when to use piper's grip

[doran]

In a few hours I should have a Shaw whistle in A arriving... should I use the piper's grip or play it like I have played my soprano Ds? In what key do most people begin to change their grip?

[Jennie]

I'd say go by feel. Depends on the size of your hands, on what stretch is comfortable for you. I switch to piper's grip sometimes even for my C or Bb whistles, because the RH lower holes feel like too much of a stretch.

It'll definitely take some time to get used to the change. Have fun!
Jennie

[TooTs]

I use piper grip on the shaw a because the bottom hole is too far too reach comfortably otherwise.

[Henke]

Second that you should feel what is best for you. I only play pipers grip on my Low D's, I don't own any middle range (say Low E to Low G) whistles so I don't really know where my limits are. On my Syn A I play normal grip, on my Susato A (which I rarely use after recieving the Syn set) I normaly use a piperish sort of grip, not really pipers but almost, because the holes are big and spaced pretty far on the bottom hand.
I try to play normal grip whenever possible, beacause I feel it's easier to get quick response and higher sensitivity, but when I feel that it becomes uncomfortable or hard to hit the holes accurately I switch to pipers grip.

[Jack]

If one felt it necessary she or he could play soprano D with pipers' grip. I know people who play low D (and low C) with normal fingering. It's all relative.

[Whistling Willie]

I've been trying the pipers grip for a day now,and slowly but surely it's starting to take shape

[emmline]

I piper everything, to some extent, from high D to low D. On high D and C I have a largely inactive pinky, but starting with Bb I must pinky the last hole.
Once I had to learn piper's, for my low D, I found that it was more comfortable for me then fingertips regardless of whistle size.

I'm a firm advocate of each pair of hands/whistle combo finding its individual best fit, regardless of what the books say.

[piperdoc]

this is so individual. there can be no rule. its the size of your hands, the diameter of the instrument, and even the anatomy of the holes. for example, i pipergrip my copeland low d, but when i try to pipergrip my overton G, the holes do not close well so i fingertip it. i fingertip my olwell bamboo low D (with the grip recommended by gary larson) but my tipple in the same key, because it is slightly larger in diameter, does better with a piper grip.

meir

[piperdoc]

this is so individual. there can be no rule. its the size of your hands, the diameter of the instrument, and even the anatomy of the holes. for example, i pipergrip my copeland low d, but when i try to pipergrip my overton G, the holes do not close well so i fingertip it. i fingertip my olwell bamboo low D (with the grip recommended by gary larson) but my tipple in the same key, because it is slightly larger in diameter, does better with a piper grip.

meir

[DCrom]

And a word of caution: don't be too discouraged if piper's grip feels "wrong" or difficult. When I got my first low whistle (a Dixon Low D Duo with both whistle and flute heads) I tried piper's grip and gave up on it, since it was possible for me to play the Dixon with my fingertips.

My next low whistle was a Serpent Low F, again a very easy reach.

Then came a Howard Low D I borrowed from blackhawk - shock and horror: there was no way I could play this thing - the fingerholes were huge and the reach was too long.

Piper's grip hurt my fingers, and I couldn't seal the holes (I have fairly broad palms, but short skinny fingers) - I figured I'd never be able to play a "real" Low D like the Howard or an Overton. But I loved the sound, and I'm stubborn, so I kept on trying. And somehow made the adjustment.

Now, although it requires a bit more attention (for one thing, holes seal WORSE, not better, when you gip too tightly, and I tend to tighten up without noticing it), I prefer piper's grip for everything below my low A (a Serpent Sunsinger) - it's both easier on my hands and (I think) a bit faster. And I ended up liking the Howard Low D enough I bought it - my Dixon gets played almost exclusively as a flute these days.

The tricks? Relax - the tighter you grip, the more likely you'll have an air leak somewhere. Adjust the angle of your hands until you're comfortable - it may take a while to learn the best position. And (this may be a personal thing) don't put you thumbs opposite your index finger - for me, it works much better when the thumbs are opposite the middle finger.

Mostly, just keep on practicing.

[StewySmoot]

My own experience showed that I was too lax with my fingers and did not cover the holes cleanly. I had to concentrate on getting the proper strength in my thumbs and fingers to slap down on the holes on the low D to produce clean notes. For me it wasnt a tension issue at all, but "body building".

I also favor tunable whistles since I play out the side of my mouth and I can pivot the body of the thing to accommodate my hands more comfortably. This is a subject I cover in-depth in my soon-to-be-released Smoot's Comprehensive Review of the Kerry Whistle.

[bjs]

Pipers grip has the advantage of not dropping the whistle when playing C#
Brian

[NicoMoreno]

No it doesn't! That's just plain silly.

[KDMARTINKY]

I actually use the pipers grip on every whistle I play. But I do agree that the grip is up to each individual.

[NicoMoreno]

No it doesn't! That's just plain silly.