I was hoping you guys could help me out with something. I have been asked if I could put a C nat thumb hole on one of my whistles. I am more than happy to do that but would like more info.
I was told that the thumb covers the hole until you need to play a C natural. Then you play a “B” and lift the thumb off raising the note a semi-tone to C. Is this the way it works? How do you play a C sharp? With the thumb covered or not?
The more I see these 10-holes, thumb-hole, modal-whistles thread, the more I reckon we’re quite a few around who’d like a whistle holed just as a recorder
On 2002-11-25 04:15, Zubivka wrote:
The more I see these 10-holes, thumb-hole, modal-whistles thread, the more I reckon we’re quite a few around who’d like a whistle holed just as a recorder >
HERETIC!!! Minion of SATAN!!! Burn him at the stake!!!
serpent
My flute teacher originally learned on a classical flute, so his wooden (Hammy) flute has a Cnat hole at the back. Cnat is played as B, with thumb lifted; C# is played as normal, with thumb covering hole. It’s hard (for me) to coordinate, but works well for him…
Deirdre
Hey Sandy,
CSkinner lent me a Susato that had the thumb hole drilled in it. It was located halfway between holes 1 and 2 (on the backside of the barrel, of course). It seemed to work very well. C# was fingered as normal with the thumb hole covered. I was also able to get a fairly good Bb out of it fingered, as I recall, XoXO|OOO (where the lower case o is the thumb hole). I wonder if a thumb hole for the right hand would produce a good Fnat.
Currently I am trying to drum up enough courage to drill the left hand thumb holes in my Sindts!
Good luck and keep us posted on the whistle chanter progress!
Eric
Thanks! That’s just the info I needed! Now to find time to try it…
Eric, perhaps you could make a finger tube just for experimenting or do it on a cheap whistle that is simular in size to your good whistle, that way you won’t risk your favorite!
