Hi,
Does anyone have recommendations for certain makers of whistles that might be easier to play for a person with very small diameter fingers? This is for a friend who is a concert flutist, degree in flute the whole deal, has a concert flute in the $(several zero) range and is playing whistle in an Irish band. So not a newbie to playing, not a child, but a person with normal size hands, but thin fingers.
She started on a Dixon Alloy D whistle, and that goes fine, but when she tries Bb on a Generation whistle that we had, she finds that the holes are too big and plenty far apart as well. Honestly, after she pointed this out, I think her fingers are thin enough to stick all the way into the holes down to the first joint of her finger (on the Bb)!
She has shown us how her concert flute is special in some way, where even the open hole keys are smaller than usual.
So, back to the whistle…I know there is a lot of required geometry, but I’m looking for suggestions in the $75 to $200 range for “small hole”, somewhat short scale whistles. Definitely in Bb, but D would be nice if it has smaller holes that what she is using.
We have some tunes that just really need to be sung in Bb, so we can’t really adapt to a different key, or our singer will suffer.
And yes, clearly by know you know, I don’t play whistle, but I want to help her out. I’m a fretter…
Thanks in advance!
Glen
A long shot here, and I am not good at ‘music math’, but could Bb be played on a Eb whistle (half-holed for a flattened seventh)? That is actually smaller than the D whistle… might be a little high pitched, though. Good for killing zombies, I am told.
[Edit]IIRC the Generation Eb is held in high regard, and even a tweaked one from Jerry Freeman will be at the low end of your budget range. If Jerry does them, of course.[/Edit].
A small-holed short-scale Bb whistle is a tough one!
The fifth hole is usually rather large, in order to position it more comfortable between the fourth and the sixth hole.
If we make it smaller, the distance to the sixth hole will increase.
The distance to the fourth hole will decrease as well, but that is not so bad on a Bb whistle.
The one solution I can see is a customised hole layout with a smaller fifth hole (as large as the other holes, not extra large) and a bigger gap to the sixth hole, which will need to be played with the fourth finger, not the third. It may need to be offset a little as well, for a comfortable reach with the fourth finger. What would the maximum hole size be?
I am happy to provide such a custom whistle if asked. I like challenges!
this sounds like mostly a “getting used to a new instrument” issue. if she is used to playing a keyed instrument, all holes will seem fairly large, as she didn’t have to cover any before. also, nearly all low D’s have large holes, no matter what size hands you have, and there is an adjustment to that.
i would assume if she has thin fingers, they would also be short (short person), she could use piper’s grip on a Bb, which should solve that.
but from my personal experience, a Clarke sweettone/celtic had the smallest holes i’ve played on a high D, and a Merlin Black knight (wide bore) had the largest.
either way, for a nice Bb in a very affordable range, try Carey Park’s new Bb (in black now!). amazing sound, volume control ring, very comfortable stretch, even for small hands.
No, probably not. I have encountered a couple players with very slim fingers that wanted to play lower pitched whistles and it just wasn’t workable on the whistles I make. They really could not seal the holes. It happens.
Two things I can think of might be worth looking into. Dave Shaw makes conical whistles. Conical whistles can have smaller holes but I do not have a Bb Shaw here to measure for you. Perhaps someone else here can give us some size comparisons.
The other idea is along the lines of what DrPhill was suggesting. Try a Gen F whistle (or other high F whistle (Except an OS Chieftain maybe. That has big holes.)). A high F should have smaller holes and play easily in Bb.
Feadoggie
Was I wrong with my suggestion of an Eb whistle played as if it were a D being played in G? Oooops. I probably counted semitones the wrong direction. Sorry. 
Exceptions include the Bleazey, and the Dixon three-piece whistle/flute. But it is the stretch that will make things difficult..
I agree. My ex-step daughter played my C Generation when she was 7 -8 years old. I honestly don’t remember if she used pipers grip (i guess she did)
Let’s hope your friend never tries a Hamilton flute, she’ll get her fist stuck in the F#-hole 
Dspmusik and Mr_Blackwood do raise a good point on the grip. I shouldn’t have been so quick to dismiss it. Piper’s Grip (or is that the Super Duper Easy Grip) is well worth trying. It will certainly help with the stretch part of the problem. My own experience with lithe fingered players says that it may still not solve the whole problem. But it’s well worth finding out with the Gen Bb. Check out this thread for how to use the Super Duper Easy Grip (the grip formerly known as Piper’s).
I tried to teach the piper’s grip to a young woman who was an accomplished harp player a few years ago. Her fingers were long and thin and could not cover the holes of the Bb, A and G whistles we tried with or without the piper’s grip. There just was not enough flesh on the fingers to cover the holes. She played high D whistles rather well but the larger holes on lower whistles presented a problem. Keys would have been the only solution for her. It had not occurred to me that this could be a whistle design issue until I met her.
Well, I assumed you were suggesting a whistle to play blues in Bb. You were thinking on the right track. Hey, pitch is relative. 
Feadoggie
I have a wonderful, albeit slightly quiet, aluminum Bb made by Ian Turnbull at Impempe whistles. It has smaller holes than normal and is a wonderful whistle. Not a particularly short scale but shorter than your Generation I believe.
I also endorse the Super Duper Easy Grip noted in this thread.
Good luck in your quest,
ecohawk
That’s great to hear! I am waiting for a Bb with a extra B body from Ian, should be great for late practising/playing along with a flat set
Just to add to the list, the Susato Bb in the most narrow version (S width) has holes that are smaller than the Generation Bb. Volume is a bit less than the wide body counterpart, but some people think that’s a good thing. And it’s only a bit over $40.
I just went and played a Gen Bb and the Susato Bb. The size difference in holes seems significant to me. Might be worth a try.
Update: Just checked the Susato website and it looks like the Bb may not be available in the narrow bore version now. Might be worth a call to the manufacturer or searching for a used one. These used to be sold as a D-C-Bb set too.