C-Note

Commissar_Yarrick · Post by **Commissar_Yarrick** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:41 pm

New whistler here.
I've been whistling for a little more than a week on a Clarke's meg.
And the note C (oxxooo) Sounds a bit funny. It's in the key of D. Any suggestions?

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 7:43 pm

It's going to sound funny, no matter what. Try oxxxox to make it a little better.

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:48 pm

Congrats has probably nailed the problem.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:58 pm

most whistles are weaker, more or less, on c-natural. The key is finding a fingering that works with your whistle.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:05 pm

Also, as you play longer, you'll learn to adjust your breath and mouth to shade that note (and others) up or down, as the context requires.

--James

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:15 pm

Also it's possible to get the C natural you want
by half-holing the note. Basically raise the
tip of your left index up, uncovering part of the
hole until it sounds good. Some teachers
teach students to do this as a standard
way of fingering. You can crossfinger playing
at speed and nobody will hear the weak
note. On slower stuff you can half-hole.
This takes some work, no question, but it's
doable and it can be a very helpful option.

Screeeech!!! · Post by **Screeeech!!!** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 3:33 am

Buy a whistle that oxx ooo is in tune on.

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 5:32 am

Screeeech!!! wrote:Buy a whistle that oxx ooo is in tune on.

I agree. Makes life a lot more fun.

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:32 am

Learn to half-hole the C-natural. It's easy enough that little kids in Ireland learn it routinely. It's more flexible -- Irish music sometimes calls for a note between C-sharp and C-natural, and if you can half-hole you can hit it effortlessly. It's absolutely needed for the upper octave, I've never even heard of a whistle that has 0xx 000 in tune up there.

And if you can use it, you can play every whistle without worrying about its fingering for C-natural...

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 7:46 am

colomon wrote:...Irish music sometimes calls for a note between C-sharp and C-natural...

Really? I'd love an example of that. Sounds like something you'd do in
Slavic Gypsy music with their 12-note scale.

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:15 am

fearfaoin wrote:
colomon wrote:...Irish music sometimes calls for a note between C-sharp and C-natural...
Really? I'd love an example of that. Sounds like something you'd do in
Slavic Gypsy music with their 12-note scale.

If you ever listen to the old masters, they shade their Cs constantly. Peter Laban has mentioned several tunes in the past that call for this. First one that springs to my mind is the Bank of Ireland.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:27 am

Congratulations wrote:If you ever listen to the old masters, they shade their Cs constantly. Peter Laban has mentioned several tunes in the past that call for this. First one that springs to my mind is the Bank of Ireland.

Thanks, I'll have to track down some of that action.

bradhurley · Post by **bradhurley** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 9:46 am

That "in between" note is sometimes jokingly referred to as "C supernatural."

Pipers, flute players, and fiddlers use this frequently...also pipers play many of their C's as a moving note, starting a bit flat and sharpening it by extending the index finger of their top hand before moving on to the next note. Fiddlers and fluters (and whistle players) often imitate that effect. You can do it by sliding your fingers off the cross-holed notes at the end, but you have more control if you half-hole.

BrassBlower · Post by **BrassBlower** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 10:08 am

In blues in the key of A, this is also the "true blue note".

gallant_murray · Post by **gallant_murray** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:57 am

colomon wrote:Learn to half-hole the C-natural. It's easy enough that little kids in Ireland learn it routinely.

Half holing is the only way that I've found to really get a great C natural. My understanding is that some whistles are actually designed to half holed (Sindt). It's tricky at first, but with practice you'll get used to it. It's especially hard when play fast, but it fast enough songs the oxxooo method doesn't usually sound bad anyway.
Ramzy