Fun with discovering different whistle keys

Whistle
1

Even though things are REALLY hectic with moving into our new house:

http://www.kisstherebel.com/gallery/album10

I have still had time to mess with my whistles. There is a song in a book we have that is written in the key of F (one flat, Bb). I was actually able to think it through and transpose it so it could be played on a D whistle. Did it all in my head while reading the notes. Yup, I am one of them note readers.

A couple of days ago I was messing around with the song on my C whistles. The second major key on a C whistle is F. I got it all figured out. A little easier because you do not have to mentally transpose in your head as you play.

Renee then asked me to show her how to play it on the D whistle like I was last week. While explaining it to her I realized that the fingering on the C whistle in F was exactly the same as on the D whistle, which I also realized had to be in the key of G.

This is fun. Now to see if other whistles have the same relationship. Yes, I know that if you can finger it on a D whistle you can use the same fingerings on the other keyed whistles.

I am hoping this will push me on to being able to learn by ear some day.

2

First, the new house… What a view!

Second, I’m also entering into negotiations with my brain on understanding and recognizing (perhaps even being able to implement) the relationships of the keys and notes this way… something I wish I had been able to grasp years ago. I have alsys understood that there is such a relationship, but I have never been able to “see” it (I learn best with being able to visualize relationships in math)

3

I just got my Syn Full Set talk about fum with different keys. :smiley:

4

I’ve created a neato chart that lets you see, at a glance, how to go between all the keys on the different whistles while playing any of the 5 modes. I’m probably going to market it through Mike Burke’s website, but I’m not quite ready to do that yet. If someone is really enjoying playing with the keys and their relationships thereof (it can start to feel like yer brain is melting down!) feel free to drop me an email and I’ll send you a prototype of what I call “The DroneTone Network.”