All orchestra wind instruments are chromatic, yet we have the C flute and Bb clarinet etc.

With woodwinds it varies on which fingering has traditionally been used to name the instrument from.

Irish flutes and whistles use the "six finger note"

xxx xxx D thus a "D flute"

Boehm flute and sax use the "seven finger note" (a full tone below the six finger note)

xxx xxx x C thus a "C flute" or "C melody sax"

or the note that would be the crossfingered C natural on Irish whistle, done with the thumb-key on the flute.

Clarinets use the "three finger note"

xxx ooo Bb thus a "Bb clarinet".

It's just the traditions of the various instruments.

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Richard Cook
1978 Quinn uilleann pipes
1945 Starck Highland pipes
Goldie Low D whistle

Thanks Richard, that was exactly what I was thinking of saying, but didn't since it was all getting a bit whimsical and far away from the only real point I had made, which is that a Descant/Soprano "C" recorder is basically the equivalent of a "high D" whistle. So though they are not the same instrument, if you play a D scale from the bottom D on each instrument (6 fingers down on each instrument) it will be voiced in the same pitch or whatever (unless your recorder is pitched at A=415, but that is a different story).

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Andrew Wigglesworth
http://www.greenmanrising.co.uk

See the thread on McManus Bb whistles.

viewtopic.php?p=1239967#p1239967

I got informed several times by recorder players that it is not right to say a soprano is in C or and alto is in F, because they can play in any key. I still say it though. Its a habit.

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You can play beautiful music on an ugly flute
My musical endeavours on my blog

C recorder and F recorder (as you said before) are unarguable, whereas 'in C' or 'in F' is more debatable, but I'd say still OK. The descant/soprano is a C recorder and the treble/alto is an F recorder, just like the sixth flute and voice flute are D recorders and the fourth flute a Bb recorder. End of. And I'm a recorder player.

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And we in dreams behold the Hebrides.

Why I teach... and where
Master of nine?

Yes I understand that, I'm just quoting other players. But at the end of the day its no big deal. I'll still say my soprano is in C regardless of the experts.

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You can play beautiful music on an ugly flute
My musical endeavours on my blog

Yes. My sister has one of those fancy Mollenhauer Modern Soprano recorders (with the extra keys). She still refers to it as a C recorder, full stop.

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Andrew Wigglesworth
http://www.greenmanrising.co.uk

Anyway, away from all the "key" stuff.

There's nowt wrong in getting both a C and a Bb whistle. Generations are cheap enough. You can find what it's like to play in those keys and you can decide what you fancy doing next.

No-one can frame or gainsay your personal preferences.

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Andrew Wigglesworth
http://www.greenmanrising.co.uk

I'd thought of getting a Bb whistle. It would have to be a Generation, can't afford a fancy one.
I wish Feadóg would extend their range...

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You can play beautiful music on an ugly flute
My musical endeavours on my blog

I agree! I would buy a Feadóg B, Bb, and/or an A in a heartbeat.

Yes because that's where they read. Recorders, like Boehm flutes and Saxes, read by the "seven finger note"

xxx xxxx C therefore a "recorder in C" (or Boehm flute, sax, etc.)

xxx xxxx F therefore a "recorder in F" (or Boehm flute, sax, etc.)

Now, if you called recorders and Boehm flutes and saxes by their "six finger note"

xxx xxx

the "recorder in C" is suddenly in D, and the "recorder in F" is suddenly in G.

It's why a "C melody sax" and Boehm "C flute" and a "recorder in C" and an uilleann chanter in "concert D" and a "D whistle" and a "D Irish flute" all have corresponding fingerings such as

xxx xxo E
xxx ooo G
xoo ooo B

etc.

_________________
Richard Cook
1978 Quinn uilleann pipes
1945 Starck Highland pipes
Goldie Low D whistle