Can you do it? Just curious!

Similarly, I'm in awe of those Recorder players who can play along and hum a counter melody at the same time. I have a nice disc of Michaela Petri doing in that in various modern concertante works..

Just tried and it sounds awful. Even worse than my usual singing. I can do whistle trills though!

My 15yo brother can almost do it!

He can simultaneously whistle and hum in unison, he can do a tune with a drone, and he's working on harmonies.

And he can flutter-tongue while whistling (effectively too).

I can do it! : D Humming one note and whistling the third above/below it works well!

I can't even whistle.

Although I tried to whistle as well (which I can't do), it doesn't work!

Now I hope everyone wasn't getting excited after reading the first half of that sentence!

Car Expert

YAY!! Someone like me!!

I can't whistle either.

I'm confused... I use my vocal chords to hum, it seems... how am I supposed to sing a different note at the same time?

Fairly sure I could play recorder and hum though.

Yes, i thought that too...surely if you use your vocal chords to hum, you cant use a different part of your mouth to whistle too?

I can do this - but I cant hum and whistle two different tunes......I can do like one note...

How do people whistle? I've tried loads of times and I just can't whistle!!!

I don't know about whistling, because I can't! But definitely for both humming and singing my vocal chords get used, and I can't make two notes at the same time with them...

I've heard it done (probably in a pub, so my recollection is a bit sketchy )

Humming is all about vocal chord work isn't it, and whistling is about embouchure and since they are both wind powered, they _should_ be independent but somehow, they're not for most people...

Shame. I was looking forward to a Bach two-part Invention!

I can hum and play the recorder, just tried it (Haven't touched it in ages).

I can sing and play the flute at the same time, I can produce 2 notes when humming and singing but I cannot do one tune humming and another tune singing.

I must hum weird or something. My vocal chords definitely join in the fun.

Is it possible to teach yourself to whistle? If so, how? Or is it one of those annoying genetic things? I heard, it was genetic to be able to click, but then i taught myself last year...hmmm

I can't click...

Nor can I.

Car Expert

I can click with my right hand, but it hurts with my left so i cant!

No it's not genetic. What about rolling the tongue to form a "U" shape.. some people claim that's genetic. My middle lad can twist his upside down which I found most amusing.. I'm saying nothing about how popular he'll be when he's older..

I can't roll my tongue either.

As far as I know, tongue rolling is indeed genetic

Tongue rolling is indeed genetic but it is a dominant allele, so you are more likely to able to than not. However, it is possible to have two parents who can roll tongues but you can't (if their genotypes are both Rr there is a quarter chance of yours being rr, i.e. you can't roll)

Guess what I got in GCSE Biology?

On topic again, I can't whistle so chances are I can't hum at the same time.

I can do that! I can twist it 180 degrees so it's upside down, then twist it back through 360 degrees so it's upside down but the other way (confused? I am) a bit like an owl's neck, 'cos everyone knows owl's have to stop at some point!!!

Trebor: yes, i've come to the conclusion that my parents must both be Rr, because I am the only member of my family who can't do it...

Don't worry - you're not missing out on anything useful.

Not nearly so fun being the odd one out for something I can't do though...

Just tried to do the humming/whistling thing and almost collapsed...

...bloomin' colds!

I can't whistle but I can roll my tongue, not that I've ever found a use for doing so.... We need a rolling tongue smilie is not quite right . Have attempted to turn my tongue through 180 degrees but unfortunately (?) I don't appear to be able to control the muscles on each side independently.


Don't feel lonely: YAP can't roll his tongue either

Have you ever tried to learn? I remember my brother trying to teach me - and failing horribly.


That would be a weird smilie, but rather fun...

Yes I know it's not useful... still... *wry grin*


I meant in my family really, but nice to know I'm not the odd one out (well not for that, at any rate ) on here.

I do have extremely independent eyebrows though...

Um, independent of each other rather than of my face, before anyone asks...

There you go .

I can't click OR roll my tongue (Sarah: I'm the only person in my family too)

I CAN whistle though. It's not only about embouchure but the air flow, it needs to be very focussed and directed.

I think you just need to keep trying, that's how I managed it.

I can't either!

I can whistle inwards but can barely whistle at all by blowing. I can get about one note humming and whistling together and it's very quiet.

Well I did try and can make a sound that vaguely resembles whistling by doing it sideways through my teeth, problem is range is about three notes and it really wouldn't be possible to hum at the same time as I have to constantly exhale through my mouth. Isn't it a good job they don't make us whistle in the aural tests: we'd be done for....

Incidentally humming is done through one's nose so if one holds one's nose it's not possible to hum (well one can make small noises by false inhaling that resemble humming but not hum properly) start humming and then hold your nose, it's quite enlightening .


And we knew just the person who would provide us with one of those .



So does YAP, maybe that's on the same recessive gene . *Wonders what the point of such a gene could be*

Ok.. so I need to get a life.. I actually tried to hum while holding my nose
Maybe there's something else I should be doing?

I can neither roll my tongue nor raise a single eyebrow.

I can whistle (although my range is only one octave) and click my fingers, though.

Nothing wrong with that; it's one of those things that people just have to try if they hear it, I'm sure you won't be alone. Well I know you're not because I tried it out too .

Reminds me of the old trick, where you share the following bit of trivia with someone...
"did you know that for 50% of the population the first sign of "losing it" is growing hairs on the palm of the hand"...

then when they do the obvious, you add

"and for the other 50% it's looking for them!"

It either used to have a point, or it never had a point but wasn't a disadvantage.

If a gene doesn't kill you, it won't be eliminated from the gene-pool.

Yes indeed, the joys of evolution being pure chance mean that there are some interesting genes out there!

isn't it just?


Yup, should've seen that one coming


Annoying people who can't do it?

Not much of a survival trait, I'll admit

I think my dad could do both...


so did I...


You win some, you lose some, eh?

*grin*

Me too!

I got sent a forward by email once saying how it was impossible to lick your elbow and then right at the end of the email it said '96% of people who have read this, will have tried to lick their elbow'..

Lol oh yeah...it's tempting though isn't it!! Did you also know that you can't fold a piece of paper more than 8 times... which is very random but hey....

I've just tried that too! True...i could only do it 7 times!!

I could only do that 6 times!

Car Expert

I saw on TV once (I think it was Brainiac) that they were able to fold paper 9 times. I can do it 7 times.