Chiff and Fipple Forums

Hello everyone,

I have a seven holed whistle in the key of D, and I'm having a lot of trouble finding fingering charts, and sheet music for it . It seems everyone else has a six-holed whistle.

Does anyone know where I can find charts and music online?

Also, just a random question: why is a D whistle so much better than other keys?

I would really appreciate some help ASAP, because I'm really limited on what I can play on my whistle.

Thanks!

HG.

A "D" whistle isn't "better" than the other keys necessarily. Most people who play whistle are interested in Irish trad. A whistle in the Key of D can play most of those tunes with other people. You can play the tunes on any other key of whistle, but not in a proper key, so in order to play with others, they'd have to be matching the key you are playing. For ITM, D whistle is the best idea to start with.


Also, is your whistle just a regular whistle with one lower hole for the pinky ? A person can make a woodwind to be tuned how they want, there is no single fingerchart for any "7 holed " woodwind instrument. If it's a regular tin whistle, but with a pinky hole, then the pinky hole probably plays either a note, or semitone, lower than the normal bell note. Then again, maybe the person who made it had made it with some other type of tuning.

Please show a picture or show us what whistle you are playing, so we can answer your question.

HunterGatherer wrote:I have a seven holed whistle in the key of D, and I'm having a lot of trouble finding fingering charts, and sheet music for it . It seems everyone else has a six-holed whistle.

More specifics about your whistle would be helpful: Who made it, or where did you get it? What is the hole layout? Maybe post a photo.

If the 7th hole is a thumbhole, then it's probably a C-natural to be played by lifting the top thumb.

If it's at the very bottom of the tube and reachable by the pinky finger, then you may have a "D+" whistle. The hole is a low C or C# and can be ignored for the purpose of fingering charts. If it's unreachable, it may just be a "tuning hole" (as on a Chinese dizi), and can also be ignored.

If it's somewhere else then it's ... something else.

HunterGatherer wrote:Also, just a random question: why is a D whistle so much better than other keys?

It's not better ... But there are reasons that it's the "standard" whistle:

o D is the concert pitch whistle. Which means that the note you finger will match the same letter-name note on other concert pitch instruments - e.g. piano, fiddle, guitar, accordion, etc.

o The other main Irish trad wind instruments - flute and pipes - are also D instruments with the same basic fingerings. So the D whistle matches them.

o Most Irish trad tunes fit within the 2-octave range of the D whistle, and with the keys/modes that the D whistle can play.

[ Note to nit-pickers: Yes, that's a lot of fudging of details. But I think a simplified answer is most helpful for now! ]

A "D" whistle isn't "better" than the other keys necessarily. Most people who play whistle are interested in Irish trad. A whistle in the Key of D can play most of those tunes with other people. You can play the tunes on any other key of whistle, but not in a proper key, so in order to play with others, they'd have to be matching the key you are playing. For ITM, D whistle is the best idea to start with.

I'd even go as far as to say that it doesn't matter which key you start with. Key becomes relevant only once you want to play together with another instrumentalist or a recording (and even then there's a lot of flexibility, how many good recordings/players use an Eflat or a C whistle for example?)

Cross posted with the Guru. I'll pick one nit: Pipes are not D instruments by definition! Only when you have a D set.

Mr.Gumby wrote:I'll pick one nit: Pipes are not D instruments by definition! Only when you have a D set.

Was going to pick the same nit, concert-pitch pipes being a relatively modern innovation.

concert-pitch pipes being a relatively modern innovation.

Not entirely true, the wide bore loud ones are though.

Nit picking even more: The term concert pipes refers to the big bore more modern sets, rather than the key of D. This is different than "concert pitch" sets, which we now assume to be in D at A=440. Antique sets were made before the fairly recient adoption of A=440 as a standard, therefore none really fit that standard, which we now assume to be in D at A=440. Most Taylor and Wm. Rowsome "concert sets" were made at about A=452 or so, which was the London Philharmonic pitch of the time. Chanters which were made in inches, rather than pitches, especially do not to match A=440. In the last 20 years or so, a switch to pipes being made in pitches based on A=440 which is now considered standard. We talk about or order sets in C, B, D or whatever, assuming them to be tuned to A=440. Copies of antiques can and often are called by the modern pitch they are closest to. An 18" chanter may tune close to 20 cents sharp of Bb at A=440. Some have been upset that their copy of an antique does not play at modern pitch, even if in tune with itself. Some makers are making adjustments in the tuning of their antique copy sets to meet modern pitch standards and call them whatever pitch they are shooting for. Pipers these days are often wanting a set made to modern pitch standards, rather than in whatever pitch they were originally made. This can be confusing, unless you are familiar with the history of uilleann pipe pitches.

Those pipers seem to be real pick-nitters don't they

Best wishes.

Steve

Not sure that nit was there to pick Ted, this thread so far carefully avoided 'concert pitch' in relation to pipes so as far as this thread is concerned, you may be unnecessarily over-complicating things.

Back to the OP.

How do you know it's a D whistle? Does it play D when all the first six holes are covered? If so then I'm presuming, like others have, that the extra hole is for your pinkie and does indeed get you to that elusive, but occasionally handy, lower C#.

Assuming this is the case, an accurately played version of Ashokan Farewell will fit wonderfully on this instrument as it wants that lower C# so badly that work-arounds become common. There are others that will chime in with other tunes that fit as well. I have two whistles configured this way. I find that both of mine exhibit a particularly robust bell note (D). YMMV. This bottom hole is also particularly easy to half-hole (Cnat) so you can experiment with tunes that often necessitate octave-folding when played on a D whistle.

You can play anything you like on them by simply ignoring the bottom hole until you need that lower note, then - there it is waiting for you!

As for that random question...see how much trouble you caused? Now all the pipers are pi$$ed!

ecohawk

ecohawk wrote: Now all the pipers are pi$$ed!

Redundant...

Best wishes.

Steve

I find that without the seventh hole uncovered, it's very hard to produce a sound at all - we're talking the hole at the end that it's traditional to block with the left big toe, right?

Thanks guys for all your replies!

What I'm really playing is Serbian Frula in D. But no one here seems to know much about frula's, and I figured that it's not much different from a tin whistle with a thumbhole. So I thought that a fingering chart for a seven holed whistle would work. Is that incorrect?

HunterGatherer wrote:What I'm really playing is Serbian Frula in D.

That was a fun wild goose chase.

MTGuru wrote:

HunterGatherer wrote:What I'm really playing is Serbian Frula in D.

That was a fun wild goose chase.

Um, yeah. The post should have been in the World/Folk Winds Forum. After all, that's what it's there for.

Abracadabra, or whatever...