High d hole in a Low D whistle

Whistle
1

I have drilled a hole for my thumb so I can take a high d on my Low D whistle. Like a Recorder. Is it common to do so or do you stick to six holes

2

Some pepole drill a thumb hole for a c natural.

3

I stick with 6 holes, but on many whistles I open the top one for that high D.

4

Six pretty much always.

5

Anytime you add a thumbhole to a whistle you get a good portion of the whistle community up in arms. They think it’s too much like a Recorder (also written as Rcrd*r) – There seems to be a ‘cold war’ between whistles and recorders, maybe someone could elaborate on that.

I asked Dale about this way back in 1999 and this was the response:
“Suggestion: Don’t include the thumb hole on the bottom. Whistle
players don’t dig 'em.”

6

Part of the charm of a whistle is it’s simplicity. If you keep on “improving” it, you end up with a different instrument. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the resulting instrument will have some non-whistle characteristics.

7

It’s not common and it’s not necessary. Drilling holes in an otherwise fine low whistle may hurt its resale value.

Some low whistles require the player to have better than average lung capacity and breath control (Shaw, for instance) and may not be suitable for everyone. You have two choices with such an instrument: sell it, or work on building your lung capacity through exercise. It’s also a good idea to work on breath control. I’ve seen a lot of whistle students get winded just blowing a C Generation whistle - and that should not happen to a healthy person.

8

I stick with 6 holes, but on many whistles I open the top one for that high D.[/quoteof Paul

I don’t understand why a thumb hole would be needed for either D?

9

I don’t get it either, Tommy.

The thumbhole just isn’t necessary. To me, it seems to be mostly a crutch for people who are used to thumbholes or keys on other instruments and don’t want to work at learning the whistle as a separate instrument, i.e., using cross fingering or tone hole shading for C natural, F natural, Ab, and Bb.

I mean, come on, :laughing: the whistle is about the easiest instrument in the world. How much easier does it have to be? The only instrument easier than a whistle is the :swear:-ing kazoo!