Today I must have done one of the most stupid whistle related things possible. While making a low D whistle from some really nice looking 22 mm Alu pipe I cut one of my fingertips open; -On the whistle…
-I’ve heard about sharp notes but I’ve never heard of a sharp whistle…
Fortunately it was the R1 fingertip so at least I can play on my low D’s but all the others are off limits for a week or so…
That’s unless someone can come up with a tune I can play which hasn’t got any F’s in it, then I can tape the F hole shut and still practice…
-How about the whistle I was making? Well, at least it has a really sweet bell note, more to follow…
I thought it was funny when the guy in the next office to mine got a pretty nasty cut from the aluminum foil of a yogurt container. Then I did it myself. I thought that was funny enough that the first thing I did was run into the next office and show him that we’re both idiots.
Yeah, I think few of us are able to completely protect our playing hands from routine injuries in everyday life. Every time I cut a finger, or even break a guitar fingernail, I’m mad at myself for days.
Who was the well-known box player who was a bricklayer by trade, and who took up the instrument after crushing his left hand in a construction accident?
Or there’s Alex Green, who whistles despite the loss of fingertips of his right hand. And didn’t Donncha O’Briain play with an extension tube of some kind?
I count my blessings and keep my still-intact fingers crossed every day …
Gotta be careful. Yes, I have been there too - actually to the emergency room. I received nine stitches in my left index finger after I lost my balance and slipped while shaping a low G whistle beak. I put out my hand to steady myself and it landed on a sharp blade. That was a few years ago. I cut part of a tendon too. It took almost two years to get the strength and flexibility of that finger back to near normal. No whistle playing for a few weeks. It really limited my guitar and mandolin playing for much longer. I did acquire a button box to tide me over while recovering though. And the tools in the shop are much more organized now to avoid future mishaps.
I suggest you just tape that hole and write your own tune.
-Great idea but I’ve just tried playing a bit on my Chieftain low D and my bandaged fingertip didn’t affect the pipers grip too much. Perhaps this would be a good time for some more focused practice on the low D…
