Why has this thread not deteriorated into sleazy jokes about 'teaching his girlfriend how to blow right'? I'm shocked my everybody's lack of rudeness!

I can't whistle either.

How to whistle (or, rather, how my older brother taught me to whistle):

-- Lick your lips or put on some chapstick to smooth the edges of your lips (if you have dry or cracked lips, it will be difficult to whistle).
-- Purse your lips into a small "O", as though you were about to sip from a straw.
-- Place the tip of your tongue just behind your bottom teeth, or against your inside bottom gums.
-- Gently expel air through your mouth.
-- Adjust your tongue position and the small O opening formed by your lips until you hear a note.
-- If you're having trouble, try blowing a continuous, steady stream of air while slowly adjusting your tongue positions to get it right.

How to whistle loudly (for hailing a taxi, getting the attention of others, etc.):

-- If right-handed, use your index finger and thumb of your right hand; otherwise use the corresponding fingers on your left hand. Make sure your fingernails are trimmed.
-- Position both fingers into the shape of "V" and place your fingertips into your mouth. You should have no more than the first knuckle of each finger inside. If you have more than that, it will be impossible to whistle.
-- Rest the bottom of your joined fingers on your lower teeth. The tips of your loosely joined fingers push against the bottom part of your tongue. Your tongue should be pushing back.
-- Press your lips down against the point of the "V". This makes a seal through which the air you blow will be channeled. Your fingers should be pulling your lower lip apart tautly.
-- Draw your tongue back so that its front tip almost touches the bottom of your mouth below the gumline. Blow downwards, at about a 20-degree angle. The harder you blow, the shriller the whistle.
-- If you get a low, breathy sound that's more of a high-pitched buzz/hum, you're doing it correctly, but you haven't quite hit the sweet spot. The air needs to be properly directed over your teeth and lips by your tongue. Try adjusting the position of your fingertips your tongue slightly until you get it. Experimentation will be required.

Quote: Original post by stro

Quote: Original post by LockePick
Now if you want a real challenge, whistle by inhaling. It's much harder to get a clear sound and hit the right notes. I can't do it nearly as fast.

Hehe, thats odd, I find it much easier to whistle clearly inwards than outwards.

Same here - I just kinda figured out whistling myself one day. Later on, I discovered that you're apparently supposed to exhale rather than inhale. I've since learnt to do it equally well either way, but I initially found an inhaling whistle much simpler.

This is what really helped me out with my whistling http://howtohacklife101.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-whistle.html

This is what really helped me out with my whistling http://howtohacklife...to-whistle.html

Epic necro.

The interesting thing about whistling that even people without teeth can manage to pull it off, even without using fingers. Don't ask me how, though.

I can whistle equally well on exhale and inhale, and can even even freely alternate between the two in the middle of whistling. In fact, I have to, because the inhaling alone is too taxing

Here's my method for inhaling:

1. Form lips the same way you would when saying, "Boooooo!"
2. Place tip of tongue behind and at the top of bottom teeth.
3. Inhale (The stronger, the louder)

Lips don't need to be moist

I'll need to try that finger method later. I never could get that down.

Original post by mtw
I can whistle, but I can't do that really loud whistle where you put a couple fingers in your mouth. How do you do that?

You gotta move you fingers around (ie, closer together or farther) and output about as much air as you do to make a regular semi-loud whistle sound. Also gotta move your tongue around. I can sometimes do it, but it's easier for me to make a very loud whistle using no fingers.

Now something a lot of people I know can't do is click their tongue loudly. I can click loud enough that in the bathroom, it would make my ears hurt. I can do the same in my room (18ft x 18ft) but it won't hurt as much.
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I can 'normal' whistle loudly, and do the tongue clucking loudly, but I can't do the fingers-in-the-mouth whistle - it's very hard for me.
I can pick a wide piece of grass, make a slit in it, and whistle through that.

I also seem to recall being young and trying to cup my hands to my mouth, and make some kind of 'duck whistle' that others were doing, but failing.

A current popular (non-whistling) fad in my area is having your pinky and ring-finger together, and your middle-finger and pointing-finger together, and flicking your hand out hard enough to make the two pairs of fingers smack into each other audibly. It's very infuriating, because I fail at it spectacularly.