How Important Is Cross-Fingering G#?

raindog1970 · Post by **raindog1970** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 11:15 pm

With all the fuss over cross-fingering C-Natural, there seems to be a curious lack of concern over cross-fingering G#.
It seems that the most widely accepted G# fingering is XXOXXX, but I have yet to find a whistle that doesn't play this waaay too sharp.
It all boils down to the size of the A hole (hehe, I said "A hole"), and it is quite possible to make a whistle that properly cross-fingers G# XXOXXX, but I find it odd that no whistles I own will do so.
Should this be an area of concern for me when making my own tubes, or does nobody really care about G# as long as a whistle has a good cross-fingered C-Natural?

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 11:23 pm

I honestly don't think I've ever cross fingered G# in my life, so as far as I'm concerned, so long as I can cross finger my C nat., I'm a happy camper. Can't speak for anyone else, though.

Redwolf

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 11:36 pm

I use half-holing myself as it's more in tune.

The only tune I can think of offhand I use it on is The Red Haired Boy.

raindog1970 · Post by **raindog1970** » Mon Dec 22, 2003 11:49 pm

I should have also mentioned that the customary XXOXXO cross-fingering of G# in the 2nd octave is usually quite flat, and there really seems to be no way to bring it into tune for both octaves.
Maybe that's the answer to my question - most makers opt for a middle ground rather than make one octave or the other cross-finger G# perfectly in tune.

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 12:01 am

I have a couple of whistles that fingering XXO XOX have the 2nd octave G# in tune, but since I learned half holing (sort of straightening out my top hand ring finger and dropping it slightly down the whistle), I can do it faster and easier than the crossfingering.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 6:02 am

I am with fancypiper in that I half-hole G# (and Fnat and Eb), but I don't ever seriously need them for anything. They're more novelty notes, whereas I do need Cnat, and it's always crossfingered.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 6:02 am

When I first started playing whistle I played around with crossfingerings a lot but found that they changed so much from whistle to whistle that I could never remember what worked on which. Apart from the occasional C nat, I half hole all accidentals although the harder ones like Eb are a bit hit or miss. I play very chromatically mainly on blues where floating intonation isn't a problem and, wherever it is necessary to be dead right, one can usually slide up or down to the target note.

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 6:43 am

I'm with the others - I find half-holing is easier since whistles vary so much on the cross fingered G#. Still, I'm all for improved whistles, so I say go for it Gary.

Loren

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 8:52 am

I'm a die-hard g# half holer. Same with Bb.

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 10:56 am

It's one of those cross-fingerings I forget because I so rarely play the G#s. On a few tunes that are in A, I have been known to cheat by using an E whistle. Otherwise its half-hole. I would like an Fnat cross-finger for Arthur Darley's and the Hunt. For some reason, I have more trouble with the F than the G#.Whether I would remember that one or not is debatable as well.

Scott McCallister · Post by **Scott McCallister** » Tue Dec 30, 2003 5:05 pm

I can get a reasonable G# off my Seery with XXOXXX in both octaves, but I may be compensating for the sharpness of the natural resting place for that pitch by rolling in with out paying muchg attention.

The A hole on my flute is acutally one of the smallest. hmm that doesn't sound very good at all does it?

Best!

Scott McCallister

OutOfBreath · Post by **OutOfBreath** » Wed Dec 31, 2003 8:22 am

Scott McCallister wrote:The A hole on my flute is acutally one of the smallest. hmm that doesn't sound very good at all does it?

Oh, I don't know, are you saying that a large A hole is better than a small A hole, then?

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 7:08 am

Nah-- just half hole them. I even usually play C nat this way. Cross fingerings vary from whistle to whistle, but half holing is always the same. Nothing extra to remember.

Daniel_Bingamon · Post by **Daniel_Bingamon** » Thu Jan 01, 2004 10:34 pm

I'm curious is the Seery Whistle a conical bore whistle and is it pretty thick? Making a crossfingered G# on a thin brass cylindrical whistle is not easy without giving up something else.