Playing Top D
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Playing Top D
I have always raised my left index finger when playing top D like all the books say you should but just recently I have been trying to learn "Drowsy Maggie", which sounds great on fiddle but is fiendish to play on whistle because of all that switching from e to b to d. I was on the point of abandoning it until someone suggested leaving that left index finger down and the task was made 10x easier.
This morning I have been experimenting playing top D with six fingers and with five and I can't hear a difference - not sure why I have been raising that finger all these years. I have got quite a good whistle (Overton), I haven't tried it on a cheaper one yet.
Any thoughts? (Drowsy Maggie still not sounding too good, but she is more awake than she was)
Steve
This morning I have been experimenting playing top D with six fingers and with five and I can't hear a difference - not sure why I have been raising that finger all these years. I have got quite a good whistle (Overton), I haven't tried it on a cheaper one yet.
Any thoughts? (Drowsy Maggie still not sounding too good, but she is more awake than she was)
Steve
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With the whistles i have there is a difference in the voice of the D note between vented and unvented.
I've also found that it can be difficult to drop cleanly onto an unvented D from high up.
I've learned primarily using the vented D as when i play slowly it sounds nicer and more in line with the other notes than the unvented D. However, some tunes, as you say, are a bitch to play unvented as they're so quick and awkward and in those places i used the unvented D.
I've also found that it can be difficult to drop cleanly onto an unvented D from high up.
I've learned primarily using the vented D as when i play slowly it sounds nicer and more in line with the other notes than the unvented D. However, some tunes, as you say, are a bitch to play unvented as they're so quick and awkward and in those places i used the unvented D.
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see Bro.Steve
"Brother Steve's" website has an interesting opinion on this, and I seem to remember "Drowsy Maggie" was one of the tunes specifically mentioned. You should check it out.
"There's fast music and there's lively music. People don't always know the difference"
- colomon
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- Tell us something.: Whistle player, aspiring C#/D accordion and flute player, and aspiring tunesmith. Particularly interested in the music of South Sligo and Newfoundland. Inspired by the music of Peter Horan, Fred Finn, Rufus Guinchard, Emile Benoit, and Liz Carroll.
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Re: see Bro.Steve
You mean this page, I think -- though he mentions "Drowsy Maggie" in a slightly different context. Still a very good thing to read.kenny wrote:"Brother Steve's" website has an interesting opinion on this, and I seem to remember "Drowsy Maggie" was one of the tunes specifically mentioned. You should check it out.
Sol's Tunes (new tune 2/2020)
- colomon
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- Tell us something.: Whistle player, aspiring C#/D accordion and flute player, and aspiring tunesmith. Particularly interested in the music of South Sligo and Newfoundland. Inspired by the music of Peter Horan, Fred Finn, Rufus Guinchard, Emile Benoit, and Liz Carroll.
I've got some compositions up at http://www.harmonyware.com/tunes/SolsTunes.html - Location: Midland, Michigan
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BTW, I find venting the D doesn't make much difference on my high D whistles, but makes an enormous difference on my low E and low D whistles. So I try to do it no matter what whistle I'm playing, so it is easier to switch to playing on the low whistles.
Sol's Tunes (new tune 2/2020)
I thought I might mention that there is a third D that you can get on most whistles -- not recommended for playing around people with sensitive ears. But its there, and it does come in handy on some tunes. Don't vent and over blow it a bit harder than you would for the top A, B and C#.
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High D vent
after 30+ years of playing flute and now playing whistle I can tell you the real reason for venting the high D by raising the left index finger. It makes it impossible to play a low D by accident. That's it. Just try to. The reason is revealed. On the High End Flutes you can't really tell a difference in tone by venting or not venting. The reason is as I have stated.
Ben
Ben
Ben
Re: High D vent
Hush Ben,benbrad wrote:after 30+ years of playing flute and now playing whistle I can tell you the real reason for venting the high D by raising the left index finger. It makes it impossible to play a low D by accident. That's it. Just try to. The reason is revealed. On the High End Flutes you can't really tell a difference in tone by venting or not venting. The reason is as I have stated.
