This is a tough question to search the archives for, so I’ll just ask.
I’m a sax player, so I’m used to the idea of written music being transposed to match the key of the instrument. Is that done with whistles or do you just learn as many fingerings as you have different keyed whistles, like recorders? With recorders there are only two, and both are simultaneously present on the clarinet, but with whistles there are all twelve keys - at least in theory. I would hope that the music is transposed.
If you pick up a whistle other than D, and use the same fingering, the tune comes out fine, but it’s changed to a different key. If you want to play the tune in it’s usual key, but on a non-D whistle, you’ll have to use different fingering (If it even fits on the non-D whistle you are playing, that is. Also it might require loads of half-holing. For irish trad, D is the best key of whistle, as it suits most all of the tunes).
If you are asking about how the music is written.. well, how it’s written wouldn’t change. You’d simply play the note that is written, but using the fingering that suits whatever whistle you are playing, if you want the tune in the same key it is written in. Such as a D whistle and an E whistle can both play A major tunes, but with a different fingering. The tunes would be written the same, though.
However, if you are playing irish trad, it’s all to be learned by ear anyway, so you don’t need to worry about how it’s written. However, ABC notation and staff notation both would simply show the notes you are to play, and you play those notes with the fingering of the whistle you are using.
The most common way whistlers use various key whistles is to play them with identical fingerings, as you would with alto and tenor sax for example. The result is the music comes out in different keys. This assumes that you are either playing by ear or have learned the tune with a D whistle and have the fingerings under hand when you pick up the other whistle.
If you want to read music that is not transposed off the page you will need to learn one set of fingerings for each key of whistle used.
If you play traditional tunes or similar things and need to have them in a particular key (to convenience singing or other instrumentalists for example), you can often get the music in abc format, adjust it (if need be ) to be in the key signatures of D or G major, print that out and then play from that music using D whistle fingerings but with some other whistle that gets things in the key you want. Below is a start on a chart of what whistle plays best in what major key signatures. A complete one can be found by searching the archives here:
Whistle Key Plays in Key Signatures of
D ------ D G
C ------ C F
Bb ------Bb Eb
A ------ A D
G ------ G C
F ------ F Bb
E ------ E A
You’ll note that there are two whistles that play well in each key (example D and G whistles play well in G). So which one to use? That depends on the range of the tune.
Submitting messes up the chart a bit, but I think you can figure it out. Hope this helps.
The OP question is (I believe):
Are whistle parts written out transposed for all the various whistles (different as in D, or C, or Bb or …) or do whistle players transpose/learn different fingerings for each whistle key?
And the answer is - drum roll - YES
Well truly I don’t know. I can tell you that if someone hands me a part written in concert pitch (the notes sounding as written) and does not fit a D whistle I will probably transpose the part for the particular whistle that seems the best fit to play the required notes (but I have also been known to transpose on the fly if the tune is simple and not too fast). And of course I usually play without the dots!
Whether in the big wide world transposed parts are the norm is a question I can’t answer, I would hope so too.
This brings up another interesting problem. How do get someone writing out music to write out the correct transposition?
Whistles are known by their Bell note, that is the note XXX XXX fingering produces. A D whistle produces a D, a G whistle a G etc. “Orchestral” instruments use a different system - if XXX XXX produces a concert D (for clarinets in the second octave) then it is known as instrument in C. So a D whistle is a Whistle in C. A C whistle would be called a Whistle in Bb - tenor sax and Bb clarinets are also “in Bb”. An F whistle and an Alto Sax are both ‘in Eb’.
I mention this because some computer music software can create transposing parts just by choosing “a key” for the instrument.
The OP question is (I believe):
Are whistle parts written out transposed for all the various whistles (different as in D, or C, or Bb or …) or do whistle players transpose/learn different fingerings for each whistle key?
And the answer is - drum roll - YES
That’s the question. So far I only have D and C whistles and haven’t actually played WITH anyone, so none of the above matters yet. Fortunately, I do have software that can transpose, AND I’ve also found I can play a lot of things just by ear anyway. My software has recorders in its lineup, but not whistles. I’ve also discovered ABC, so that can be useful, though if you’re arranging duets, etc., it’s nice to have the preview playback.
I suppose another question would be how many different key whistles do most people actually use? Most makers seem to be limited to C and D, with D being the predominant. A few, like Susato (I have a C and love it) make the entire lineup. This is a bit like harmonicas. You can have any key you want - and I have a bunch - but my favorite is G mainly because I like that particular range. And lurking behind all this is my desire to get a lower whistle and, if I do, which key? I’m thinking low G because it mates well with D in the same way that F and C recorders do and I already know the fingerings - same as clarinet (generally speaking).
