I have a Sweetone by Clarke whistle that is in the key of C. I can’t find any on-line resources for learning to play a whistle in the key of C–they’re all in the key of D. Anyone know of any?
Thanks!
Calliope, the same rules apply regardless of the key you’re in. Using the same fingerings as you would on a D whistle will result in your playing the tune, it will just be a step lower than it would on the D whistle. You might want to get a D whistle, though, esp. if you’re gonna play with others since it’s the standard. Clarke also makes the Sweetone in D. Good luck and welcome.
So if I have all my fingers covering up the holes on a C whistle…that’s C, right? The lower octave of C? But I still use that fingering to play D in a tune, like I would with my D whistle, except it’ll just play it in C instead?
How do I play C then?
I’m so confused I don’t know whether to scratch my watch or wind my backside. 
Kim
When all of my fingers are down on a C whistle, I am thinking and playing “D”, but on a tuner or against a piano keyboard the actual note produced would be a C. If it’s a B-flat whistle, all fingers down is still “D” to me, but it actually gives the note B-flat.
When all fingers are down on a D whistle, I think D and it actually plays the note D, which to orchestral folks means that a D whistle is actually a “C” instrument.
Probably I have taken something already confusing and made it worse…maybe some of the other folks can provide more clarity. 
–James
http://www.flutesite.com
Well, I want to play Morning has Broken and I can’t on my D whistle without doing some fancy fingering because it has a lower octave C in it. I was thinking of getting a C whistle…but how would I play that lower octave C and the rest of the notes in relation to that lower C?
Kim
This has been discussed before, and I’ve learned there are several options for that C below D:
-
Play either the whole song or the phrase containing that note up an octave.
-
Play a “harmonizing note,” like an E (if I do that, I usually “decorate” the note with maybe a quick tap on the note below, which is a “tap” in the ornamentation ritual) maybe a trill or glissando, depending on how long the note is.
-
Or ignore the note altogether and sustain the note before it.
Hope this helps.
P.S. - If you were playing a C whistle with all your fingers down you are playing C, 5 fingers down is D, 4 fingers down is E, 3 fingers down is F, 2 fingers down is G, 1 finger down is A, O fingers down is B (the 2nd and 3rd fingers down is Bb), and so on through the octaves. So even if you feel as though you are playing in the scale of D, you are actually playing in the scale of C. The same would hold for a whistle in any key. The base note, tonic, first note of a scale, or whatever you want to call it, is always 6 fingers down when playing a whistle in that key. If you were to get a C whistle just for that note, it wouldn’t work, because that note would be A-below-middle-C in the C scale.
One of the things I like best about whistles is that you don’t have to learn new fingering for each key, and if you know a song in the key of D but only have a G whistle on hand, the whistle transposes the song to G even though you “feel” like you are playing the song in D. I have several songs I learned on a D whistle but sound better played (with the same fingering) on a whistle in another key (Bb for instance, or C).
{edited by Kendra to add the P.S.}
But
I’m just a beginner, so what do I
know…
[ This Message was edited by: Kendra on 2002-06-29 18:35 ]
On 2002-06-29 18:16, Kendra wrote:
This has been discussed before
I know! By me! And I’m still having trouble!
Check out the song. I scanned it. http://public.fotki.com/2jedismom/various_pictures/morning_has_broken.html
1. Play either the whole song or the phrase containing that note up an octave.
Can I do it with this song?
2. Play a “harmonizing note,” like an E (if I do that, I usually “decorate” the note with maybe a quick tap on the note below, which is a “tap” in the ornamentation ritual) maybe a trill or glissando, depending on how long the note is.
I’ve only been playing about 8 weeks…I have no idea what your talking about!
3. Or ignore the note altogether and sustain the note before it.
I can’t! It’s the first and last note of the tune!!
P.S. - If you were playing a C whistle with all your fingers down you are playing C, 5 fingers down is D, 4 fingers down is E, 3 fingers down is F, 2 fingers down is G, 1 finger down is A, O fingers down is B (the 2nd and 3rd fingers down is Bb), and so on through the octaves.
I am beginning to see a flicker of a lightbulb over my head with this…
Sorry to be such a pain. I appreciate you all talking so slowly to me! LOL
Kim
“Whistling women and crowing hens never come to no good end”
[ This Message was edited by: Kim in Tulsa on 2002-06-29 19:52 ]
Hi,
I played it thru a few times and I would
take the phrase with the C in it up an octave.
If you try it enough ways, something will eventually sound o.k. On this particular
song there is nothing else you can do.
If you knew music, you could transpose into
another key, but maybe you HAVE to play it this way, cause you are playing it with
someone else.
