Well … it’s been a couple of weeks since I got my Generation “D” whistle now and getting much more comfortable playing it. Still no luck finding a Clarkes Sweetone in Halifax! Figure that out. I am looking into ordering through one of the stores. We’ll see how I make out
Anyway, I have been practicing lots on Christmas Carols mostly. The Generation whistle is actually performing really good so far execpt when I try to play a “C” in the song Hark! The Herald Angel Sings for example (see link at the end). The fingering I am trying to use is x23 xxx (where x is open and left is top of whitle). The note ALWAYS sounds a lot more breathy or shallower and weak than the B before it and the D after it. I realize I could half hole the top hole (right?) on the whistle but don’t quite have that mastered yet plus the sheet music (see link below) shows the fingering I suggested above. Is there a trick to playing this note with this fingering that I am missing? Is it me? Help!
On Generation and other “cheapie” whistles, the c natural will usually sound weaker than other notes when played with a x23xxx fingering, it may also play sharp. You can add an extra finger x234xx
(or x234x6 if it is still too sharp) but the best thing is to just play a little softer on that note and add a finger vibrato on long notes. In fast passages of a jig or reel, a slightly sharp or weak c natural will not even be noticed so don’t worry about it!
The x234x6 sounded much better! That’s a little trickier to play than just 2 fingers but worth it.
Thanks for the help. Does anyone ever get the hang of half-holing those little tiny suckers? Man … talk about difficult. I suppose … practice … practice … practice
I gave a generation to a little girl around 10 or 11 years old at the Texas Rennaisance Festival a few weeks ago. She was struggling along with an ocarina, and so I wanted to be subersive and tempt her over to the Dark Side.
Later that day, she ran up to me, all excited, and whipped out a rendition of Ode to Joy (which she’d just figured out by ear). She half-holed the C-Natural like a pro. When I asked her who showed her the half-hole, she shrugged and said “that seemed to be the way to do it”. Made me feel like I was missing a secret “Whistling gene” or something.
Ah! Another opportunity to continue
ranting about the virtues of half holing!
It don’t matter what they say on
the sheet music–it’s meant for people
who aren’t as adept as you are going to
be.
I promise you, you can do it. I know
that because I can do it and you can
if I can. But you’re right–it takes
practice and patience. So it’s a good
idea to find an effective cross fingering
for now and then to slowly start integrating
half holing into one’s playing. One
starts with slow stuff, of course–
long notes in slow tunes. Just keep at
it patiently, don’t forget it, keep
using it, if only occasionally. Also
practice it deliberately, doing short
scales slowly with the half hole in it.
Then try it in faster stuff. Sooner or
later one finds oneself using it
more often than cross fingering–
which sometimes still has its place.
I honestly think this is a good
way to improve one’s whole technique,
that it is doable with practice–and
patience. Anyone who is into playing
the whistle for the long haul will
profit from this program, I believe.
That’s pretty good advice and that’s the road I plan to take. No pain, no gain right?
I must say that I learned my lesson on this sort of thing while learning barre chords on the guitar a few years ago. I kept cheating the chords while playing AND practicing and obviously never learned how to barre chords. One day I decided no more cheats during practice and in no time I was doing barre chords. Today they are like second nature to me.
However, in order to play something that sounds decent I am not quite ready for half-holing on the whistle … not in public anyway. The cross fingering and other tricks will do for now except while I practice … then I’ll focus on the half-holing. Cool
By the way Mo,
Using the Half hole on a C natural is not any better than using the other fingering. Mary Bergin uses half-hole C but many other top players use both. The only nice thing about the half hole is that it makes it easy to slide up to the C from the B. Often, it is best to choose what fingering is easier in any given passage. For example, if a c natural is the highest note of a phrase, half hole it if you like. If the note after or before the c natural is d, it is often easier to play the fingered c natural. Find what works best for you, and that is the “correct” way. Remember that in traditional music it is not so important how you get there but that you do get there!
Everyone does it differently. Have fun!
However, in order for me to have the choice I have to be proficient with both methods to do a C natural. Right now I need more (a lot more) work on the half-holing while the other fingering I can get most of the time … though it needs some refinement when playing faster (well it needs refinement period!).
