Whistle / (GHP) pipe players-does it confuse you?

strings · Post by **strings** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 5:24 pm

Do you whistle /(ghp)pipe players get fingering confused? If you play same tunes on both instruments say-Fairy Dance?

TheSpoonMan · Post by **TheSpoonMan** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 5:55 pm

I play whistle and smallpipes, but the fingering is the same as GHB (though I'm lazier on fingering than a GHB player would be by far) and no, I don't get them confused at all; but then I think of music in terms of notes and sounds rather than actual fingering, so, I dunno if that applies to everyone.

plunk111 · Post by **plunk111** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 8:31 pm

I play whistle, soprano, alto, and tenor recorder, irish flute, AND the cornetto (an early tube instrument that uses a small trumpet-like mouthpiece but uses fingering kinda like a whistle). Most of these have different fingerings, but you do get used to it after a while... I find that I sometimes get a little confused during faster passages on the "weirder" instruments like the alto recorder (in F) and the cornetto (in G).

Pat

jmccain · Post by **jmccain** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 5:50 am

strings wrote:Do you whistle /(ghp)pipe players get fingering confused? If you play same tunes on both instruments say-Fairy Dance?

I started playing whistle and flute a number of years after learning Scottish pipes. When I was beginning whistle/flute and was really tired, I would sometimes get a bit confused.

That only happened a couple of times, but if it's happening to you, I can empathize. Now was the A two fingers down or one finger up, or all but the top thumb and three fingers down, or....?

I still play all of these instruments everyday, and I think of processing the mechanics in separate parts of my brain.

Best, John

kintailpipes · Post by **kintailpipes** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:36 am

I have no trouble at all confusing fingering whistle to GHB, I find the whistle to be an extremely versatile instrument which enables my to play alot more tunes than are available for the GHB.
It's kind of fun to try and play whistle tunes on the GHB, Fold down a note here and there and sometimes it works.

I have been playing the Great Highland Pipes for more than 30 years and the whistle for nearly 14 years.

The important thing is to enjoy both instruments!
Happy Whistling

Key_of_D · Post by **Key_of_D** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:32 am

TheSpoonMan wrote: but then I think of music in terms of notes and sounds rather than actual fingering, so, I dunno if that applies to everyone.

While reaching a certain amount of practicing with all the instruments, I find this to be true for me as well, although I never did confuse whistle fingering with highland fingering, the two were just totally different in my head, and they were never a problem. Although when I gave up learning the highland's for uilleann pipes (yes guilty

) I found myself playing highland fingering on the UP chanter for a little while, before my brain finally "corrected" the problem, which really only happened as a result of slow, but constant practice. Now when I go to pick up my Gibson practice chanter, I find I'm playing UP fingering! Of course I gave up on the highland's, so this was just for ol' time sake, however this can just go to show that you lose what you don't use. Or I have a bad memory...

-Eric

meemtp · Post by **meemtp** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 7:36 am

I'm not a GHB player, but I play Uilleann pipes and I found that after a while at those I realized when I picked up the whistle or flute that I was leaving holes closed ala piping! I still find myself doing it now that I play the pipes more than the flute or whistle...fortunately, as long as I'm playing by myself it doesn't sound too off....

okstatepiper · Post by **okstatepiper** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 1:39 pm

I play the saxophone all of the time, then learned the GHB, then learned the whistle. I have yet to mix up the fingerings on any of the instruments. Somehow they just happen when I play them. The only difference is that I can readily sight read with the sax and the whistle, but not very easy for me on the GHB. (the sax and whistle are almost the same). I have also learned several of the same tunes on the GHB and the whistle. No mix up there either. Different mind set I think.

TheSpoonMan · Post by **TheSpoonMan** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 2:32 pm

okstatepiper wrote: I have also learned several of the same tunes on the GHB and the whistle. No mix up there either. Different mind set I think.

Yeah, I also play many of the same tunes on whistle and GHB, but I use the appropriate fingerings, ornaments, etc. for each.

You know, a thought I had, was that maybe something that helps is that I also play mandolin... since taht's a whole different principle of fingering, maybe that helps "diversify" my mind? *shrug*

pancelticpiper · Post by **pancelticpiper** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 6:42 am

I too started on the Highland pipes, then took up uilleann pipes, flute, and whistle at about the same time. Then quite a few years after that I started playing Bulgarian gaida and kaval, and then Gaita Gallega. So I had six fingering systems to keep straight, but it never was a problem. I never even think about fingering, I just pick up whatever and somehow my brain knows what to do.
The most recent instrument is the only one I have trouble with (perhaps because I'm older now), the Cornish double pipes. It uses lift-one-finger-at-a-time fingering, which somehow I sometimes mix up with Highland fingering, possibly because I play several Highland pipe tunes on it. Actually I played that thing a while the other day with no problems so maybe it's just a familiarity thing.

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Whistle / (GHP) pipe players-does it confuse you?

Whistle / (GHP) pipe players-does it confuse you?

Re: Whistle / (GHP) pipe players-does it confuse you?