Might I ask how most people half hole. Let’s say an f nat (tune befor me has it in it). I have been straightening out my finger, holding it down lowwer than usual to get the half hole to get the note. Don’t ask me why but it felt sort of natural to kick it out like that. But I don’t get great results. Does anyone curl their fingers to expose half of the right side of the hole insted? Half hole center on top? Bottom? I was just wondering. I never read into a tech book far enough to see what they thought was proper, and thought I’d just see what others do. (btw, it was the ewe reel I am working on)
Pps: I don’t care to cross finger it, in case someone wonders. Just doesn’t cut it sound wise.
Being unprejudiced by whistle training and experience, I have found it best to cover the top half of a whole, so you can just kinda roll your fingers up or down to do chromatic or accidental stuff.
I practiced it a bit for fun and I can sequentially roll my fingers up in a way that it sounds like a trombone thats not using the tongue-slur method
I don’t uncover either the top or the bottom of the hole. I simply lift my finger on an angle away from the hole, exposing the side of the hole…
To each his own, I suppose.
Best.
Byll
I think it depends on the hole and where I’m coming from and going to. I don’t really think much about it. I do half hole diagonally for G# and bend my finger for F nat. I’ll often slide up to the note in the most comfortable way possible but not necessarily from a full semitone below. With C nat for tunes in D mixolydian I’m often aiming to play the C a bit sharp anyway.
Same with me.
When I play an Fnat I put the finger down so it only covers the right half of the hole. (should an E come next, I curl the ‘Fnat finger’ to completely cover the hole with the fingertip.)
If the preceding note is F# I lift the finger at an angle like Byll does.
That was pretty much what I was doing. I’m trying curling my fingers over the whistle a bit (forward) now. Doesn’t seem as natural though.
Does any one have one of those “plus” whistles with the right pinky hole? I’m wondering if that might help with tunes with f nat. Several people make extra bodies on request for whistles. Wondered if anyone had any experience with that.
Interesting that this came up. I’ve been working on playing a smooth chromatic scale and have discovered that how I have hole depends on the hole, my finger size, and where I’m coming from/going to.
I’m working on the song Crazy, Tenderly, Misty and a few other standards. I’ll post them when they are down properly.