Whistling may seem simple, but getting your tongue in the right position takes a lot of practice. And you can get a single note, but what about whistling a song? While there are many different methods out there, these basic steps can get you started.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Positioning Your Mouth and Tongue
Step 1. Extend your tongue so that it rests on the upper molars on either side of your mouth
This creates an air passageway along the roof of your mouth. Make sure no air escapes from the sides. By forcing air through these channels, you will be able to produce a loud whistling sound instead of a wheezing sound.
- Position your tongue closer to the roof of your mouth by placing the tip of your tongue against your lower front teeth. Place the sides of your tongue together with your molars. This will fatten the tongue, constrict the airways along the pallet, as well as create a wider gap in front of your mouth to push air in.
- Here, how to position is very important. To produce a whistle, you must force air around a sharp bend, which in this case will be produced by your front teeth and tongue. Forcing air higher along your pallet makes this bend even sharper.
Step 2. Firmly purse your lips, pressing them against your teeth
This will reinforce the sharp bends in the air passages created by your front teeth. Resist the urge to accentuate the lips, which will make a sighing sound.
- Pinch your lips out like you're kissing and make a small hole, smaller than the circumference of a pencil. Your lips should be slightly firm and taut with lots of wrinkles; especially the lower lip. This lower lip should stick out a little more than your upper lip.
- Don't let your tongue touch the top or bottom of your mouth. Instead, let your tongue float in your mouth, behind your front teeth.
Step 3. Practice breathing without puffing your cheeks
In order to whistle, air must remain throughout this passage; air can't be on the side of your cheek. If any, the air should be just a little on the sides as a result of your pouting lips. Imagine sucking from a straw; that's the look you should have every time.
When you inhale, it will be difficult to catch the breath; that's how small the hole your lips have to be. You will be able to control your breath through this hole and make your breath last longer than when you talk or sing
Part 2 of 3: Shaping the Sound
Step 1. Blow air slowly from your mouth, experimenting with the position of your tongue
While you want the air passages along the pallet to be narrow, too narrow a gap will also produce too much sighing. You should also try to find the ideal distance between the front of your teeth and your tongue. Once you have found a balance between these two parts, you will be able to move your tongue back and forth to produce different notes.
All this is about the tongue and cheeks. When you "blow" air through your lips, the main problem is that you are blowing too much air or the wrinkles are not correct
Step 2. Set your voice and pitch
Bigger wrinkles (bigger 'o' shapes) and more air amplify the sound; a smaller 'o' shape and less air will make your whistle slower. It's important to make wrinkles, but don't make too many; make enough to make a small 'o' with your lips.
Try blowing; and if there is sound, move your tongue to see what position gives you the best tone and result and how to get that result. Tone is created by the amount of sound (physical sound) in the cavity you create between the opening of your lips and the back of your throat. The smaller this cavity, the higher the pitch will be and the larger this cavity, the lower the pitch will be. In other words, the closer your tongue is to your mouth, the higher the pitch you produce
Step 3. Experiment with modulation and positioning
There are many ways to modulate the pitch of a whistle using your tongue: you can slide your tongue back and forth like a cane whistle (it's actually quite similar to one of these) or curl your tongue up and down to create a smaller or larger distance. As you get better at it, you'll also be able to use your throat to expand this area and achieve lower notes.
The vibrato effect results from slightly moving the tongue back and forth to switch between two notes. As said before, it's all about tongue, cheeks and practice. If you can whistle, whistle all the time
Part 3 of 3: Troubleshooting Learning How to Whistle
Step 1. Experiment with wetting your lips
Some people believe that wetting your lips before whistling is a myth, while others swear that it's important. If you're having trouble whistling, try moisturizing your lips. Think of it like wetting your finger before you make a sound around the rim of a glass.
Wet sufficiently, do not get soaked. Lightly moisten the inside of your lips with your tongue, and get back to practicing. If there is a difference, this method might work for you
Step 2. Try inhaling instead of blowing out
Some people have better luck inhaling air than blowing it out. However, for most people, this is much more difficult. That being said, the logistics of placing your tongue and your mouth are the same; do it if the standard method is frustrating.
Step 3. Adjust the height of your tongue
With the front of the tongue behind the front teeth, move the tongue slightly up or down. Does it change the tone? Does one note sound more like a whistle than another? That's okay, keep adjusting the tip of your tongue until you find a note you can produce.
Once you've found the right place for the "tip" of your tongue, start experimenting with moving the center of your tongue. This changes the airflow and will also change your pitch. When you have found other notes, you just need to know which position has a correlation to a note
Step 4. Keep trying
Whistling requires sufficient practice time. It can take some time before you find the right shape to make using your mouth or how much air you have to blow out. Concentrate on getting an even note before you worry about pitch or volume.
Ask some of your friends how they did it; You might be surprised that they all have slightly different techniques. No one's mouth is exactly the same shape or size, so it makes sense that we should all whistle in a slightly different way
Tips
- While you're doing this, it helps to think of an easy whistle, one that has a flap inside that protrudes into the air duct, forcing air to flow around a sharp bend. This is the effect you should produce using your teeth and tongue.
- Don't force your breath. If you feel tired, take a break before continuing.
