Playing C# without dropping the whistle

[Tyghress]

I like the idea, and use the 1,2 or 3 finger down technique as often as I can, but there are times when you simply can't. Take that progression of E...C# below it...A
XXX XXO gotta have that one open, not an option for the E...to whatever you choose... to XXO OOO.

XXX XXO
OOO OOOx or OOO OOX or OOO XXX
XXO OOO

The first seems to be easiest for me, but still something that takes serious practice. The angle doesn't matter when I play. I just don't have the stability to do the three notes quickly, and on the third note hit the holes exactly if I don't have a finger down somewhere.

[Bloomfield]

On 2002-08-27 15:50, tyghress wrote:
I like the idea, and use the 1,2 or 3 finger down technique as often as I can, but there are times when you simply can't. Take that progression of E...C# below it...A
XXX XXO gotta have that one open, not an option for the E...to whatever you choose... to XXO OOO.

XXX XXO
OOO OOOx or OOO OOX or OOO XXX
XXO OOO

The first seems to be easiest for me, but still something that takes serious practice. The angle doesn't matter when I play. I just don't have the stability to do the three notes quickly, and on the third note hit the holes exactly if I don't have a finger down somewhere.

Yo there, my favorite whistling feline.

Have you tried this?

xxx xxo
ooo oxo
xxo oxo or xxo ooo

[ChrisA]

I second what Bloomfield said. In tunes in E-whatever-mode-comes-from-D-whistle, I'm always leaving the right-middle finger down instead for A/B/C# ... it works.

Of course, I also tend to use my pinkies to stabalize the whistle pretty much whenever I want, though I try not to leave them locked down, or rather, I don't try to keep them locked down and they move a bit from time to time (I think maybe locking them down restrains the ring finger a little, or maybe not. Now I'm going to be paying attention to this whole pinky issue ... but they stay down on the flute no matter what! Then again, there they support actual weight...)

--Chris

[colomon]

Yeah, E-C#-A (for instance, in Atholl Highlanders) is easily done

xxx xxo
ooo xxo
xxo ooo

[sweetone]

If you need a good tune to practise finguering with lots of awkward C sharps, try Rosie's Reel (recorded by Lunasa on alto F whistle), and find out what position is best for you. Here you can find it :
http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/abc/FindTune.html
cheers,
Erik

[Tyghress]

As a matter of fact, Bloo, I hadn't....

and now, trying it on my newly muted Burke, I can see how it works, but quite suddenly I feel like a rank beginner again.

hmmm....is it worth the change over? I mean maybe I should retrain myself to that pattern.

Okay all you lurking instructors. . .instructor wannabees. . .etc.
thanks for your input.

[Bloomfield]

On 2002-08-27 17:51, tyghress wrote:

Okay all you lurking instructors. . .instructor wannabees. . .etc.
thanks for your input.

Hey, kitten. You asked.

[Tyghress]

Right now I'm kind of like the centipede who was asked how he managed to keep track of all his legs as he walked, and couldn't move a step from that day forward.

"Kitten" ??? I am a Ferocious Predator and don't you forget it!

[Whitmores75087]

Thanks for the great input and ideas. On tunes like High Road to Garloch I'll continue to just put that right hand pinkie down, and my conscience will be free.

Tom

[Tyghress]

On 2002-08-27 18:47, Whitmores75087 wrote:
Thanks for the great input and ideas. On tunes like High Road to Garloch I'll continue to just put that right hand pinkie down, and my conscience will be free.

Tom

Tom, Tyghre is a major fan of the stinking rose, and calls this High Road to Garlic.

[Caoimhin]

Have the same prob with the dixon low d too. Didm't slip that much, but my fingers aren't able to return back to covering the holes. When playing thru C# I tend to rush naturally/uncontrollable 'cos for fear of whistle slipping altogether.