In my many years of uneducated but sensitive listening and love of the various Celtic traditions I would say that Ceol mor (the great music) and musics analgous to it focussed on slow airs/laments and revelling in microtonal variance is disposed to sliding and therefore half holing
whereas Ceol beg (the little music) and dance musics analogous to it are happy enough with cross fingered notes.
I have heard masters and mistresses of the great music play the little music without cross fingering but the speed of the latter (as well as group unison in notes) requires many years of lamenting to do this nicely. However, when it happens it contributes to a less mechanical expression of the dance tune, one that suggests it as an ecstatic movement within the rapturous field of a slow air/lament.
I tried some of these cross-fingerings on my Susato SB Eb, checking the tuning with flutini. XXO XXX for G#, XOX XXO for Bb, OXX OOO for C, and XXO XOX for G#’ were all within ten cents. In fact, the cross-fingerings came up as more in tune than the diatonic notes of the whistle! I don’t have the Susato SB D, but I imagine that it behaves the same way.
Speaking more generally, if XXO XXO doesn’t give a good second octave G# on any given whistle, I’ve found that XXO XOX often does, and vice versa. Also, for a first octave Bb some whistles like XOX XXO and some like XOX XXX. It depends on the size of the highest uncovered hole, among other things.
By the way, I’m Stanton, and I’ve just come out of lurking. Hi!
Hi Stanton, welcome to you!
As I am only a occasionally visitor on this forum, I found this thread only today.
Hans, you know, that I do like the thumb holes as well. But as I use Cnat cross-fingering very often, it is very important for me, how the cross-fingering of Cnat on a whistle works. I find it very difficult to use different cross-fingerings on every of my whistles and the Cnat appears so very often. So I normally used the oxx ooo fingering. It was not ok for my Sindt’s, but I could use the thumb-holes (I made them myself).
But I tried a Walt Sweet Onyx Low D lately and fell in love immediately and bought it at once, just could not resist…
It has a conical bore and is no Sweetheart, but very sweet
But the oxx ooo fingering doesn’t work on it, oxx xoo is ok, the best is a “hybrid” fingering again oxx xDo.
I added a thumb-hole myself (Walt suggested, he could do it, but it’s a long, long way from here (Germany) to Connecticut ).
So I use the oxx xoo fingering and the thumb-hole as well. And my Sindt’s are happy with the new fingering.
And by the way, the Cnat on a Burke Session D sounds better for me with oxx xoo (nearly as good as with the thumb-hole), while the tuning is not affected.
It’s funny, but I never thought about other cross-fingerings before. I use both cross-fingering and half-holing, but I use them as it fit’s from the tuning and the fingering of the tune. I think , it’s because they don’t use to appear so often in ITM.
And now, at this point, I’m sure, I will not to think about them any more, because: “Never change a running system”
My MK Low D does nice crossfingered Bb’s and G#'s in both octaves, an advantage of the smallish toneholes, which I use on the small number of Bulgarian tunes I play.
to do this nicely. However, when it happens it contributes to a less mechanical expression of the dance tune, one that suggests it as an ecstatic movement within the rapturous field of a slow air/lament.