Ben
Next you'll be tellin'em they can leave the right ring finger down when going from middle D to low B or A.
Is nothing sacred?
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Hey - do what you want. I love playing high on low whistle, and every fingering is made up. Half holing gives a cool sound, and on short-beaked whistles you can bend the snot out of high notes by changing the angle of the whistle. Don't be too agressive with this when you have a big expensive condenser mic in front of you.
Happily tooting when my dogs let me.
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In my experience, (which is only 21 months) I've found that venting the D, gives a clearer tone. But my main whistles are Clarke Meg's and Original's. However, I've found this venting to be true on Generations, Feadog's, Susato's, Oak's, and Shaw's. So as for the expensive high end whistles, I'm clueless...Cause I don't own one.
However, when I play songs that are fast, or only have the high D for a very short time, sometimes not venting the D makes a song much easier to play. Particularly, The Maid Behind the Bar. I tried learning this song with the high D vented, but when I played it up to normal speed, (or really quickly) I found my fingers lagging, and not being able to keep up with the song. But that might have been because my fingers probably aren't the quickest in the world, I don't know. Anyways, I know that when I played The Maid Behind the Bar with the high D not vented (the 2cd part of the song mind you), it was much easier to keep up. And when I did this, that particular D sounded fine as it was played so fast.
So I guess there's two things to remember. If the note is very short, and if your non-vented high D sounds playable, then use the non-vented D if it makes the song easier to play. If the song is fairly slow, or easy to finger, use the vented D, especially on slow songs. Unless it doesn't matter on those really expensive whistles, then do what you like! I almost exclusively use the vented D, simply because for me it's easier to play most songs, and on my whistles, it sounds just a wee bit better.
However, when I play songs that are fast, or only have the high D for a very short time, sometimes not venting the D makes a song much easier to play. Particularly, The Maid Behind the Bar. I tried learning this song with the high D vented, but when I played it up to normal speed, (or really quickly) I found my fingers lagging, and not being able to keep up with the song. But that might have been because my fingers probably aren't the quickest in the world, I don't know. Anyways, I know that when I played The Maid Behind the Bar with the high D not vented (the 2cd part of the song mind you), it was much easier to keep up. And when I did this, that particular D sounded fine as it was played so fast.
So I guess there's two things to remember. If the note is very short, and if your non-vented high D sounds playable, then use the non-vented D if it makes the song easier to play. If the song is fairly slow, or easy to finger, use the vented D, especially on slow songs. Unless it doesn't matter on those really expensive whistles, then do what you like! I almost exclusively use the vented D, simply because for me it's easier to play most songs, and on my whistles, it sounds just a wee bit better.
- StewySmoot
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Some whistles I vent, some I dont.
Some tunes I vent, some I dont.
It pretty much depends on how I learned a tune.
Some tunes I vent, some I dont.
It pretty much depends on how I learned a tune.
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Helping underprivileged kids learn music via the Irish Whistle.
Helping underprivileged kids learn music via the Irish Whistle.
- bjs
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My Overton gives a a flat Bb if I don't blow hard enough with top hole vented.after 30+ years of playing flute and now playing whistle I can tell you the real reason for venting the high D by raising the left index finger. It makes it impossible to play a low D by accident.
Third D I use XXX XOX on most whistles.
Have always played second D as XXX XXX
Brian
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Absolutely. In fact, it's possible to overblow another 3 Ds above that on most high whistles - so that's 6 in all. Not very ITM-friendly, but it's worth knowing they're there if you're playing some other types of music.Tyghress wrote:I thought I might mention that there is a third D that you can get on most whistles -- not recommended for playing around people with sensitive ears. But its there, and it does come in handy on some tunes. Don't vent and over blow it a bit harder than you would for the top A, B and C#.
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Re: see Bro.Steve
Everytime I come on this website I discover another useful place. Thank you for this: not come across it before.kenny wrote:"Brother Steve's" website has an interesting opinion on this, and I seem to remember "Drowsy Maggie" was one of the tunes specifically mentioned. You should check it out.
Steve