I wanted to know if it would change the intonation of a whistle if I enlarge the 3rd hole (G) and 6th hole (D) by just a tad. My reasoning is that when playing this particular whistle I have a hard time feeling the hole (knowing if it complete covered). Of course I can tell if I hadn’t covered it due to the resulting pitch and sound. I don’t usually look to see my fingerings but do rely heavily on touch and sound.
So if I were to increase the size of the 3rd and 6th hole would it be a terrible thing and what would be the results?
Based on the little experience I have with whistles, I believe that changing the size of a hole will affect all the notes (mostly the notes higher than the one you’re changing) on all the octaves. The question is how noticeable the change will be… that depends on how much you plan to open the holes.
May I ask wich whistle are you planning to tweak?
Maybe you can find some other way to feel the holes, like using a little glue at the border of the hole or something like that…
It would definitely sharpen the notes. One of the tradeoffs that whistlesmiths have to wrestle with is the positions and sizes of the holes. To make the stretch easier, a hole can be moved up or down the tube, but it needs to be made larger or smaller. That’s why the D and G holes are the smallest on the flute or whistle – to make the stretch easier. This, as you’ve probably noticed, also affects the volume, especially the volume of the E note. It’s a lot easier to compensate for this on the flute than on the whistle, although I’ve met one “small-hands” flute that had a muddy E.
The holes on the whistle in question especially the 3rd and 6th hole are extremely small and that why I would like to in large them for touch and feel.. The whistle is a low C.
If you want to enlarge those holes, make your adjustments to the part of the hole AWAY from the fipple. That is, leave the top edge of the hole right where it is and enlarge the far edge and sides. In the first octave, it’s the top edge of the hole that determines pitch. Be sure to check your octaves often, making only slight enlargements in between. Eventually the actual diameter of the hole will start to sharpen the second register note, so be careful. I’d say do a little bit and then live with it for a couple of days to see if you really need to do any more.
This may be a silly question, but can you instead add something to the whistle body that can help your touch? Maybe a little piece of tape, or something, that will help you feel the right position?
Shannon…thats a great suggestion..I will cut a tiny piece of velcro and that should help. GREAT suggestion.>>>> I would much rather place a tiny piece of that on there than ruin the whistle with a drill.
I seem to remember a whistle which had ridges around the tone holes, and that supposedly made it easier to play. I…could be misremembering, though. It’s been a couple years…
When I was starting classical flute, my teacher put a piece of low tack masking tape where my right thumb should go on the back of the flute. I practiced for a month or so with my thumb on the tape so I could feel the correct position. After a month or so when I took it off, I automatically put my thumb there.
You probably want to make sure whatever you use is removable, so if you get comfortable with the holes later, you can take it off.
BTW- The tape didn’t harm the finish on the flute at all, but results may vary with other materials.
If you do change the holes, don’t do it with a drill, for Pete’s sake! Use a round file or some
sandpaper and make small, slow changes, like brewerpaul says. Using a drill poststructurally
is a recipe for disaster.
I understand the problem better now that I know it’s a low wistle, though. I have a Jubilee
Practice Low D, and the bottom hole had to be very small to make the finger spacing smaller.
Now that I think about it, it is kind of tough to find that hole by feel.
As the captain would say prepare to countersink matey!!!
well maybe not exactly like that but a sharp countersink bit turned by hand will leave a small indent that your finger will naturally fill. works great on all my homemade wood,plastic and aluminum whistles.it looks good better than tape.
