I know that the pipers grip is the prefered method when playing the low whistle, but having long and skinny fingers I just cant seem to cover the holes in this manner. At all. I’ve had better luck with my fingertips. anybody out there use tips when playing the low whistle?
I use the piper’s grip in my left, upper hand, but use the first pads (not tips) for my right hand. The hole-spacing my Low D is comfortable (it’s a Kerry), and I have long fingers.
About the hole-covering. That takes practice. Lots of practice. So don’t try it for half an hour or even a week and then decide you can’t do it.
/bloomfield
[ This Message was edited by: Bloomfield on 2002-06-18 17:55 ]
I have a Dixon Low D and use my finger tips only. I never really thought that I have big hands, but I guess I do.
I tried the pipers grip, but felt like I was trying to milk a plastic cow.
It’s just a suggestion, not a law. YMMV. I usually use the piper’s grip to play G and A whistles, sometimes even find myself playing a C that way.
People told Charlie Parker that his fingers were too short to play the sax. They told John Coltrane that his were too long to play the sax.
Charlie
I use my fingertips on low whistle, and it’s quite comfortable. I have quite small hands. My tiny great-grandmother had trouble believing that I had short fingers. I placed my hand against hers, and mine are indeed shorter than hers (I’m 6 foot tall, she’s 5’4").
I’ve only been doing whistle stuff since about the start of May, and I must admit I ignored all the written advice about starting with a low whistle and made sure there was a low D Susato in my first box o’ whistles order. When it showed up, I had only been playing a Clarke C for about a week and a half, so both finger tips and the piper’s grip felt really strange on that big tube. I could barely reach the lowest holes on each hand using the piper’s grip, and this was exacerbated by some twice-broken fingers on my right hand that didn’t seem to have the flexibility to reach the fifth and sixth holes with any reliability. But I stayed with it, just practicing getting the holes covered and making notes without leaking air and doing slow scales for the first two weeks. Then I started working on a couple of slow pieces, like “On Raglan Road.”
It has taken a few weeks, butI can grab the notes pretty reliably now, although not fast. And the piper’s grip doesn’t feel strange anymore. But this was only after practicing several times every day, so I guess the point of this post is to ditto what Bloomfield said about not giving it up too quickly.
I just got an A Susato, and when I first tried it, a piper’s grip immediately felt right, whereas fingertips felt awkward. So I guess some of the muscle memory is starting to set in.
My previous whistle tutor always played with fingertips and had no problems. He had an Overton.
I play with pipers grip, which becomes more natural with every pracitse. I have a Dixon Low D.
I guess you do what is most comfortable for you. I’ve been screwed up by well meaning advice from experienced teachers on how to hold a guitar or mandolin neck (or indeed a, so that I was so uncomfortable I would get cramps after just a few minutes practising. It took ages to go back to what I did naturally, and which never held back my playing one bit (at least, at the level I wanted to attain). I have quita large hands, but still find pipers more comfortable.
So I would say, try both, then stick what you find comfortable.
For larger whistles, you should go with the pipers grip… you’ll be able to develop more speed than using fingertips.
I use both grips.
I use the “finger-pad” grip for whistles with small holes (eg shaw low D) and piper’s grip for low whistles with “fatter” holes - like my susato low d.
I also think that playing with piper’s grip gives me a better tone - I know that sounds a bit weird, but it sounds warmer somehow!? 
I saw a fellow use a ‘normal’ grip on a low D Shaw last week. I tend toward piper’s grip with my right hand and ‘normal’ on my left, but a whistle tutor wanted me to get used to piper on both hands. I watch his playing and if that is an indication of what the whistle can sound like, I really should follow his advice.
I’ve been using ‘fingertip’ style playing on my chieftan low d for about 5 or 6 years now. I can play all the ornamentation that I play on the regular whistle, and can play reels/jigs/polkas up to speed. I’m not quite as comfortable with the low as I am with my regular D, but I only get about 1/20th the practice time on it.
Greg
I also have long thin fingers but found joy with the latest Overton low D (BO original) - it has a smaller 6th hole. I suggest you use a whistle that has smaller holes (Dixon?) as well. I only ever use piper’s grip, I find fingertip technique very limiting when it comes to rolls, slides, etc (previous posting noted!)
I use the fingertips on Low-D’s.
But this of-course comes out of two reasons.
- I also play a Tenor (Low-C) Recorder. (which helped develop some stretch).
- Since I build my own instruments I can design them to fit my own hands.
Although quite a number of people here recommend pipers grip, I think each person has experiment and see which style best works. Do give either style a good amount of time.
Tin Whistles may be a bit easier to play than a lot of concert band instruments but they deserve the same patience while learning.
Thought for today:
If you want it to sound like a real instrument then you have to treat it like a real instrument.
I also have thin fingers. I’ve always used fingertips to play low whistles. The easiest for me to play is the Shaw low D, it has the smallest holes that I’ve seen, and the reach is comfortable. But, I have played a Susato and a Dixon low D with fingertips. Guess I’m just used to it, I used to play contra-alto clarinet and never had trouble making the stretch. My fingers are not that long, either.