Right hand pinkie finger: to anchor or not?

[CelticHarpie]

I had a whistle lesson last night and my teacher noticed that I'm not anchoring my right hand pinkie finger. Instead, it's hanging out in mid air all willynilly.

When he asked me to try to keep it down, it was like I'd never played an instrument before. I'm a clarinet/sax player and for me, the idea of holding the pinkie down (even though it's not covering a hole) is like playing a different note (i.e. a C instead of a D). My brain can't wrap around that.

How many of you play with your pinkie anchored? Is it essential? Anyone have suggestions on how to retrain 25 years of woodwind playing?

[hoopy mike]

I had a whistle lesson last night and my teacher noticed that I'm not anchoring my right hand pinkie finger. Instead, it's hanging out in mid air all willynilly.

Anyone have suggestions on how to retrain 25 years of woodwind playing?

superglue?

stay hoopy,
Mike

[jemtheflute]

It isn't essential, but it does help with security, especially for all-fingers off C#. For folks approaching whistle from Boehm flute it comes naturally - just play a phantom Eb key - and that pattern of movements avoids the problems with moving R3 freely for rolls on E which can be problematic if you keep R4 "anchored" at all times........... I don't know sax fingering, but since it is based on Boehm's flute key system, I'd have thought it was pretty similar with regard to the R4 Eb thing?????????

There's just been another thread on pretty much this topic, though from a different starting point/in light of a different problem, and it probably has plenty of prior coverage if you use the forum search facility.

P.S. Am I alone in feeling vague unease/disgust at calling the little finger the "pinkie"? I'm well aware it is a standard American usage and (probably derived from?) also a Scottish one, but to the rest of us Brits it sounds painfully cutesie - and at least an older generation would have referred to a baby's toes as its pinkies. Mind you, the inevitable influences are making the American usage increasingly common here now.

[charlie_butterworth]

I think that the use of the RH pinkie is pretty variable. It seems that some players (and exceptional ones) don't use it at all. Other players use it for GAB notes, etc.

The whistle is my first wind instrument, so for me, I didn't have to do any re-learning and I use the RH pinkie all the time.

My guess is that you could work on it, but shouldn't let it become too bothersome. I suppose it depends upon whether aspects of your playing are hampered by not using the RH pinkie.

Given that we have a performance in the near future, I would certainly not do anything drastic with my style of playing (other than improvement) especially if I were comfortable with my playing style. Maybe you're less nervous about playing the AZ Irish Festival than I am.

Regards,
Charlie

[jim stone]

One can also use the ring finger of the rt hand to anchor
the whistle, it's down on the hole when one plays G or above,
up when one descends below that. This works well
and simplifies some fingerings too, but you have
to learn to do it.

[Whiddler]

Unless you're actually having trouble with your whistle moving around or falling out of your mouth (esp. when you do a C#), I don't see why you should bother.

[Key_of_D]

Tell your whistle teacher that he should tell you to do what feels best and explore all possible options before committing to one technique. If he doesn't like that tell him to answer to me. If you're taking whistle lessons down at the ICC, then I bet I know who your teacher might be...

Not sure of your location, but you should come to some of the sessions around the Valley, see some of the other players in action. PM me if you're curious, I'd be more then happy to help.

This topic came up not too long ago, but I personally don't use the pinky, at all. I use my lower hand's ring finger for doing that, particularly on notes B and C#. So therefore I do not find it essential, optional is a better word.

Don't sweat the AZ Irish festival guys, it's a breeze. I've been doing them the past 2 years, it's all fun.

Cheers,

-Eric

[mutepointe]

I am the opposite of a voice of authority. I say keep your options open with that pinkie. People might start throwing gold rings at you while you play and you'll have an available finger to snag the prize.

[Mick Down Under]

...P.S. Am I alone in feeling vague unease/disgust at calling the little finger the "pinkie"?...

S'mae Jem, What would you have us call it?! Bys bach!


Mick

[jemtheflute]

...P.S. Am I alone in feeling vague unease/disgust at calling the little finger the "pinkie"?...

S'mae Jem, What would you have us call it?! Bys bach!


Mick

Iawn, diolch, Mick. Aye, that'd do for the Welsh speakers at least. Most English speaking Brits just call it......... wait for it........... "little finger"!

[Guidus]

I'm too a clarinet player, and I must admit that anchoring my pinkie felt very awkward at first. My E rolls got immediately worse.

I usually keep my pinkie in mid air, but at times I put it down because it helps me make better rolls on A and B.

As usual in Irish music, there's no fixed rule. Some teachers will tell you that you must put it down, others that you must keep it up. You'll make your own rule as you get more proficient.

[West]

FWIW, me being a whistle noob and all, I never anchor my pinky. I've tried but I find it very uncomfortable. I have quite long fingers and trying to keep my pinky on the whistle all the time seriously hampers the mobility of my RH ring finger. Simply put, it doesn't feel natural so I don't do it. I use lazy fingering as much as possible instead.

So I'll second what Whiddler said: unless you have big trouble with keeping the whistle in place, I don't see why you should bother with it. Also, everyone's hands are different so what works for one guy might not work for the next.

[breqwas]

Am I alone in feeling vague unease/disgust at calling the little finger the "pinkie"?

No, you're not. I've taken the word from the dictionary, but feel smth wrong about it :) "Right hand little finger" seems to be too long, so RH4 is a good codename.

[jim stone]

to emphasize the pinky thing isn't all or nothing.
It can always be down, but many people lift it
when they play the bottomish notes of the
first octave.

[Ballyshannon]

I think it's more a matter of what feels natural for each player based on our physiology. I tend to use my pinky most of the time but the majority of pros I've seen don't use their pinky at all or very sparingly. None of the whistle players in our sessions anchor their pinky....only me. For myself, it just feels "normal". I've made an effort to play without anchoring the pinky and although I can do it, I can play better with it anchored and just feels more comfortable. May have something to do with arthritis?

Interesting.... when I hand a whistle to a first time player, some immediately anchor their pinky and some don't.