How to Hand Whistle

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Hand whistling uses a chamber in between your palms to amplify your breath into a loud whistling sound. While the basics are easy, everyone's hands and lips are different, so the majority of the learning is adjusting these techniques slightly so that they work for you.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Performing a Hand Whistle

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  1. Water-tight is airtight, and you need to prevent air from escaping your hands to make them whistle.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Hand Whistle
    Your left thumb joint should be against your left index finger, just behind its middle joint and your hand cupped to the right, forming a “C” shape.
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Hand Whistle
    Your fingers should be close together and slightly bent. Your thumb will rest on your index finger.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Hand Whistle
    You want to form an airtight chamber between your hands. To do so:
    • Your left index and middle finger will rest in the space between your right thumb and fingers.
    • Your palms will meet to seal off the back of your hands.
    • Your right fingers will rest on top of your left fingers.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Hand Whistle
    You want a small, rounded slit – roughly 2–3 centimeters (0.8–1 in) tall and ½ a centimeter wide – like a small, squinting eye. [1]
  6. You lips will be puckered out, but somewhat close together. Imagine you are "booing” someone on stage.
  7. Watermark wikiHow to Hand Whistle
    This part often takes some practice. Your thumbs should be pointing away from your lips slightly, with a small bit of the opening exposed near your chin so the air can escape and whistle. Your upper lip will rest near your thumbnail. [2]
  8. Watermark wikiHow to Hand Whistle
    Imagine you are trying to blow out a lot of candles at once. You don’t want to spit, blow rapidly, or blow softly. If you’ve done everything correctly, you should hear a clear whistle coming from your hands.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Troubleshooting

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Hand Whistle
    When you blow into them, you should feel the air pushing them apart as pressure builds up. If it does not, the air is leaking somewhere.
    • Take a deep breath and then exhale slowly and evenly into your hands. It should take 10-12 seconds to run out of air.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Hand Whistle
    If your hands are too far apart you will hear a deep, low exhaling sound as you breathe, almost like Darth Vader’s breath. You should hear a thin, high-pitched “whoosh” of air even if you don’t hear a whistle, so move your thumbs closer together to improve your sound.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Hand Whistle
    While blowing, slowly rotate your hands up and down. Many people put their mouths right up against the hole. You need to have small space open under your bottom lip, and your upper lip should seal any holes between your thumbs.
    • Remember to adjust the vertical length of your mouth.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Hand Whistle
    You can always change the note you are trying to whistle. It all depends on how hard you are blowing and how tightly the back of the hand-cave is closed. If your palms open some, you will get a higher-pitched sound than when they're tightly shut. The more you open, the higher the sound will be. [3]
    • There are, of course, limits to this, as opening too much will prevent any whistling at all.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Is it possible my hands are too small? I can't hand whistle.
    Community Answer
    No, this shouldn't be an issue. You probably just have some small holes in your position. Sometimes you can feel the air escaping from your hand. Check the instructions again and keep practicing.
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    Thank you for your feedback.
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    Not Helpful 121 Helpful 101
  • Question
    Where should the gap to let out the air be?
    Community Answer
    The "gap" should from where your bottom lip rests to the joints of your thumbs.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 89 Helpful 64
  • Question
    Do I need to know how to whistle in order to do this?
    Community Answer
    No. I can't whistle at all, but I can manage to do this. Using the hand flute is more about action in the hands, while whistling is more of a mouth thing.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • If the gap between your thumbs is too small, make it bigger; if it's too big, make it smaller. Change how big the space between your thumbs and your mouth is until you've made a noise.
      • For some reason, I can only hand-whistle perfectly when I'm in the shower. If you have bony hands like mine, wet your hands before trying this.
      • If you hold your hands too loosely, the noise will sound like a fart rather than a whistle.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg6eFjlb-gk
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJjRw_lLl5s
      3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzOJnvfR6Ow

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To hand whistle, start by cupping your left hand like you’re holding water in it. Turn your hand so it’s vertical with your thumb pressing against the top of your index finger. Do the same with your right hand. Then, cup your right hand around your left hand with both thumbs resting on top. You want your palms together so that there’s only a small gap between your thumbs. The key is to create a tight chamber with only one air hole. While holding the shape, purse your lips like you’re making an “Ooh” sound and press your lips against the hole between your thumbs at a 45-degree angle. All you need to do now is blow air towards your fingers. Getting the right sound can take a bit of practice, but keep at it and you’ll get there! For more tips, including how to change the pitch of your hand whistle, read on!

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      Reader Success Stories

      • Anon

        Feb 12, 2023

        "For a long time, I viewed many tutorials online and had people try to teach me how to whistle, but I just could not ..." more
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