wrms wrote:
I'm hoping for some cheats, for example; in any key with thee sharps, leave the G sharps out or substitute a chord tone (B naturals frequently).
I didn't read the whole thread, so I don't know if this was covered already by somebody else.
Playing the g# shouldn't be a problem. There are even fingering charts for whistles out there with chromatic notes. The tones in between are then simply pictured with half covered holes. But it isn't played like this. It is more like a slide. Like you slide from the g to the a and stop somewhere in the middle. With a bit training you meet the right note. It may also be a great place to do a slide (from g to g#).
There are other notes which show up frequently in traditional music. Like the f. You need it for example in Brian Boru's march or in Planxty Maggie Brown. I also remember some Hornpipes which use an a#. So it's worth to learn to play this notes, even if seldom used.
regards
Klaus