I’m going to be playing in church on Pentecost (May 11). This is kind of a first for our church, which tends to favor the classical Anglican cathedral repertoire. Our music director found this perfectly lovely piece (actually, to be honest, I think it’s breath-taking) based on an Irish melody (one of the tunes to which “The Parting Glass” is played). The music calls for "organ and a C instrument (the piece is actually in G…I guess the idea was to make sure the musician could read the treble clef), and he thought it would be a nice touch to have a penny whistle take that part. We rehearsed it last night, and I have to say, it’s really lovely. The congregation is going to love it.
Anyway, here’s my problem: At one point, during my solo, I have a high B that’s sustained for three beats. Is there a way of attacking it to make the transition from the A below it sound less harsh? I don’t tend to play that high all that often (let’s face it, high B isn’t exactly a whistle’s most melodious note!), so I’m not quite sure how to play that note so it doesn’t sound like there’s a banshee in the building.
Unfortunately, my whistle with the nicest high B couldn’t quite get into tune with the organ on the Cnat, despite pulling the tuning slide out and trying alternate fingerings (yes, even half-holing) (It’s my Sweetheart Pro, so I’m inclined to blame the organ…according to my tuner, the Cnat on the whistle is just fine). I’m playing my Elfsong, which sounds very nice everywhere else, but isn’t as easy on the ear up there as the Sweetheart is. Any suggestions for attacking and holding that note for three beats without bending metal or blowing out the stained glass windows would be appreciated!
There’s a simply awful jump in The Shepherd’s Wife from the low D to the high B, and I’m trying to work on hitting the A first and doing a quick slide up to the B, but so far I’m not skilled at it.
Thanks all. I’ll give the slide a try. I don’t want to get too fancy with runs, since the organ will be accompanying me (though the music director did give me carte blanche to ornament as I felt appropriate, rather than taking the ornaments the composer had put in which, frankly, were rather odd).
A “C instrument” is an instrument that doesn’t transpose. That is, written C sounds C. It doesn’t say anything about what key the instrument is in (as in, a D whistle is a C instrument).
If you are jumping up a ninth, try tapping the a before hitting the b. Generally, don’t be afraid, step back from the mic and let her rip. If you’re scared of the note you’re likely to blow it flat.
Redwolf, can you post a snippet of the passage in question in ABC format? It’s really impossible to answer the question without seeing the melodic context.
High B shouldn’t be any more problematic than any other note. It occurs in tunes all the time. There are many things you can do to add interest to a long, sustained note. Sliding, finger vibrato, slow roll, multiple cuts/taps, etc. And you can angle the whistle and tighten embouchure to reduce volume. But the right approach depends on the melody.
Oh, yeah, I missed that part. They mean to use a flute or oboe, which are in
“concert C”, (as opposed to a Clarinet, which is in Bb). But a flute or a clarinet
could play equally well in G.
Try attacking the B with a BIT of tongue. It’s sometimes a tricky note, especially when it’s right out there for a long duration. The tonguing needs to be subtle, but it can help get that note to speak more easily.
It’s not hard to play, it’s just loud and blaring. It’s the kind of thing that might sound good if a really good tenor or soprano were hanging around up there, but on the whistle is enough to make my ears bleed. Most trad tunes don’t sit up there in the stratosphere for all that long (at least not the ones I play!)…you pass through it, but rarely linger.
It’s just a straight progression: G (quarter note) A (quarter note) B (held for a three count).
My Freeman-tweaked Feadog C has a nice-sounding, in-tune but piercing high B. Fingering it XOO OXO drops the volume noticably while keeping the note in tune. I haven’t tried this fingering on my other whistles (I just discovered it last night) but plan on trying it on all the rest.
I agree with Mahanpots. Sometimes we are too close to what we are doing to be a real good judge. So don’t be afraid to hang out there in that upper register, even on B.
I used to avoid the upper register because I thought it was too loud. And I would not be able to maintain it. But after struggling for some time trying to stay in the lower register when I shouldn’t have been, I found that I could go for it. I just needed to make sure I had air and backed off just a bit from the mic. Sounded real cool then.
I listened to some recordings of us playing and did NOT hear what I expected. The whistle did NOT sound real loud. And was much more balanced in the mix. I am still struggling a bit. But I am convinced I should hang out there more.
