As you all probably know, Michael Burke (and others?) make whistles with optional C-natural top thumbholes. In addition to that feature, I wonder if a whistle can be made with a bottom thumbhole, too, F natural on a D whistle, facilitating the D Dorian mode? An eight-hole semi-diatonic whistle would be “handy,” indeed. Do such whistles exist?
Yes. Overton and Humphrey come to mind. I’m sure Chris Abell would oblige, as well. In fact, I’m sure most any maker would work with you on that.
Skip Healy does it on his Flutes and Fifes also. I am sure lots of makers would have no problem doing it.
I’ve tried this on the whistles that I have made (none of which were very good, by the way). I was surprised at how hard it was for me to get used to the F natural hole. I have a Mack Hoover whistle with a C natural hole (actually it’s a G whistle with an F hole). I find that easy to use. But the reason I think that it is harder to use the F natural hole (on my D whistle) is because I hold whistle with that hand. In slow passages it wouldn’t be hard to use. But in faster passages, I found that my whistle bounced around enough that the thumb hole was opening up when I didn’t want it to.
I’ll be interested in what other people say to this thread.
Oreo Phil
Yes, sir, you’re right. I thought I had looked everywhere. Humphrey Whistles - http://webpages.charter.net/raindog1970/ - offers whistles with both C natural and F natural thumbholes…
Paul Busman and Gary Humphrey started making their whistles with c-holes and f-holes after I posted this review of the brilliant Overton Modal D/C. Highly recommended whistle.
The Fnat and Bflat are the easiest notes to half-hole, since the E and A holes are so large. You should give it a try before ordering a whistle that will require new skills that won’t transfer to any other whistle.