Traditional irish musicians would refer to the fingerings (“notes”) of each whistle as if it were a D whistle, regardless of pitch. Much like different keyed saxophones.
Whistles aren’t as common in orchestral / classical / written (etc) music, but if they were, you would want the music written as if for a D whistle and then the “correct” key of whistle noted.
D whistles are “concert-pitch” whistles. If you used classical terminology, they would be “C instruments” because when you play the fingering C you get the absolute pitch C. Irish musicians refer to instruments (whistles, flutes and pipes anyway) by what the “D” fingering produces (or you could say they refer to them by the main scale or bottom note), instead.
Ah. That’s what I was hoping to hear. The funny thing is I brought a D whistle back from Ireland 10 years ago and never got started on it because I thought D would require yet another fingering. As it turns out, the fingering is the same as a soprano recorder, which I’ve known how to play since I was a kid. If it had been labeled a C instrument I probably would have picked it up right away. Oh well. Better late than never.
Lazy River, it would be best if you said what you’re intending doing with whistles. If it’s Irish/Scottish music than probably 95%+ of it can be played on a D whistle with maybe a C whistle for the majority of the rest or an E for some particularly high g# heavy tunes. There’s not much to think about for trad music - D whistle for most keys (D, Em, F#m, G, A, Am, Bm, C and most related modes) and C whistle for tunes in Dm, F and Gm (roughly speaking). For Dm tunes, if you’re reading then you don’t even have to rewrite it - just use a C whistle and play one whole note up from whats written.
It’s a lot simpler than written explanations look.
There is really just one set of fingering for the whistle, which includes the whole notes, cross fingered notes and half holing. When you’ve learned them for a D whistle you’ve learned them for all whistle keys.
The door is wide open. Example: I took up clarinet 8 years ago when I retired with the idea of playing chamber music with my wife on piano. I ended up switching to sax and playing in community bands. As for the whistle. I might sneak it into our sax trio for variety, but at the moment I’m looking at some Irish jigs/reels/airs as well as folk music (I’m also learning 5-string banjo). My sax teacher loves Celtic music and has been learning tenor banjo and Irish flute and whistle for his own use - so we are on the same path more or less. Pete Seeger and Peter, Paul & Mary and other folkies are my heroes. PPM has a YouTube rendition of Greenland Fisheries with a descant whistle n the background. It’s great. I figured out what the whistle is playing and came up with a similar arrangement for D and low D whistle, though I cast it as Soprano and Tenor Recorder to please my notation software. I gave the score to a friend, but also may play it with my wife, substituting a whistle for one of the recorders.
Anyway, that’s a long answer. Basically I’m open to whatever develops.
Well, the whistle is a folk instrument, not unlike the harmonica. I’ve been a Folkie all my long life. It’s all Seeger’s fault too. I can read music notation. But as old Pete would say “not enough to hurt my playing”. So I have never used that talent a lick for any of what I play in the I-Trad, Folk, Bluegrass, Blues and American Roots circles. In those realms we don’t read, we just play. And you may not want to hear this but notation is not all that prevalent and useful for much of the music that is played on the whistle. Playing by ear or being given tunes by another player either jotted down in abc or taught by rote or by ear is likely more common. That said, and repeating what others have said prior, most of the tunes you will find written down for the whistle will be in D. Transposing is a matter of picking up the right whistle then. I’d personally give up casting the whistle as a descant and just concentrate on playing decent.
But if you want to continue as a musician that plays from dots and do as you have done in the past on other instruments I would expect that you should be prepared for the eventuality of responding to any way the music is available to you. As I said, not a lot of music is written out in dots for the whistle. So you may have to read parts written out for another instrument and translate into whistleze as necessary.
Sorry to hear that you have to “please” your notation software. It’s hard enough having a wife but when the music software starts being demanding, I’m out of there.
Have fun and remember, it’s called “playing” for a reason.
A C whistle will play with similar fingering to tenor and soprano sax (Bb instruments). So if you want to play the same tunes and licks that you play on tenor or soprano sax get a C whistle.
All saxes are the same because the music is transposed. My Eb alto is interchangeable with my Bb Soprano and tenor as long as the music has been transposed. If not, I’m in trouble.
I’m glad to hear, though, that most whistle is played by ear. The instrument is very easy to do that with - even easier than the harmonica. I’m looking forward to getting into a jam with my whistles. I do like the C better than the D.