It depends on the song is what I am finding by experience because I have been trying the half-hole method a lot the past few days and sometimes, even when I get it right, the cross-finger method sounds better … which is quite intersting in my mind.
Anyone ever use XOXXOX for high C? Works on genertion types, not on Susato, fairly handy this and close enough to easily tackle Trim the Velvet, Stone in the Field and An tSean Bhean Bhocht
Anyone ever use XOXXOX for high C? Works on generation types, not on Susato, fairly handy this and close enough to easily tackle Trim the Velvet, Stone in the Field and An tSean Bhean Bhocht
Another form to try and I do have a Generation whistle. I’ll have to try it tonight … on the way home .. you know … in my car … errr … at the … um … red lights Can you say WhOA??? Could be worse … right?
If I may relate a different view from
that of the learned Whistlepeg, there
certainly are respected teachers and whistlemakers who assert the overall superiority of half holing–as a
more accurate way of getting the note,
finally, and also (i think) because it leads
to a more fluid and controlled technique with more minimal finger motions in general.
Also it sets one up for half-holing
all over the whistle. I own, though,
that other teachers advocate
cross fingering, and I agree that
finally one must decide the matter
oneself.
Peter, I’ll try your fingering as
soon as the neighbours leave for
work!
[ This Message was edited by: jim stone on 2001-12-11 08:41 ]
Jim,
Good point. But in my situation, If I am playing a piece that requires lots of half holes, then I will switch to my recorder which plays in all keys (cheater right?) For my whistle playing, I prefer to keep it the simpler the better.
Speaking of lots of half holing, years ago somebody played a recording for me called Pennywhistles from Heaven (I think) that was all jazzy chromatic (half holes). It wasn’t my cup of tea, but I seem to recall that it was an amazing feat of intricate finger work. Anyone heard it?
Right. I’m falling deeper into
blues and ragtime., and just
sort of delighting in getting
control of the whistle for its own sake. Also
Greensleeves involves
some nice half-holing challenges, especially
playing harmony (and yes, I
suppose a recorder would do
nicely–but you remember
my frightful experience (circa
Halloween) with
hairy finger pads. Working
on Christmas songs (I’m
perfoming in hospitals in
a couple of weeks) the bridge
to ‘Chestnuts Roasting on
an Open Fire’ is becoming
possible. Also some Beatle
songs , like "Here, there, and
Everywhere.’ Best wishes
Whistlepeg you hit the nail on the head with Pennywhistles From Heaven.Billy Novick played all tracks on this tape and on The New Pennywhistle Album with Guy Van Duser on guitar. This guy is the half-holer from hell. Plays irish but mostly jazz. Amazing glissandos(sp?) Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk stuff,Sweet Georgia Brown. This has to be heard to be believed.Green Linnet. No longer available? Makes you resist cross fingers
I’m still very new at this, and like MoR, I’m starting out with carols. It’s Christmas, the tunes are slow, I know what they should sound like if I play them right … so why the heck not? For “O Come All Ye Faithful,” I find that half-holing the C nat works best, because, as someone else has already pointed out, it’s an easy transition to the B, and because it’s simpler for my fat stoopid fingers to figure out. It also gives me better control over the note, which can sound harsh and sharp on my cheap-o Soodlum if I use the multiple-hole approach.
For my own part, I’d say I stick to the cross-fingered Cnat most of the time, though in certain pieces I find myself using half-holing as well. he Chieftains “Lots of Drops of Brandy” from ‘Water From the Well’ springs to mind straight away.
Although, I’ve become a master at the B-Cnat-B combination using cross fingering as well. For most of the tunes I play, it seems cleaner to me somehow. I suppose this makes me lazy, but it works for the present.
There’s also a cool rendition of “The Coombe No.6” on the Chieftains ‘Best Of…’ album. It’s got some very obvious half-holing there…Cnat and Fnat both. I think they play it in D minor on a D whistle, but I am probably wrong.
Anyway, if you’re interested, you can listen to a song I did for Clips and Snips a while back, called “Brian O’Lynn” which uses that Cnat-B-Cnat bit pretty heavily. I cross fingered that one on my Doolin D whistle.
Can you say WhOA??? Could be worse … right?