WHOAD and Thumb Hole Blues

[Headelmer]

I just joined the forum and did it to weigh in on the thumbhole question. I am recently back to whistling professionally. My first thumbhole whistle was an Abell in D. That whistle was smashed in a tragedy. I now play Burkes'. I have to say I like the thumbhole. It works well, and it is easier than cross-fingering. I have modified Clarke's, Generation's, Walton's and etc. by simply carefully drilling a hole in the estimated proper place. Try it with a cheap whistle and see if it works for you. If you really don't like it, tape over it. For those opposed on the question of confusion in fingering I say, you already have learned several alternate fingerings, consider this another. For those who oppose on "traditional grounds" I say, tradition is often interrupted by innovation. IMHO this is one such case. I don't expect to change anyone's mind with this. I hope that the less experienced whistlers considering whether to get a thumbhole will consider it. It makes that note easy more often and does not prevent the use of cross fingering.

[whistlecollector]

I just joined the forum and did it to weigh in on the thumbhole question. I am recently back to whistling professionally. My first thumbhole whistle was an Abell in D. That whistle was smashed in a tragedy. I now play Burkes'. I have to say I like the thumbhole. It works well, and it is easier than cross-fingering. I have modified Clarke's, Generation's, Walton's and etc. by simply carefully drilling a hole in the estimated proper place. Try it with a cheap whistle and see if it works for you. If you really don't like it, tape over it. For those opposed on the question of confusion in fingering I say, you already have learned several alternate fingerings, consider this another. For those who oppose on "traditional grounds" I say, tradition is often interrupted by innovation. IMHO this is one such case. I don't expect to change anyone's mind with this. I hope that the less experienced whistlers considering whether to get a thumbhole will consider it. It makes that note easy more often and does not prevent the use of cross fingering.

I suspect that those as are opposed to the idea won't even bother with the experiment and thus will have nothing to tape over!

I've no problem with whistles with extra holes. They are entirely "traditional", after all! Makers of instruments and makers of music have been altering "traditional" instruments for hundreds of years. This is why, in the 21st century, we now have entirely "traditional" full Boehm system flutes and clarinets alongside equally "traditional" simple system instruments. Anyway, if the C hole makes your playing life easier or gives you additional options, that's great. I think you're well within the "tradition" of centuries of musicians who were not content to leave their instruments be.

As for the whole (false) notion of "traditional" and the general attitude that "traditional" is somehow superior or better or more appropriate, well that's just nonsense.

I mean, what ìs "tradition"? Who gets to determine? Whose tradition are we talking about anyway? And in what time period? Is 2017 Chicago where someone is playing Dan Spratley's Jig in the key of B on a Selmer clarinet accompanied by steel pan drums somehow less "traditional" than 1940 Dublin where someone played the same tune on a penny whistle? And how "traditional" was Dan Spratley's Jig the day after it was first played anyway?

And what's so dog gone "traditional" about the penny whistle and jigs and reels anyway? The penny whistle evolved in England in the mid-19th century and those dances probably date two or three centuries before that! If you want "traditional Irish music", you need to break out your bog-horns and your Wicklow pipes and maybe jingle your crotals.

[/rant]

Sorry to hear about your Abell! That was a tragedy indeed, and on multiple levels! I've often considered trying such a whistle --- perhaps you'd care to share some pictures or your experiences in making the modifications? I think that would be most illuminating!

[Steve Bliven]

jingle your crotals.

My crotals are jingling just thinking about it...



Best wishes.

Steve

[pancelticpiper]

It's a way to get a clear in tune flatted seventh in both octaves.

I prefer the other way.

[pancelticpiper]

(post removed)

[AuLoS303]

A bit like playing recorder then
By the way what is WHOAD?

[benhall.1]

By the way what is WHOAD?

"WHistle Obsessive Acquisition Disorder"

[Mae]

Other than the thumbhole, does it play really well? I actually have a Shearwater whistle recorder that has the thumbhole and the extra C hole for the right pinky. It doesn't quite play like a recorder because the Baroque fingerings don't work. I have to basically play around with the fingerings to get the notes I need, and I get the proper C natural with the traditional whistle fingering.

[BigDavy]

It plays very well, it was bought for playing in the irregular local B sessions.

As to your whistle Mae, are you sure that it is in recorder tuning, Shearwater make a whistle in highland bagpipe tuning.


David

[Mae]

Hi David, yes, it's essentially recorder tuning, but with some odd fingering. It's a hybrid of whistle and recorder with the fingering, so I essentially have to figure some of it out. It's on his buying page at the very bottom "C Recorder Whistle NEW! £85.95" under Tuneable Alloy Whistles. I only know of one other person who bought it, but he's on the World/Folk Winds forum, and he had told me about this recorder whistle, and recently mentioned trying the fingering chart for a Mollenhauer Kynsecker recorder to try on the recorder whistle. Are you referring to the piper's whistle further up on this page? I know absolutely nothing about those. But I must be suffering that WHOAD because the thought of an odd new whistle or recorder always makes me perk up.

[Tyler DelGregg]

I have enough problems with just six holes, thank you.