Hi players, I’ve not had any training or instruction on whistle so my vocabulary is quite limited. I have recently discovered a technique, or ability to bend one note up or down into the next, like in a continuous sine wave. And with proper modulation, it is a very intriguing effect. Is it commonly done by you more experienced musicians, does it have an actual name. Thanks!
I think they call it…are you ready?..“note bending”
Hi Parcour,
When you actually move from one note to the next in a continuous movement, I’d call it a slide.
Bending a note is where you leave the note but don’t actually hit the next note before coming back to the original note, like a one-off slow vibrato.
I guess the term bending might come from guitars and similar fretted instruments, where the effect can be achieved by actually bending the string.
Both effect are really nice when you do them cleanly, congratulations on your discovery!
True. Also from harmonicas, where you can get a drawn note to drop in pitch by twisting the harmonica up or down.
It’s a perfectly legit feature of ITM, especially applied to f-f# and sliding up or down to cnat. Listen to recordings of slow airs on the tin whistle on early Chieftains albums - or above all to any recording of Willie Clancy playing just about any tune.
All wrong. You put one end in a vice and yank the other with pliers.
Also from harmonicas, where you can get a drawn note to drop in pitch by twisting the harmonica up or down.
I never twist the harmonica. I get better note control (esp. 3rd hole draw) with pulling the tongue back.
Right Martin. I’d think a slide describes it more than a bending. I did get the connotation from guitar. It’s tough to accomplish on irish whistle without popping into the next register. Especially with any force or volume. Can it even be done in upper registers. That would be a badge of virtuosity. I appreciate the tune references for examples. It’s quite extraordinary.
I love graceful slides between notes, mostly on slow airs. I haven’t experimented alot using it in fast sets but I can imagine it would be quite hard. It’s one of the easiest forms of ornamentation in slow airs for me, maby together with breath vibrato, but the effects of both can be great.
I too love the slide and bend. The larger the finger hole, the easier it is to bend or slide notes. The slower the tune the easier it is to pick out the slide or bend. On slow airs on low whistles, like my overton low F or low D, if mix it in just as I would were I singing the song on which the tune is based. That said, I was suprised how much the slide was used in soprano D whistling. I played some recordings of some of my favorite jigs and reels using software that let me play them at 80 percent of the original speed without changing pitch. I was suprised to find a lot more ornamentation including slides/bend in all of the the recordings.
Thanks Lee, I’m please to see that my (1st) question as a newbie was worthy of some discussion. May I ask, are the fingerholes on a low whistle larger than on a typical high. I’m only one (small) fit of inspiration away from ordering a Burke low d composite. This info might just do it for me!
Finger holes vary in size from whistle to whistle, but on any make I can think of that would be a popular choice, they would be plenty big enough on low D for effective sliding.
Yes low D holes tend to be larger and much farther apart. Some (most) folks use a “piper’s grip” to cover them. That is to say they cover the holes with the second pad of the finger instead of the finger tip.
Mike Burke makes really terrific Low-Ds. He also makes an “EZ” model with less-challenging hole spacing. I’ve never played the EZ (I have big paws) so I can’t comment or compare them. I would say, however If Mike makes it it’s probably a dandy.
I would be interested to hear of any sound differences between the EZ and regular spacing. Anyone know?
Also, another option to alleviate the hole-spacing challenge would be a Reyburn Low-D with offset holes. Ronaldo’s holes are actually further apart than some but because the off-setting you can play the third and sixth holes with your pinky. I play one and they are astoundingly good.
By the way, welcome to the board. 
Doc
Like I did on this recording: http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/4-03/thistrainaaronw.mp3
Well… I didn’t twist the French harp up or down, to do it, but it is note bending. It enabled me to play it in G on a C harp.
I’ve never heard of bending a note on harmonica by twisting the harmonica. Might whoever wrote that have meant twisting the reed? I don’t use my tongue either. I simply draw in a distinctive way which is hard to describe but easily recognised when you start playing. The closest I can come to describing it is that I draw as though I were trying to suck the reed into my mouth rather than just draw air through the hole. I actually have been doing this for decades without ever being aware of what physically happens to a reed when its note is bent. Does anybody know what does happen?