Whistle Loud

Maybe you've never learned how to whistle, or maybe your whistling technique doesn't produce a satisfyingly loud tone. Either way, if you want to learn how to whistle loudly, here's what you need to know.

Steps

The Basic Technique[1]

  1. Form an "okay" symbol with your index finger and thumb. Bend the thumb of your dominant hand inward slightly while simultaneously bending the index finger of the same hand down until the tip meets the tip of your thumb.
    • Your hand should look like you're making the gesture for "OK," and your thumb and index finger should form a full circle.
    • Note that it's not especially important how the remaining fingers rest as long as they do not get in the way.
    • While there are many other different whistling techniques out there, this one tends to be a fairly simple one to pick up and is thought by some to produce the loudest sound. Supposedly, a whistle made with this technique can be over 130 decibels when done right.
  2. Lick your lips. Moisten the top and bottom lip by running your tongue along both sides. Saliva does not need to be dripping down from the corners of your mouth, but your lips should feel notably wet.
    • At this stage, you should also open your mouth wide. Keep the lips slightly tense against your teeth instead of letting them rest loosely.
  3. Press your tongue against the "okay" ring. Position the circle created by your thumb and index finger just in front of your mouth. Stick your tongue out until it presses against the point at which your fingers joint together to make a ring.
    • Press firmly. You should apply enough pressure with your tongue to cause the tip of your tongue to curl upwards slightly. Make sure that it curls upward, though, and not down.
  4. Close your lips around your fingers. Push your tongue back into your mouth with the closed loop of your fingers. Close your lips around your fingers, leaving only a small hole between your bottom lip and the inside of the ring created by your fingers.
    • Your lips should be mostly folded beneath your fingers at this point.[2]
    • The small hole in between your fingers and the bottom lip is the "blowhole." Without it, you would not be able to produce any sound.
    • Make sure that all other areas around the blowhole are airtight. If air escapes from any other position at the front of your mouth, you will not get a strong whistle.
  5. Blow air out of your mouth. Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through the blowhole created by your fingers and bottom lip. When done right, a loud, clear whistle should be heard.
    • Do not be discouraged if you do not get this right on your first try. For many people, it takes time and practice to master this whistling technique.
    • Typically, the more breath you breathe out, the louder the sound will be. Just make sure that the breath is focused and narrow, rather than being so strong that it escapes all over the place in one burst.

Factors of Loud Whistling

  1. Note the stages of whistling. For the majority of novice whistlers, there are four major stages or milestones involved when learning how to whistle loudly. For some, there is even an added fifth stage. Once you reach each milestone, there are different adjustments you should make in order to reach the next.
    • The first stage is the "windy" stage. At this point, you will hear the air blowing, but no actual whistling sound will be heard. The best thing to do during this stage is to go back through the steps required to whistle loudly and check yourself on each one. Make minor adjustments to each component, especially finger position and lip tension, until you reach the next stage.
    • The second stage is the "jet engine" stage. At this point, you will hear a sound similar to that of an idling jet engine. There will be something close to a whistle, but not quite piercing enough to qualify as an actual whistle. From here, it's mostly a matter of readjusting your fingers until you can get a clearer sound.
    • The third stage is the "leaky whistle," during which a whistling sound can be heard, but it remains soft and airy. This is due to air leakage from outside the blowhole, so you will need to tighten the seals made by your tongue and lips.
    • The fourth major stage is the "mastery whistle," during which a full-powered, clear whistle with no leakage can be heard.
    • The optional fifth stage is just a louder version of the mastery whistle. If your mastery whistle is clear but still soft, you might not be putting enough force or air behind it. Simple blow with a stronger exhale.
  2. Pay attention to the tension of your lower lip. Your lower lip should be taut. Do not simply push down on it with your fingers.
    • A good way to practice the right amount of tension on your lower lip is to practice pursing your lips as they need to be without using your fingers. Study the shape of your lips in the mirror and, when you can visibly see what appears to be a taut lower lip, commit the feeling of it to memory.
    • When it comes time to practice whistling with your fingers again, concentrate on the feeling of your lower lip and match it to the feeling you felt when observing your lips in the mirror.
  3. Keep your lips and fingers moist. You will not be able to whistle loudly if your lips and fingers are dry. At the same time, you do not want to have so much saliva pouring out that it flies everywhere.
    • If you're a little on the dehydrated side and have a hard time keeping your lips moist, you can try wetting your fingers underneath a running faucet before practicing your whistle.
    • Also remember to re-wet your lips periodically as you practice since they may dry out before you master the technique.
  4. Put enough pressure between your tongue and fingers. When you press your tongue against the loop of your fingers, there needs to be enough pressure to make your tongue bend upward.
    • Only the very tip of your tongue should bend up, not the entire thing.
    • Also, your tongue should feel somewhat strained as your press. Make sure that the majority of the pressing is done by your tongue and not by your fingers.
  5. Keep a decent sized blowhole. The size of the blowhole will probably require the most adjustment and playing around. It needs to be wide enough to let air through without problem but not so wide that all the air can come gushing through at once.
    • There is little practical advice to give about how to check the gap left for the blowhole. All you can really do is fiddle around with it until you get something that works.
  6. Push as much air through the blowhole as possible. Obviously, more air being forced through your blowhole means a louder noise. Too much air can actually cause the quality of your whistle to degrade, though.
    • If you force too much air out too quickly, you might and up causing the seal between your fingers and the rest of your mouth to weaken, letting excess air escape from around the blowhole instead of through it.
    • Make sure that any air you release is directed through the blowhole and nowhere else.
    • Note that the volume of air moving through the blowhole will essentially adjust the volume and pitch of your whistle once the rest of the technique is mastered.

Alternative (Fingerless) Whistling Technique[3]

  1. Tuck your lips under your teeth. Lower your jaw a bit and pull back the corners of your mouth, stretching them so that they move back toward the direction of your ears. Keep your bottom lip taut against your lower teeth and fold the upper lip over the top row of teeth.
    • Your bottom teeth should no longer be visible. Your upper teeth can be, but it will likely be easier to produce a louder whistle if your upper teeth are.
    • If you need a little help, press your index and middle fingertips on either side of the mouth to draw back the lip. Do not insert the fingers into your mouth, though.
    • You can still produce a very loud whistle with this method, but you need to have greater control over the muscles involved in whistling, so it can be difficult to do.
  2. Draw back the tongue. Fold your tongue back so that it "floats" in your mouth juts before the lower front teeth.
    • The front of your tongue should flatten itself against your teeth along the sides of your tongue. Keep your tongue folded inward toward the center to create a blowhole or sharply angled gap.
    • The sound will be created when air is forced out over the lower lip and lower teeth.
  3. Blow air out of your mouth. Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale sharply, forcing the air through the space between your tongue and lower teeth. When done correctly, a clear whistle should be heard.
    • Start with a gentle blow of air until you can hear a low whistle. This will let you know that the technique is right.
    • Once you get the technique right, exhale with more force and more air to increase the volume.

Tips

  • Practice your technique in a mirror so that you can more easily see what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong.
  • Wash your hands when whistling with your fingers to prevent the spread of germs.
  • Put pressure on the tongue.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.tapeonline.com/articles/how-to-whistle-real-loud
  2. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0Pzrk__bnE
  3. ↑ http://www.natwilson.com/stuff/whistle.html

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