One-handed whistling.....

Whistle
1

I have a couple of whistles with the top 3 holes taped up so I can play them with one hand like a tabor pipe. (It lets me keep one hand on the steering wheel!) I’ve had a chance to play real a tabor pipe, and found the thumb hole to be obnoxiously awkward. This leads me to a few questions:

  1. Why do tabor pipes have thumb holes?

  2. What advantage do thumb holes have over finger holes?

  3. Do any other whistlers play one handed? If so, what tunes do you play?

Thanks!

2

Tabor Pipes have dorsal thumbholes for several reasons.

  1. The thumbhole is used to “pinch” or disrupt the fundamental frequency scale and allow better octave “flips”.

  2. The thumbhole is “pinched” open to pitch bend off-key notes in the higher octaves caused by a frequency “phase-shift” at high internal pressure.

  3. If the Tabor Pipe is held correctly,with the ring or pinky finger held under the pipe as a support,a player can either slide or lift the thumb up to open the hole. It can be fluttered as a trill key as well.

Here is a site for the Dolmetsch One-Handed Recorder.
http://www.dolmetsch.com/goldpage.htm

3

What does ‘pinch’ mean? Is it the same thing recorder players do?

I’m going to give the “pinky/ring finger hold” a try.

Thanks for your response!

4

Yes,“pinch” means to “crack open” with your thumbnail and you’re welcome! :wink:

5

Thomas it is sooooo good to see you back posting on the board! Missed you and your knowledge very, very much!

6

I’ve had a lot to do with disabled people,
and I think the one hand recorders
above are really wonderful.
Is there a one handed whistle?
How much can one get out
of a tabor pipe?

7

Not to sound stupid…but, since you live in California, why do you need any hands on the steering wheel?? Save yourself the trouble and get tilt steering for your car if driving with your knees and playing a real whistle (not one of those tabor thingies) is a problem!




8

Not sure if they still do this, but for people with a medically documented disability, Dolmetch used to add the extra keys required to play their recorders one handed for FREE. You pay the base price for the recorder, and they pick up the cost of the modification, which is quite expensive otherwise. Wonderful policy, for which they are to be commended.