I think the octave will work; it always has for me in a song like this.
Lolly
[ This Message was edited by: lollycross on 2002-06-29 20:32 ]
Thanks, Lolly! I tried it and it sounded terrible. The C sounds terrible, but it just may be my whistle. I use the second and third hole covered for C in the second octave.
This may all be beyond my abilities at this point.
Is it because I’m using a D whistle? Do you think I’ll be able to hit that C with a C whistle?
Twist my arm to get another whistle.
Kim
C whistles are always harder to play in tune with than a D. Everything is easier on the D whistle. I hope you weren’t trying to hit
the very HIGH C, just the one in the middle
of the staff. Keep doing it putting different
phrases up that octave, until it flows.
Why are you playing this song anyway?
Lolly
Kim, the problem you are having can be resolved by transposing the tune into the key of D to get proper whistle fingering and then play it on a C whistle. Here it is in ABC format with a link to see the dots and lines. Hope this helps.
X: 1
T:Morning Has Broken
M:9/4
L:1/4
R:Air
K:D
DFA|d3 e3 cBA|B3 A3 DEF|A3 B3 AFD|E3-E3 AFA|
d3 B3 AFD|D3 E3 FEF|A3 B3 EFE|D3-D3:|
Cheers,
David
[ This Message was edited by: Feadan on 2002-06-29 21:24 ]
It’s my favorite hymn. Got me through a lot of tough times in my youth. I wish anyone that feels hopeless could read the third verse. I just kept holding on to the fact that as long as I kept breathing, the morning would come and I would have the chance to start anew.
It took years, but now I’m so glad I kept my hope up. Click on my webpage to see why.
Kim
Boy, transposing to another key IS the answer, Kim.
I’m glad he could do it for you.
Now its real simple to play!!!
I usually transpose everything I can so
its the simplist to play as possible so
there is more enjoyment in it.
Lolly
On 2002-06-29 21:24, Feadan wrote:
Kim, the problem you are having can be resolved by transposing the tune into the key of D to get proper whistle fingering and then play it on a C whistle.
Oh THANK YOU!! I just played it on my D whistle and it sounded fantastic (Thanks also to Kendra, who taught me enough about the ABC thing to understand it!)
Thank you so much! How did you know how to do that?
That’s it! I gotta get a C whistle!
Kim
On 2002-06-29 21:35, Kim in Tulsa wrote:
Thank you so much! How did you know how to do that?
Music Theory class about 20 years ago, and your quite welcome. Happy to help.
-David
Is there a way to convert some others?
I was playing this one just now and my husband actually came in and listened (his brother sang this at our wedding over 10 years ago).
My husband hates my whistle blowing so I was pretty tickled he came to listen!
Kim
On 2002-06-29 21:54, Kim in Tulsa wrote:
Is there a way to convert some others?
My favorite music software, NoteWorthy Composer, does it fairly quickly. It does take time to put the notes and all into it. Once you become familiar with the keyboard shortcuts to do this and how the program works it goes pretty quickly. Also, if you learn the ABC format ABCTools is free and will transpose for you. Also Melody Assistant (not free, shareware) speaks ABC and can transpose. I haven’t used it myself but other folks on this messageboard seem to like it real well.
Cheers,
David
[ This Message was edited by: Feadan on 2002-06-29 22:22 ]
Hi again,
I wanted to help you with the word Transpose.
To me it means to change the key and starting note of a tune so you can play
it on the D whistle that you have.
Take Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
Grab your whistle and try to play it
starting on a B for example. After a few notes you will see it doesn’t work well in that key.
So try starting on an A…oh, that works fine.
If it sounds too high, try a G, and that works too.
That is how I “transpose” music so it
fits the perticular instrument I am wanting to play it on.
I hope that helps you too.
Lolly
Wow! I didn’t expect so many replies so quickly! Thanks for the answer, and so many new things to think about as well!
Can you tell I just started playing? I’ve had my tin whistle for a year, but never had the time to play it…but my fiance and I are “getting musical”. We have so far collected a hand drum/tambourine cross from Indonesia, and Australian didgeridoo, a rain stick and two tin whistles (as well as his 12 string and 6 string guitars), and we hope to get pan pipes, a bodhran and more hand drums…heeheehee
strange combos there if we ever tried to play together.
Rambling–sorry! 
my fiance and I are “getting musical”.
Good for you having this understanding before you get married! I just decided one day to learn how to play a whistle 10 years into my marriage and it’s been quite a blow to my husband.
It seems he doesn’t really appreciate the fact that I’ve dropped the fan I wave over him all the time and picked up something else that just happens to be loud and squeaked horribly at first!
Kim