More newbie questions... fingering C natural and high D

Whistle
21

Picardy wrote;

I just would not go as far as to say it is a myth and that some well-trained musicians do not know what they are talking about or don’t have a good ear or do not know how to use a tuner.

I didn’t quite say or even mean that trained musicians don’t know what they are talking about etc. My point was that people seem to get hung up on slight variations of tuning which to my mind are unimportant and can get in the way of playing a tune.

I have also heard, (entirely) on this board about the Sindt Cnat problem and as I have played a few and haven’t found a significant problem, I obviously wonder whats going on…is it me? have I been playing out of tune for the last five years? As I know I haven’t then I have to assume it’s a myth.

Dave.

22

That is no good if something gets in the way of playing a tune. I agree with what Dave points out.

About Sindt C natural(oxxooo) issue, I dare to say that there’re cases where this oxxooo sounds better(we have also simple fact that temperament/tuning is a matter of trade-off and it can never be perfect). I am too lazy to explain them in details(esp. in English) though…

When oxxooo sounds in tune, something else must get a bit out of tune(like xxxooo sounds bad). But whistle makers tune their whistles wisely not to emphasize the fault.

Well, I am too lazy to summarize these things too…

23

I have played a sindt in which the c natural at OXXOOO was painfully sharp

24

It certainly seems to depend on the whistle or flute.

(This doesn’t have to be Cnat either. The actual note depends on the key of the flute/whistle.

Sharp OK
OXXOOO - Eric bamboo flutes Burke brass pro D
Serpent D Serpent Eb
Meg C All Susatos
Sweettone D & C
Generations all keys
Weird Silver flute
Dixon Polymer D flute
Woodsong bamboo A flute

For the sharp ones I still crossfinger if it’s fast but if I have to linger on that note I try to either half hole or use the OXXXOO or OXXXXO

25

One can control the whistle pretty well while
half holing the c natural by keeping one’s
right hand pinky or ring finger down.
There are five contacts to the whistle this way,
including one’s mouth–plenty.

Half holing isn’t easy, it takes patience
to slowly integrate it into one’s
playing. But for fluidity of fingering,
it can’t be beat, IMO. It really
can transform one’s relation to the
instrument. Best