Why F?

[AngelicBeaver]

Low F whistles seem to get played a lot in the pro whistling world. I know a lot of people just like the key, but are there other reasons for using one? For example, is F an easy key for other instruments to play, or is it just that the whistler says, "I'm playing in F," and everyone else grumbles and bend over backwards to accommodate (which I can see happening in instances where the whistle is to be featured, or if the whistler is a jerk).

[Feadoggie]

My take on the subject is that the sudden popularity of the low F whistle ten years ago or more was the result of a conspiracy between a certain instrumental group that had three members who were capable whistle players and a certain whistle maker (maybe two) in order to boost sales of their low F whistles. Sure enough the sheep followed their lead.

I'm on the fence as to whether an Internet whistle journalist may have provided support to the scheme.



Feadoggie

[Jerry Freeman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRxfC7EynCE

Best wishes,
Jerry

[Feadoggie]

Yep. That's the sheer lunasacy that is to blame!

[Sirchronique]

Low F is a great key. It is low, but not too low. I think it's right in that sweet spot that sounds very nice.


However, I propose we switch to low E, as the new most common uncommon key . (maybe just becuase I love my low E burke a LOT..)

Low E has the same type of quality as low F, in my opinion... but unlike low F, is actually useful even when you are not playing with other low F whistler. As in, any A major tune.

So low E has the same type sound, and has actual practical use outside of those cases where people want to play low F's. So.. why low F, and not low E?

Please, let's start a low E trend.


Great video by the way.

[Jerry Freeman]

If I remember correctly, Kevin Crawford once had a complete set of whistles made by Michael Grinter that he was extremely fond of. All of them except the low F were stolen. It's that low F Grinter he plays in The Last Pint. (It could be called "The Last Grinter.")

Best wishes,
Jerry

[Ketil]

Besides tunes, there's lots of great songs in the key of Dm , hence the low F whistle.
My singing friend (s) like to sing in Dm so the F whistle is handy!

[sackbut]

I use my low F whistles almost exclusively for harmony parts, tunes in F, Dm, Bflat & Gm. Some examples: Spel-Gulles Polska, Mr Beveridge's Maggot, Tanz Yidelech, Branle de la Torche, Mary Maudlin Dance, Amazonians' Masque...
There are loads of tunes in the relevant keys in Playford, Praetorius, etc; and quite a few in the Scottish tradition.

[MarkP]

Because it plays easily in Gm (fingering as if Em on a D whistle), Bb (as if G), C (as if A), Dm (as if Bm), and of course F (as if D on the whistle).

Might be handy for a few tunes if the fiddles and concertinas turn against you. Better off with a C whistle for C and Dm though. Then again if everyone decides to play in F and Bb for a while it might be a subtle hint

Sounds lovely too of course in it's own right.

[Ian Parfitt]

I play in quite a few sessions and on the whole most of what is played is in G or D. But unless I take my harmonica's I miss out on quite a lot of traditional, Breton, Canadian, Australian and English folk songs.

I will be looking to get a decent F Whistle but , having just forked out for a decent Low D (Garvie) it will have to wait.

I did attempt to make one using Guido's plans but to date not with much success.

Ian

[mutepointe]

Us Illuminati have never had a secret chamber with a secret passageway that required a secret song played in the Key of F to unlock.

[Narsoron]

Haven't had too much experience in the matter but I just got a Susato Low F for Christmas and I think that part of it is it's just so much fun to play. I think they had it right, it just seems to hit that sweet spot.

[DavidSchulz]

I perform with an Irish Tenor and almost all the songs he sings are in F and it's relative keys.. I also have a sneaky suspicion that he indeed is Illuminati!

[plunk111]

I got a really good answer to the "F" question from Kevin Crawford, but am waiting for his approval to post it to the forum - more later, hopefully...

Pat

[kkrell]

I thought it was a good key for accompanying vocalists.