Hi there, how do you all prefer to finger c-natural, I usually crossfinger like this:
oxxooo, I have seen people crossfinger this way:
oxxxoo
which do you prefer?
How about c-natural in the 2nd octave, I tried the same, first fingering as above, but this never worked, sounds absolutly awful, a friend of mine told me it has to be done this way:
oxxxxo
What do you guys think?
Cheers, Amar.
I prefer the two finger c natural as well. However, on most cheap whistles this fingering plays painfully sharp. On these whistles I would use “forked” fingering (as Robin Williamson calls it); oxx xox
Cross fingering for the second octave c natural as you describe works on some whistles but certainly not all.
Cheers,
David
Hi Amar,
I generally use OXXOOO, BUT 0XXXOX gives a truer note on some whistles. In fast pieces it isn’t so noticeable or necessary.
If you can half-hole it, you can adjust the note as you need, but I admit it’s still beyond me to half-hole the Cnat at speed.
It varies a LOT from whistle to whistle. Whatever works is the best way… I went to a workshop given by Mary Bergin several years ago and she was asked how to do C natural. She said she couldn’t imagine doing it any other way than half holing ( so much for half holing not being useful in playing fast !).
I think it would be good if they made one like a D, the lowest note D, same fingerings and everything, but with C natural. That way you could play the same music, not learn new fingerings and not have to just cover half or worry about it. Has anyone thought of that or is it a stupid idea? I’ve always wondered. I would buy one if there was one out there.
Inexpensive whistles like Generations cross finger the first octave C natural best OXXXOX and second octave C natural best OXOXXX.
Some high-end whistles like Overtons and Burkes also cross finger C natural as described above, but there’s no shortage of whistles that do not.
I think of the above cross fingerings as standard, and regard any whistle that does not work with them as non-standard.
The only way around the issue is to half-hole, but I still prefer to cross finger… old habits are hard to break. 
AHA!!! I couldnt find this thread in the search engine…had to find it digging around.
I’ve now added this to the Matrix. Does anyone have anything else to add?
I’ve heard the Sindt doesnt do
OXXOOO. Is this true?
I am a beginner and I have been playing a Sweetone D most of the time. I also have a LBW and a brass Clare 1-piece. With the Sweetone, when I try oxxooo the note is very soft and breathy. Adding the other fingers to make oxxxox doesn’t seem to change either the pitch or the loudness of the note. Any comments or suggestions?
Mike Burns
On 2002-05-13 07:16, DazedinLA wrote:
AHA!!! I couldnt find this thread in the search engine…had to find it digging around.I’ve now added this to the Matrix. Does anyone have anything else to add?
I’ve heard the Sindt doesnt do
OXXOOO. Is this true?
Oh, the Sindt does oxxooo no problem. It’s just not a C-natural. 
The D Sindt is actually quite sharp on oxxooo and on oxxxox. Some people mind (and tape the F# and the B holes to alleviate the problem), others don’t mind. And then there are the half-holers. There are several threads discussing this. It would be a good topic for the Matrix, including the recent thread describing how you transplant a Feadog brass shaft onto Sindt D head.
On 2002-05-13 08:36, burnsbyrne wrote:
With the Sweetone, when I try oxxooo the note is very soft and breathy… Any comments or suggestions?
Enjoy it? A cross-fingered c-natural is a little soft and weak on most cheap whistles. I think of it as a feature rather than a problem. But is it drastically weak compared to your other whistles?
On 2002-05-13 10:19, Bloomfield wrote:
on oxxooo and on oxxxox. Some people mind (and tape the F# and the B holes to alleviate the problem), others don’t mind. And then there are the half-holers. There are several threads discussing this. It would be a good topic for the Matrix, including the recent thread describing how you transplant a Feadog brass shaft onto Sindt D head.
Wouldn’t that be implant? I recently sent Ann & John Sindt some email messages making a strong case that John should redesign the holes on his D whistles because, although he and other half-holers don’t care, in my view the impossibility of playing an acceptable cross-fingered C-natural is a serious defect. After I mentioned the debates on here, including the threads about putting other whistle bodies into a Sindt head, I got a reply from Ann that John was going to try to make a modified D body.
Maybe a bombardment of emails making the same point would bring John to take the problem seriously. So get writing, cross-fingering Sindt fans!
As I didn’t see it on thread:
I have been increasingly using oxxoxx for C natural. Found that one in the McCullough old tutor book for doing Cnat rolls. Its good on Burkes, don’t know about others. I use it to come to rest on second half C quarter (can be rolled too) of The Old Bush (but shortycut oxoooo in fast figure preceding it) and its very stable. not so good for real fast but it seems like awkward things cease to be awkward when you burn in 'em into the gray matter circuitry.
The $64000 question for me is how Joanie Madden gets such a perfect C natural on Madame Bonaparte on AITWvol2(she is playing on an E whistle so its really a D natural). Its the very opening of the piece with the upbeat of D to CNat FOLLOWED by a tip from A up to B. Its getting whatever fingering you use to then allow the tip that confounds me.
But it sounds effortless and perfect .Many tunes have that descending D Cnat, especially for upbeats on reels and it would be nice to have it sound both intune and clean.
I half-hole a lot but only where it fits easily and I have been trying to get away from them a bit for fast things for whistle-holding stability sake.
Sometimes it feels as though the half-hole physical motion might be affecting the musical phrase too much.
There is both a tonal indefiniteness as well as a physical motion that might ask for a split-second more than a regular finger up/down motion.Reminds me of a side-arm pitch in baseball. Some do it well but it is limited compared to the standard way and makes for a peculiar pitch.
[ This Message was edited by: The Weekenders on 2002-05-13 12:55 ]
On 2002-05-13 12:31, StevieJ wrote:
On 2002-05-13 10:19, Bloomfield wrote:
on oxxooo and on oxxxox. Some people mind (and tape the F# and the B holes to alleviate the problem), others don’t mind. And then there are the half-holers. There are several threads discussing this. It would be a good topic for the Matrix, including the recent thread describing how you transplant a Feadog brass shaft onto Sindt D head.Wouldn’t that be implant? I recently sent Ann & John Sindt some email messages making a strong case that John should redesign the holes on his D whistles because, although he and other half-holers don’t care, in my view the impossibility of playing an acceptable cross-fingered C-natural is a serious defect. After I mentioned the debates on here, including the threads about putting other whistle bodies into a Sindt head, I got a reply from Ann that John was going to try to make a modified D body.
Maybe a bombardment of emails making the same point would bring John to take the problem seriously. So get writing, cross-fingering Sindt fans!
Stevie, that is momentous news! I will take the liberty of starting a new thread with this to get people to write and encourage John Sindt to change the hole pattern.
Stevie…you are a scholar and a gentleman!! Great Idea. Im on the waiting list for a high D, and I just emailed them on this issue re my order.