I have a question for someone knowledgable about whistles, and have no idea where to start…but this board seems handy.
I am a fiddler (old-time, celtic) but I have rheumatoid arthritis and my fingers have become too bent to play the fiddle any more. So I am considering taking up the whistle. Fingering on the D pennywhistle seems comfortable, but I would prefer a lower range. Can you or anyone else give me some advice on a beginner whistle or flute to try that doesn’t require too much stretching apart of fingers? I am a rank beginner at this and would appreciate any advice on whistles to try
Karen,
Welcome to the group. You’ll fit right in. You may have twisted fingers but there are a few in this group with twisted minds.
I think that to find the right whistle for you you’re going to pick some out and test whether you can close all the holes. The next standard whistles lower than D are C and Bb. You might find them all at a music store to try out. The other option is to work with one of the whistle makers on the forum. Some of them will be willing and able to tailor a whistle to your needs.
Mike
It’s great that you don’t want to let go of the musical part of your life. It is sooo important for the soul!!
My husband has rheumatoid arthritis…and he can’t grip my whistle well..not to mention to put his fingers over the holes…but he got RA during his 30’s…and there was not much help since he didn’t have health insurance…so his hands are very much deformed. You may not have that problem.
I have carpal tunnel syndrome…and I have not had playing hurt me as of yet…and I have played up to 2 hour sessions at a time!! So, I would try an inexpensive whistle to start…to see if you can. My Hoover whistle is only about 1/2 inche in diameter…with the 6 holes spread out as follows:
1at hole is approx 3/16" wide and is 9/16" away from the 2nd hole. (measuring from the end of hole 1 and the beginning of hole 2).
2nd hole is just shy of being 1/4" in diameter and is 3/16" away from hole 3
3rd hole is almost 1/4" in diameter and is 11/16" away from the 4th hole.
4th hole is about 3/16" in diameter and is about 7/16" away from the 5th hole.
5th hole is about 1/4" in diameter and is about 3/4" away from the 6th hole
6th hole is 3/16 in diameter.
Get a dowel and put these markings on…and see if you can fit your hands in that position. Or…even simpler…go to a music store to see if they have a whistle you could try out!!! I am sure you know how to stop playing when you are not feeling well in your hands…don’t stress your joints!! But…regular exercise..like whistle playing..is very good for you!! Whistles are very light…and your touch does not need to be heavy either…a light touch is the best!! (from my very inexperienced hands!!–I have only been playing since August!)
Good luck…and I hope that you can play your music!! Please keep us informed!!
Hi Karen, why don’t you try a low G whistle with a pipers grip (more info on these in main C&F pages) I find that this combination allows me to have a very relaxed and ‘unstressed’ grip.
I have arthritis in my hands which was starting to get bad until methotrexate turned it around a few years ago.
Right now I can play anything from low D whistles on up, but I dread the day I wake up to find my fingers throbbing and swollen stiff again.
I don’t have much in the way of good advice, just wanted to drop a quick line and let you know how much I sympathise.
If you do try flute, I do have some materials on my site you may want to look at, but it may be of little use to you, depending on the exact shape of your hands and fingers.
Have a whistle made with slight diagonally place toneholes to take some stress off your hands. Most of the custom instrument makers offer something like this.
You could draw an outline of your fingers or photograph it with a measuring stick and send the information to the maker.
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Low-D’s can be bit hard on Arthritic hands. Especially don’t go directly down to low-D immediately. Find or borrow an inexpensive low-G and get a little workout on this first. Some players go directly to Low-D and with arthritis it can be a painful experience.
Pipers grip, as stated in the previous post would be best for you.
low g, seconded. if it doesn’t work out,
sell the whistle here. Best
Also if it’s for you and you want to
try flute, there are flutes in G, too.
A whistles and Bb whisltes are worth
a try, as well. You can get reasonably good ones
without paying lots of money, e.g. Susatos,
and they can be sold if you don’t want them.
I too have RA…scared the heck out of me a year or so back…When I get a bad flare up my A whistle is easier to hold.
I might suggest trying a range of Generation whistles. They’re made in so many keys and they’re so inexpensive to acquire. Find the one that is most comfortable for you, then you have the option of looking for a costlier, more showy, or louder instrument of that key. The spacing won’t be terribly different. Don’t get the nickel plated ones, they’re slippery, and you tend to grip harder.
When you look for whistles in lower, but not too low keys, beware of Susato whistles - they come in many keys, but are (in my humble experience) much more difficult to play than (for example) Dixons of the same size. The spread for the right (bottom) hand on a susato Mezzo A is already very uncomfortable to me, and it’s not a even low whistle. I don’t have problems with low D flutes or tenor (C) recorders, but maybe I just don’t have the susato gene.
Yes, I think this may well be right about
Susatos. . Dixons are swell
whistles. The generation Bb is arguably the best
generation. Water Weasels by Glenn Schulz in
A are fine, too. Again, if these don’t work
out they can be sold so much of the money
can be retrievd.
A good and immensely helpful place is The Whistle
Shop, which does its business mostly online
and can give you good advice. Has Dixons, too.
I’ve got Psoriatic Arthritis and can feel your pain. I found that playing low D whistles and simple system flutes using a pipers grip is easier than playing smaller whistles. I take medication that helps with the pain and swelling, and also take aspirin and soak my hands in warm water prior to playing. It allows me to play for extended periods, but I’ll admit not without some pain.
There’s this paradox: we’re created with a great love
of playing music but bodies that rebel. I plan to
take this up personally with the Maker,
if ever I have the opportunity. Best
i agree with tyghress, find the most comfortable key. i don’t have arthritis, and can’t play any other keys than high D, low G, low D. so maybe your range might be high F, low A, low F.
what also helps is putting your right foot closer to your body and your leftfoot a little further away, like an uilleann piper. also point the whistle slightly to the right, and hold your head slightly to the left.
I have a friend who is nearing 80 who has rheumatoid arthritis and plays the whistle quite well. She too used to play fiddle years ago. Another alternative to think about is the mandolin. She started playing that and found that because of the frets the finger placement is very forgiving compaired to fiddle. The up side? The mandolin uses the same tuning and fingering as fiddle. Might be an option for you.
I have had serum negative RA for about 35 years. It has not deformed my hands but my fingers get very stiff. I have taken anywhere from 30 to 6 aspirin everyday for all of that time. This seems to keep me free from flare-ups. I gave up the guitar for the five string and now I am playing whistle because it works better than any of the strings. My biggest limitation is speed of my fingers not the stretch. I made a PVC flute in G that I can finger pretty well. I can’t play it well but my fingers do reach just fine. I have tried a Susato and a Dixon low D. I vote for the Dixon. I prefer the soprano D whistles though. I also agree that the Bflat Gen is a great whistle. My favorite though is my nickel Clare D one piece. I have an Oak on order with the Bill Ochs tutorial. I will see how I like the Oak.
Don’t let the RA beat you. Keep moving those fingers and work on improving reach. Exercise helps.
