There is an obvious difference between the version of Silbo taught in classrooms and that what is used by some of the elder inhabitants. An example of this generational gap is presented through a quote from Ciro Mesa Niebla, a farmer of the island in his late 40s, expressing his difficulties… “”I’m a mountain guy who learned at home to whistle the words our family used to farm, but I don’t have the vocabulary of these kids who learn salon whistling, which is a bit too fancy for me.””

Ethnomusicologist David Díaz Reyes states “Silbo was not invented on La Gomera, but it is the island where it was best preserved,” implying that Silbo would have been well used throughout the Canaries however this may be debatable. La Gomera’s terrain consists of many steep mountains in compact proximity, with the radius of the island only around 22km in length. Other islands in the archipelago share similar terrain but none so treacherously difficult to navigate short distances, being enough or a reason to ensure the continuity of the language on La Gomera.