06:24, 20 September 2007 (UTC)

Moved topic into here

I'e copied the article Whistling (theatre) in its entirety to this discussion. How should that article be deleted (if indeed it is a valid action)?

If I have done things against Wikipedia policy, my apologies, and could someone please point me to the corret procedure?

StephenBuxton 22:13, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

What you want to do is called a merge: see Wikipedia:Merging and moving pages. Ziggurat 22:16, 15 October 2006 (UTC)

I'll create a redirect. 131.111.8.98 14:47, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

Whistling in the male sphere

As someone who has not contributed to this article before, I wanted to run this by the talk page first. My studies have frequently noted that in American and British society/culture up until the early 20th century, whistling was a male enterprise, so to speak: it was considered a masculine act and that women whistling was a violation of gender roles and an indication of "inversion" (homosexuality). I would like to make at least brief mention of this in the article (with reference(s)). Do others find this appropriate?Cheeser1 15:39, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

Sounds interesting! Annaxt 18:35, 8 February 2007 (UTC)

I'm from England and you rarely hear girls whistling. It's seen as masculine (wolf-whistle?), rude and a bit 'common'. Girls that do are usually less feminine than average.--Triedandtested 21:46, 5 May 2007 (UTC)

It's terribly fascinating, especially considering the middle 20th century's American portrayal of whistling as being a gay (in the traditional, not necessarily homosexual sense). Can someone pull a reference on any of this stuff from the German article?

I'm from England and me and my sister whistle all the time. Obviously not wolf whistling (but we might to our friends if they have dressed up for a party or whatever). But I know other girls that whistle too because I am in an orchestra and we always whistle the tunes as we are leaving. I don't think that is considered rude or even abnormal. Sweetie candykim (talk) 14:45, 11 January 2012 (UTC)

Superstition

Is that really considered a miscellaneous list of facts? Considering how old and widespread whistling is, I'd say it culture and by proxy superstitions deserve a brief mention. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.114.191.206 (talk) 14:19, 26 March 2009 (UTC)

Alert bus passengers in India?

[Loud whistling] is also used as an attention-getter for such purposes as calling dogs, flagging down taxis and alerting bus passengers in India.

Boy, I wish I could whistle loud enough so they could hear me in India! I just wonder what I would alert them of. When I'm tired of being amused by this sentence, maybe I'll change it. DBlomgren (talk) 22:59, 8 April 2009 (UTC)

Popular culture section

I'm unfortunately not a Simpsons expert but I feel certain that whistling has featured on the show at some point. Why is there no mention of this? Can we fix this?

I have no answer for that question, but i must pose one of mine own about this Popular culture section: It is clearly a dumping ground for anything that might have any connexion at all with whistling, is there any objection to my clearing it out? I'm envisioning perhaps cutting the songs down to a few, notable ones, ditto with the people, taking out mentions of every song or performer who once whistled (Louis Armstrong rarely whistled in recordings but was very skillful when he did ~ c'mon now!), perhaps pruning it down to no more than a dozen lines. Any feedback/objection from anyone who watches this page? Cheers, Lindsay^Hi 13:10, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

I have this article on my watch list but rarely touch it. I think your plan is good; the trivia level is too high. Anything important to the topic should be kept, the occasional whistle should go. I added Rosita Serrano, a woman who sang and whistled—she was known as the Chilenische Nachtigall (Chilean Nightingale) because of the unusual combination—so please keep her. ~.^ ^.~

Binksternet (talk) 14:07, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

Thanks, Binksternet; i shall shortly have a hack. She did both...at the same time? I've often thought i'd like to hum and whistle together, harmonise with myself (tried, too, if truth be told), but i can't imagine singing and whistling. Cheers, Lindsay^Hi 15:49, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

Right, i've chopped quite a bit out; for the benefit of any complaints or questions ~ i attempted to reduce to a dozen (as i suggest above), and couldn't; what i have done is leave in people who are/were particularly known for whistling, or for unusual combinations, or songs in which the whistling is particularly relevant. To be perfectly honest, i think we could probably get rid of the section altogether, adapting the material into the article, and chopping the ugly list right out. But that's for a later date ~ if there are no howls of protest at today's actions! Cheers, Lindsay^Hi 16:28, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

Agreed. The material is valuable but would be more valuable turned into prose and folded into the story of whistling. Binksternet (talk) 14:38, 7 November 2010 (UTC)

I think that this section and the "children's cartoon show" section should be combined. Is there any reason why it is not already? They seem redundant.Triciarainbows (talk) 14:14, 1 November 2012 (UTC)

Calling for the final whistle

From personal experience I know that at football matches it is very common for supporters to start whistling near the end of a match in order to encourage the referee to blow his whistle if their team is defending a narrow lead (1-0, 2-1 etc). However I can't find any reliable sources that state this so if anybody can help that would be great as it is very common and looks a bit odd being absent from the sport section. Keresaspa (talk) 20:05, 18 February 2013 (UTC)

This article contains uncited information on a living person

You inserted this statement:

"Danny Pasie cannot perform in these competitions since his accident, causing him to whistle.[citation needed]"

Biographical information on Wikipedia has to be cited for reasons related to legal issues. I have to revert the recent edit. What will happen if you reinsert this statement without citing it will be that I will need to call the uncited statement about this living person to the attention of an administrator who will tell you about the same thing that I am telling you now. I assume good faith on your part and see that you are trying to make the article better.

  Bfpage |leave a message  22:59, 1 March 2015 (UTC)

sailor-stagehands

I've moved most of this section to superstitions; it smacks of urban legend. The even more dubious assertion that whistled signals have actually been used in theaters is tagged as challenged in the communication section. Sparafucil (talk) 00:54, 12 April 2016 (UTC)

what is the Hornbostel-Sachs classification?

Seems like an aerophone but it's hard for me to specify beyond that. Arlo James Barnes 03:58, 25 April 2019 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion

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• Erik Satie Musique sifflee (Le siffleur-Clodine Tardy) 29e Festival des vendanges (arts de la rue) Suresnes 2012.ogv

Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 13:08, 28 July 2021 (UTC)

Famous Whistlers

It's beyond belief really that this article makes no mention of either Roger Whittaker or Toots Thielemans as prominent whistlers in music.