I plan to order a Burke high D aluminum narrow bore in the following weeks but, before, I’d like to double-check some fingering issues, if some of you can help.
My main concern is the fingering of Cnat: I am pretty much used to 0xx 000 so I’d like to know how that fingering responds in this whistle (I am not confortable playing half hole)
Secondly, I am interested in other cross fingering possibilities like Bflat and Gsharp, are these possible in this whistle?
Finally, I’ve read in previous messages about the lightness of the aluminium whistle: Does it means that is fragile? I mean, if it falls from the table or rolls over it, can it be damaged?
Aluminum is very strong. They make airplanes out of it. If you drive a car over the whistle you’ll probably flatten it, but it should be able to take a lot of normal wear and tear.
I don’t have a Burke narrow bore, so somebody else will have to speak about fingerings, but usually Cnat requires a change in your expectations re: intonation G# usually works best half-holed. Bb should cross-finger.
It’s a good whistle, stick with it and you won’t be disappointed.
The two-fingered Cnat on the Burke narrow-bore is somewhat sharp. About the same as on a Clare if you have one. The best I can get cross-fingering it is OXX XXO. I haven’t tried the Bflat or Gsharp.
On Mike’s wide-bore whistles, the two-finger Cnat is as close to perfect as on any whistle, and the upper-octave Bflat can be gotten with XXO XXX. (I think the G# works with XXO XXX in the lower octave and XXO XOX in the upper, but I don’t remember specifically.)
I played some Burkes at the Dublin Irish festival and the aluminums are very light, but by no means fragile. I would say they’re just as tough as a Generation brass.
I liked the aluminum and I find myself wishing I had gotten that rather than the brass. But still I love my brass.
Back before I started keeping my right little finger down at all times, my Burke aluminum narrow bore flew out of my hands and bounced of of a tile countertop onto a tile floor. It got several minuscule dings on the back–too small to notice if you don’t know they’re there, but no dents. Scared the heck out of me, though, as it was brand new at the time.
Its tone is my favorite for slow airs. I find it the easiest to push the sound around on–heavy breath vibrato, long slides, overblowing and then easing off as a way of sliding down to a note. I actually have to be careful not to overdo it. Most of my other whistles take a bit of work to produce those effects.
Thanks to everybody for the answers, very helpful.
Having clear my doubts on the fragility of the material, my remaining concern lies in the fingering: I got different whistles and some of them work better than others with the 2 finger (no perfect pitch, though). What I’m trying to avoid is what happened to me when I got a Sindt, then the Cn just doesnt appear to exist using this fingering. Somebody mentioned that the session one works better with that fingering, if so, Would you recommend geting that whistle instead of the narrow bore one? Is there a lot of difference in between them?
Most people wouldn’t notice that the two-finger C-nat on the Al NB is a little off, and unless it is a sustained note it doesn’t really matter. It’s a great whistle and suits my aggressive playing, but I think most people would prefer either the Session (or whatever it’s called nowadays) or the Brass NB (a quiet whistle with response very similar to the Session).
So, does anyone in the world own a Burke wide-bore aluminum D? Has Mike Burke ever actually sold one? From what I’ve been able to find in the archives, the narrow bore is the only one mentioned. I’m particularly interested in the black-tip.
In addition to the narrow-bore aluminum D, I have the wide-bore brass C (also black-tip), and the sound is more what I’ve taken to calling “reedy”. That is, there’s a bit more of a background hum–though nothing as extreme as my two wooden whistles.
Since it varies from the D in material, bore, and key, I can’t extrapolate what a wide-bore aluminum D or a narrow-bore brass D would sound like.
I like the C a lot, and wouldn’t mind something halfway between my two Burkes (but in D, for sure).
So, does anyone in the world own a Burke wide-bore aluminum D? Has Mike Burke ever actually sold one? From what I’ve been able to find in the archives, the narrow bore is the only one mentioned. I’m particularly interested in the black-tip.
I don’t think that’s a picture of L. E.'s whistle. (Dale provided the photo.) However, I think it is a picture of the session model, since all the aluminum narrow bore whistles I’ve seen have the black tip.
Strictly speaking the “wide bore” whistles are no longer in production. The session has the same bore size. I think L. E. would have specified that his was a narrow bore if it had been. Since the session is the standard D whistle, it’s natural to assume that’s what it is by default. Can’t be absolutely positive, however.
Hi Everyone,
I don’t normally like to jump into discussions on whistles, but perhaps I should answer a question regarding the whistle L.E. was playing and some information regarding my Session Aluminum models.
L.E. is playing the #DAN or D Aluminum Narrow bore whistle. He got it from Joanie Madden who got 15 of them from me for that weekend and I had to send her 12 more because she sold out.
I just came out with a new version of the Aluminum Session whistle that is completely redesigned and has a black tipped head, new slide and in fact everything is different except for the bore diameter. This new whistle is similar in volume to the DBSBT Brass session whistle, and I think that it has a very good 0XX 000 fingering for Cn, though as I tell everyone, the only way to get a perfect Cn on a D whistle is to get the Cn thumbhole option with it.
This thumbhole also gives you the octave Cn perfectly in tune as well, so it makes the D whistle a very good whistle in G also. This option is getting very popular this year. I hope that this helps for those who have not seen the new #DASBT (D Aluminum Session Black Tipped) whistle. I will wait for my customers to talk about it, and I won’t have to say any more.
Hope to see some of you at Milwaukee. I will be at Flook and Kells concerts for sure. Don’t miss either of these bands. Awesome whistle players in Brian Finnegan(Flook)and Brian McCoy(The Kells).
Mike
I have a DASBT aluminum. It’s a bit sharp on your preferred fingering for C nat… which is more or less normal. I can get a very good G sharp in the second octave using XX0-XX0. I haven’t tried C sharp in the lower octave yet, but will when I get home.
It’s a good loud whistle with a great tone. It and my Silkstone vie for first place in my heart. Next to my wife of course.
hey, this is interesting, the kells…i’ve never heard of them…I absolutely love flook and lunasa and mike mcgoldrick, the kells…do they play irtrad in a similar way…wow…think i must order a new cd…again…
G# usually works best half-holed. Bb should cross-finger.