Now, here’s a question I had – when I play my Low D (Howard), for the top hand I finger standard and the bottom hand I use a piper grip. I have a Burke Viper I’m getting the Christmas, so I’m wondering a couple of things…
How many people use this ‘mixed’ grip?
I’ve played a Viper for all of about 3 or 4 minutes, so I can’t rightly recall if I’m going to have to switch over to a pipers grip for top and bottom.
Any advice or thoughts on the matter is appreciated.
My suggestion is to just do what works and is comfortable for you, depends completely on your hand anatomy and the hole spacing on the whistle. Personally, I use the piper’s grip for both hands on my Copeland low D.
Yes, I agree also, do what’s comfortable for you. I saw Brian Finnegan playing low D and he didn’t use the pipers grip at all (!!!), just playing with his fingertips.
I agree that you should use the grip which is right for you. But with in mind as you progress you will need to learn to use the pipers grip. I can’t imagine not utlizing the pipers grip throughout.
Best of luck.
You might be right, perhaps Brian Finnegan haven’t practised the pipers grip and that’s why he doesn’t play the low D-whistle so often. He did play it well, but I can imagine it is harder that way surely.
I to play a modified pipers grip. On the top 3 i play standard and on the bottom I use pipers. I have really small hands, but for some reason have no trouble with the top 3 holes. Just do what feels easiest on each whistle brand.
As long as you are covering the holes, its not holding your playing back and the ornementations are coming out crisp, then there is no reason to change what your doing.
I do bet, that if I ever got any whistle lower than the Low D i would have to use a non modified pipers grip 
(anybody have one they want to give me?) 
Okie – good to know there’s one other person out there. I have issues with the piper grip for the top and for the standard grip on top, but I have less issues with the standard, so that’s what I’ve been doing.
When I unwrap my Burke for Christmas, I’ll play around and see what works best with that as opposed to my Howard.
A gook thing to really watch for is how relaxed is your grip. A piper’s grip often is the very best way to achieve the most relaxed grip on the low whistle. Looking down the length of the whistle your fingers should be laying more or less completely flat across the tube. Perhaps curved only very very slightly. Your wrists should also be relaxed and not held at any sharp angle to the hand.
I played the wrong way for a time and couldn’t figure out why I would tire out so quickly at first. I had to re-learn how to hold a whistle correctly and it made all the difference. Take the time to learn to do it right and you won’t be set up for problems later.
I agree Brian
Brian said
watch for is how relaxed is your grip
I do think the key is having your fingers relaxed and not gripping the whistle to tightly. Perhaps this is more essential than having a true pipers grip. My hands never cramp up using the modified. Not saying its for everyone. I don’t believe it has to be one way.
I use a full piper’s grip with the left hand on the top. And top 2 pipers and bottom fingertip with the right hand on the bottom. That’s for the Low D’s. Maybe because I have small hammy hands and learned on a Burke LDPV with a slightly offset bottom hole. When I ordered my Reyburn Low D I had Ronaldo offset just the bottom hole and it plays like the Burke.
But on my Serpent ChromeMoly Low F it’s almost full piper’s. Then on the Water Weasel Low G (sweet whistle) it’s a mixed piper on the top and standard fingertip on the bottom. 
You know what? Just nevermind what I say. hahah! 
Just play.
I have a Dixon low D (<3), I can play with without the piper’s grip, but my left hand on the bottom (yes, I’m right handed, but play lefty, just feels more natural) is a little contorted when I do it. So I usually stick to the pipers grip on the bottom, but the top three are easily played with the pads of my fingers. So I used a mixed grip.
I’m a finger-tip player as well on the Low D. Never learned the piper’s grip and now it’s way too late…
I can play my Susato low D using fingertips without any difficulty.
My Howard requires piper’s grip in the right hand, though. The reach on the Howard is nontrivial.
–James