So I’ve been greatly enjoying my green Feadog, but since I’ve only been exploring the wonderful world of whistles for the last 72 hours, I have a few dumb questions to ask.
Stupid question(s) #1: Just how chromatic can these things get with the false fingerings, etc.? I’ve been looking at the fingering chart at fullbodyburn.com & noticing it gives fingerings for every chromatic note in the first 2 octaves. I’ve got my hands full covering the notes of the D & G scales, but do others have an easier time with these notes? Would a more forgiving whistle be easier on the chromatics? If and when I get my chops together, is there any chance of playing in every key and maybe perhaps play some bebop or maybe some free-form 12-tone silliness? I always wanted a saxophone.
More stupid questions to come in a week or so. Thanks.
there are many many alternative fingerings for chromatic notes, and with “half holeing” (covering a hole only partially, kinda tricky to pe pitch perfect) there really aren’t any chromatic notes you can’t achieve.
There ARE alternatives…such as a keyed whistle…
This one (below my signature) has keys for Fnat, and Bb, and is set up for a lefty (moi). I do make keys for Fnat, Bb, G# and Eb, thus making the D scale fully chromatic.
The pennywhistle is basically a diatonic instrument - much like a blues-harp harmonica. The chromatics can be got with practice, but it is not going to be as easy as, say a guitar, piano or keyed woodwind.
If you were to practice your chromatics and scales religeously, then there would be nothing to stop you from treating it as a chromatic beasty. Legend has it that the great Irish fluters can play fluently in any key on a standard D flute. In practice, this might be making things too hard for yourself when most the other keys are already available in their native form (so to speak) and that a pennywhistle always costs a lot less than a fully chromatic instrument (no matter how “high-end” the whistle is).
The other main thing to consider is what you intend to play. If you are playing western folk styles (Irish, Nth American, etc) then incidental flats and sharps are rare - you would be well served to understand the church-modes diatonic theory. If you want to play jazz then the chromatics are going to be essential. Perhapse you might consider a keyed whistle - Daniel Bingamon has been known to make such things (look for his posts in this forum) - also whistles with a non-diatonic scale base.
It might also be an idea to consider scale temperaments and the Indic concepts of how the note can be less important than how you get to it and how you depart from it - whistes are good for this kind of thing because you have a lot of freedom with pitch using slides, half-holing and cross-fingerings and breath control.
Ahh, I’ve been looking for a suitable moment to ask this: what exactly are keys, and how do the work? What happens when you’re playing an instrument that has 'em?
Keys. Think about the modern silver flute. All that stuff all over it are the keys. Pressing them will either open or close one or more holes on the flute, some of which are very far away from where your fingers may be.
Well, if you want a chromatic fipple flute - take a recorder (a blockflute). The sound is different, but it is really chromatic, and just a bit more difficult than a whistle.
Well, if you listen to the goofy version of Si Bheag, Si Mhor in my WhistleThis clips (see sig below), you’ll hear that I make use of the altered notes F-nat, Eb/D#, Bb/A#, and Ab/G# on a standard D whistle. The first two notes are half-holed, the other two cross-fingered. I used a Burke, but it works just as well (or poorly) on my Feadóg, too.
So I guess the answer is, yes, you can sort of play bebop on your Feadóg. But beyond the usual C-nat and G# (and sometimes F-nat), you’re pushing the envelope a bit.
Oh, and I used to be a semi-pro saxophone player. Really.
As they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words”.
Keys allow opening to be made about half-way in-between the regular toneholes. A Chromatic Low-D plays just like a normal Low-D for the D Major Scale.
So, if you play ‘A’ for example and then open the tonehole above the ‘A’, it becomes A# or Bb.
Here’s one my earlier Chromatic Low-D’s
I had some newer pictures somewhere, still looking.
I tried a few of the half-hole notes out last night with pretty decent results, so I think I’ll try to do some stuff with the unaltered whistle & see how far I can take it.
I’m not looking to actually play jazz on a whistle. But I used to be a very serious jazz student & have a healthy respect for that tradition & was wondering if I could become a more well rounded player by working on the occasional Charlie Parker/John Coltrane solo. That plus the fact that I also compose and there’s no guarantee that every piece I write inspired by Irish Trad is going to stay in D or G.
I don’t know about flute (I assume you mean a keyless flute, it should be easy with a fully keyed wooden flute), but I know at least one, probably two whistle players who can play an Eb scale at tempo on a normal D whistle using half-holing. If you’re good enough to do this, it’s actually in some ways better than having a keyed instrument. You can hit notes which are impossible to play on (say) a piano – all those lovely blue notes that fiddlers and pipers play. I’ve even heard a whistler (intentionally!) play a note halfway between F# and G in a (non-Irish) tune. Plus you can bend all notes freely.
Next stupid question: Do bigger whistles (altos, etc.) make chromaticism easier? I imagine they’d have bigger holes, which might be easier to manipulate. Please correct me if I’ve assumed incorrectly.
Hi Chatterton, I’ve been thinking of attempting “Itsbeen Reel” since I picked up the whistle, but have not got past capturing it (possibly) in notation. I’d think it would be a good point of departure for some explorations into jazz, eh?
Keys are smaller and closer together on high whistles. I’ve made one High-D whistle with three keys on it. They’re a bit harder to do.
Bigger is easier.
Actually both are important. Its just plain wrong to think notes or intervals have less importance.
In both singing and fluting (and whistling) newbie practice will include playing ONE note consistently for hours and days at a time. Slidings and microtonal values cannot really speak unless they have a background of consistent reference points.
I know a few “westerners” who consider themselves professional musos/singers who got bored witless with their training in India . One complained about how she was asked to sing the note G# as the tonic for hours every day for months. She had to get that note so precisely at call before the next note was introduced
Another, an already accomplished guitarist, learning the sarod, was required to practice naked scales for hours and hours and weeks on end in the 10 most common modes. Up and down, up and down, up and down, on and on and on and on.
Only after months of this and monitoring of progress were ornamentations (grace notes) and other distinctive features of the music introduced.
My intent remains - getting to and from the intervals is of great importance for those who wish to express the divine. This freedom is not allowed in many instruments of the western tradition - I think it’s a sad omission. Music has a role that, to me, transcends mere pride-of-proficiency. For instance: at one time I noted that the more I practiced scales and technique, the better things went for me at work as a data-miller - good stuff, but not music. It is easy to get lost in pride and discipline, but my music should have more to do with the celebration of the moment - something bigger than the self - a much-denied nourishment. I feel it is a birthright - one needs only to connect. More practice=longer and deeper connection. Yes, Yes. But The Key is “why” -“why” is the map - “why” prevents negative detours that can last beyond the grave. I am still in awe of the fact that the humble pennywhistle can be such a mighty vehicle, a voice for the dust of my shoes.
Question: How do you get a live goose out of a bottle without killing the goose or breaking the bottle?
Answer #1: “There! the goose is out.”
Answer #2: “Shut-up and play yer pennywhistle”
(edited to include source references:
Question and answer #1 “Zen Flesh Zen Bones” collection of Zen wisdom {Shambhala Pocket Classics by Paul Reps}
Answer #2 - a permutation of an album title by Frank Zappa
The rest is original goat-stuff inspired by having fun listening to interesting people, accosting street-proselytisers, stowing-away in churches and religeous ceremonies, asking awkward questions, playing as much music as possible and watching ants)
