I’m looking to get my first low D whistle. Actually my first “good” (meaning expensive) whistle. I’ve probably settled on the Burke Viper (unless someone steers me in an even better direction) but my issue is - should I go with the thumbhole or not.
I’d be interested to hear from players who have gone through this decision.
Thanks
If you’re talking about a thumbhole for C natural, generations of Irish traditional musicians have played whistle, flute, and uilleann pipes without such. (The pipes have a thumbhole, but it’s for D.)
The cross-fingered C natural is part of the shared technique of whistle, flute, and pipes.
To me, these thumbholes for C natural cater to people coming from the Boehm flute, as it was Boehm who altered the flute in that way. (The pre-Boehm flute had a thumb key for B flat. C natural was produced either by cross-fingering or by using a side key.)
No person NOT coming from the Boehm flute would expect to find a thumbhole for C natural on their whistle- it’s contrary to the way most folk instruments are designed. If a thumbhole is present, on for example Highland bagpipes, uilleann pipes, recorders, the Andean quena, etc etc, it plays a note an octave higher than the “six finger note”, not a flat 7th.
So to me the thumbhole represents an attempt to make a whistle finger more like a Boehm flute. If somebody wants to play Boehm flute, get a Boehm flute. If they want to play traditional Irish whistle, get a normal whistle and learn its fingering.
By the way I play a Burke Pro Viper as my main session horn. It’s great.
Be wise and listen to what panceltipper says.
The instruments tend to shape the music, and this is probably why a Boehm-flute just doesn’t sound “right” when used for playing Irish traditional music. Tuning slides, offset fingerholes, C natural fingerhole etc. will eventually evolve into something very different than the plain old whistle.
Keep things simple as they have always been and avoid that C natural fingehole. If the whistle has such a hole,-cover it up with tape and play it the good old Irish way.
The “good old Irish” way has proved its worth for generations, nobody can deny that it works,-so well in fact that the music has conquered the whole world.
I know that there are different opinions about this, but I agree with emtor & pancelticpiper. For me, the beauty of the whistle is in its simplicity. I’ve heard some amazing tunes and they were done without a C hole
I have a Burke AL-PRO low D (no thumbhole) dated 12/2000 which I really like.
I prefer the standard fingering, but I am contemplating making a low D with a ghost D hole and a back D hole and tune it to use UP fingering. It is just in the planning stage just now.
fancypiper wrote:
I am contemplating making a low D with a ghost D hole and a back D hole and tune it to use UP fingering.
Sounds like a good idea to get used to UP-fingering without having to buy a practice-chanter.