I have no background in music so some concepts can be hard for me to grasp, however, I am hoping some members could clarify something for me.
I am familiar with using “D-fingering” for all whistles (D, C, Bb, A, G, F, Eb and so on) for music written in the keys of D, G & A and their minors (e.g. for music in the key of G played on a C whistle with D-fingering it gets transposed so the sound is in F and similarly for music in the key of A played on an F whistle with D-fingering it gets transposed so the sound is in C). I was able to find the above info routing around on the web.
Now instead what if the music is written in the key of C. Am I correct in assuming that if one continues to use “D-fingering” that one would play a C natural and a half-holed natural F? So my main question is then for music in the key of C played with “D-fingering” what key is the sound produced when played on a D whistle? On a C whistle? Or is this idea of using “D-fingering” on written music other than in keys of D, G & A totally wrong or impossible?
This is a tough thing for folks to grasp when they first encounter it and an obvious one once you grasp it. I['m hoping this will help and not confuse.
The post above gives the fingerings for playing in C on a C instrument and on a D instrument. That is a good starting point and might be plenty to answer your question.
“D fingering” implies a finger pattern and you’ve properly described what happens when you use it on instruments in other keys…you play the tune in a new key.
BUT, it also implies the actual note names when playing on a D whistle. So, if you know the names of the notes on the D whistle and you also know the names of the notes of the scale you are trying to play you know what to do. Seems to me you already know that from the contents of your first post.
My conclusion: You really know what to do. All you need is to be reassured that your thinking is correct. It is. Now go play
That’s a bit hard-Corr for this thread, isn’t it? Or is this about to become a Doppler doppelganger thread? My old Gen C whistle is a blue-top one and my D a red-top, so I guess transposing from one to the other would have involved red or blue shifts!
Maybe I should point out that in my “D-fingering” scenario. I play all whistles as if they were a D whistle so when I pick up a whistle of any key and look at a piece of written music with a note one space below the staff I call it a D note and play the whistle with all fingers down no matter whether or not I am holding a D, C or G whistle.
I am very far from the stage where I can look at exactly the same note in a piece of music and play different fingerings for each of the D, C and G whistles for the same note. As a matter of fact my brain won’t even go there!
Following this scheme seems to work fine for music written in the keys of D, G & A, but if I take a piece written in the key of C using the “D-fingerings” I described and saw a written “A” note for example I would play it with the top two fingers down which when using a C whistle would be heard as a G note and when using a G whistle would be heard as a D note.
So am I not clicking to something here or does what I just said make a difference?
If you play a “D” on a “C” whistle, a stationary listener will hear the note “C”.
If you play a “D” on a “Eb” whistle, a stationary listener will hear the note “Eb”.
etc…
Music written in key of C, played using D-fingering described, played on a D, followed by a C, and followed by a G. What key is the sound of the music from each whistle being heard in?
And we’re both going the same speed. Physics - OK, but Music Theory - not so good.
If you would normally play the tune on a D whistle, but you pick up a C whistle, it will be heard in the key of C.
Sometimes it is easier to think about the scale. If you play bottom to top, Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti, Do, on a D whistle, that’s a scale in D. Same thing, only changing the whistle to a C whistle, will be a C scale.
If you play this on a D whistle, you are playing the song in D, and a listener will hear it in D. Same fingerings on a C whistle, produces the song in C, and it is heard in C.
I was confused for a long time over this because nobody ever explained that the band music for my B-flat cornet was transposed. I thought that what I knew as “C” on the cornet was “C” for everybody. But it was B-Flat for the piano player and the flute player, and God-knows-what for the tuba player. (Actually, the bandmaster knew, but he thought he was God, so same diff…)
PM me if you want to hammer it out somewhere other than in the public square. I’d be glad to work on it with you. Heck, I might even find a better way to explain it.
I do have a Susato fingering chart in front of me and I understand the fingerings as it is associated with the different whistles. I think the early reply “You really know what to do. All you need is to be reassured that your thinking is correct. It is. Now go play” is probably right on. Since music theory is lacking, I think I’m stuck on a nuance that escapes me for now. Anyway I’m sure it will come.
Corr blimey!
segregationist! 