is this a note! for 11 years now I’ve been playing it instead of the ‘other more complicated ones’. Have I failed the crystal people!!
Well, it depends on the whistle, really. I suppose that could be a C natural on some whistles (though I don’t believe I’ve ever played one). In general, it will be noticeably sharper than C natural, but still below C sharp. The fingering 0XX000 is more often used. On some whistles, I use 0XXXOO, to get it in tune. The other option would be to half hole the B hole. It may take a while to get used to, but on some whistles this is the best way to play an in tune C natural.
Hey Billymac:
I use it on alternating figures in really fast things, especially descending. Like the fourth full measure of House On the HIll where you have highe/cNat/a/fSH/g/fsh/e/d [reel eighth notes]. If you use it in scale motion, it’s sharpness really stick outs but in the fast jumping figures you can really zoom by with ease and nobody gets hurt and fingers love it.
We had a discussion on other thread about temperament and our ears, because a scholar had stated that “cnat occurs halfway between B and D” (see Books by Breandan Breathnach thread). Whether is sounds “wrong:” becomes a cultural decision!!! But we are attuned to the lower pitched Cnatural, for the most part. Like another said, different whistles sound differently in clarity. My ol Feadog and new Burke sound great though.
Best wishes.
That doesn’t make a reasonable first-octave C-natural on any of my whistles, but it makes a pretty decent 2nd octave C-natural, and it’s quicker to get to than what I usually use, o x o | x x x .
That said, if you’re playing fast enough, I suppose you could use that for the first octave too, and unless it was a sustained note, nobody would ever likely know the difference.
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
Hey, as long as you didn’t drop your whistle, or others were playing louder than you, I guess that fingering doesn’t matter, much, as long as everyone is having a good time! JP
Well… John I think you’re right 
Im pretty sure of that because im a begginer… and all that stuff sounds for me really strange:)
cheers:) PaTi
I have to confess that that’s how I’ve been fingering C-nat too – old habit left over from my years playing soprano recorder. It sounded as good as anything else did on the nickel Generation I started out with, and I thought it was OK on the Feadog, but then I discovered that my Feadog played noticeably flat on most things and I couldn’t soak the glue loose on the head, so I’ve been playing a green Sweetone, which seems to have the truest pitch of any of the whistles I’ve had so far, and which is the first one where I’ve noticed that 0X0000 doesn’t sound quite right for C-nat. So I guess I’m going to have to try to teach my fingers that 0XX000 is the way to play it!
Its good to be able to play C nat in a number of ways…then you have a choice !!
Uilleann pipes are similar when it comes to Cnat..most players will be able to play the note in several ways.
A popular feature in Irish music is to slur the pitch of “Cnat” from slightly flat to slightly sharp …best done on a whistle by half-holing the B hole as someone suggested.
Fiddlers and [particularly] pipers are very fond of the resulting sound. Listen to some Seamus Ennis or Willy Clancy and you’ll hear what I mean.
Boyd
http://www.strathspeyinmay.com
A festival in the Scottish Highlands where adults can learn to play traditional music.
On 2002-04-18 17:53, billymac wrote:
is this a note! for 11 years now I’ve been playing it instead of the ‘other more complicated ones’. Have I failed the crystal people!!
11 years!!! Boy is my face red. All the while I thought you were a beginner,now I really feel dumb! 
Now can someone tell me how to get a C# right on. I’ve always had trouble with the C# on my Copeland…sounds flat. Gm
The C nat on the Copeland is better with the 2nd & 3rd fingers down. C# should be spot on all holes open. If not send it back to me and we’ll adjust.
Jim