Chiff and Fipple Forums

How many of you use a thumbrest?

I've been practicing steadily on the low whistle. Still a rank beginner, but people who don't know anything at all might be thinking I kind of know how to play. If I play Morrison's jig fast enough the mistakes just fly past...

Anyway I've gone from a really light Dixon plastic whistle to a Howard to now an MK "selkie," which is a great whistle but heavy. My left hand especially gets tired: I have an old table saw injury to that hand that might partly be the reason. On the other hand, the Howard used to feel heavy but now feels pretty effortless to hold.

I made a little slip-on ring out of PVC that works as a prototype. But I also feel like I should learn to play without it

You need another poll option, which is just 'No' without the '! Tough it out!'

I don't use one, but wouldn't advise against their use where they might help. You can get easily-moved clip-on ones that should provide more support than your simple ring.

If its already on the whistle, then I'll use it, but I don't really need it. I've heard that it sometimes bothers whistlers while they are playing, but I don't really mind it. At the same time, though, I don't really go out of my way to make sure it's on the whistle in the first place!
Cheers!

I used a silicone wedding ring I picked up on amazon for my MK. It has a bit of stretch. I had a black one so I got a black ring in size 20 I believe. I think it cost me less than 10 bucks. It went on easy and off easily and didn't have much of a profile so it didn't make slipping it into its sleeve awkward in any way.

busterbill wrote:I used a silicone wedding ring I picked up on amazon for my MK. It has a bit of stretch. I had a black one so I got a black ring in size 20 I believe. I think it cost me less than 10 bucks. It went on easy and off easily and didn't have much of a profile so it didn't make slipping it into its sleeve awkward in any way.

That's an interesting idea!

MTGuru had a clever strap and plastic coated hook that went in the bell end of the low whistle. It was suitable for keys, medals, lunch bag, etc......
viewtopic.php?t=56767

I bought a pack of six clarinet thumb rests off Ebay. A bit of high strength double stick tape and all's good.

I play Reyburn low D whistles, one brass and one alloy. The alloy is fine but the weight of the brass one causes it to slip around a bit. Thumb rest is easily re-positioned or removed with no residual marks.

I also use Runyon Flute cushions under the L.H. thumb. They might be all you need, just try one under each thumb.

Piper Joe

Peter Duggan wrote:You can get easily-moved clip-on ones that should provide more support than your simple ring.

If you need them, they work.

Susato version made in six sizes for whistles:



Aulos in three (?) sizes for recorders, but equally suitable for whistles because they're not actually tapered:

PB+J wrote:How many of you use a thumbrest?
My left hand especially gets tired: I have an old table saw injury to that hand that might partly be the reason. On the other hand, the Howard used to feel heavy but now feels pretty effortless to hold.
I made a little slip-on ring out of PVC that works as a prototype. But I also feel like I should learn to play without it

Pay no attention to the poll. Do what ever works for you to keep playing music.

I never used one before, but also haven’t owned a low whistle in years. I’m thinking of getting a Walt Sweet Onyx though, which I think does come with a thumb rest.

I didn't respond because none of the available answers fit my experience.

It's like an auto poll about extra handles that clamp onto a car's steering wheel for some imagined benefit, the poll asking

1) yes I use clamp-on steering wheel handles

2) no, I tough it out

Which is building in an obvious bias into the poll: no matter how you answer you're implying that the object in question is beneficial, which is the very thing I disagree with.

My answer would be

4) No, because thumb-rests and neck straps are unnecessary for most Low Whistles

(Yes I did use a neck strap briefly, but only for an extremely heavy thick solid brass Low D whistle, which I got rid of. No other Low D which I've ever played, in alloy, plastic, or wood, has required such a thing.)

I don't understand why you'd need one, and, for me at least, I think something like that would just get in the way.

benhall.1 wrote:I don't understand why you'd need one, and, for me at least, I think something like that would just get in the way.

I don't understand why I'd need one either. It's why I'm asking.


It could be because I have a hand injury--as mentioned, I cut my hand pretty badly in a table saw accident, and lost a good bit of dexterity on the guitar which has only slowly and partially come back. Some left hand whistle moves don't come easily either. The effort of holding the MK whistle, which is wide and fairy heavy--makes my hand hurt, and that makes me tense up, etc etc.. I really don't know if this is a normal part of the learning curve, or if it's due to injury, or if it's due to the size and weight of the MK.

PB+J wrote:I really don't know if this is a normal part of the learning curve, or if it's due to injury, or if it's due to the size and weight of the MK.

I guess I would suspect your injury. I have an MK Pro, and don't need or want a thumb rest. Is the Kelpie heavier than the Pro?

No thumb rest but I have a strip of electrical tape wound where my thumb rests to keep the whistle from slipping.

Use the pipers grip and don’t hold on too tight (easier said than done if you are new to the whistle).

I remember the Kelpie being heavier.