Post edited
I need some insight from the more experienced whistle players, I’ve been watching whistle players on you tube and I can see them not covering the last hole to support the whistle when playing a C sharp note on a High D whistle, instead they touch their little finger to the whistle for support. Is this better practice than covering the last hole as I do? or is it just ergonomics on the players part as I can’t reach the end of the whistle with my little finger as it’s too short.
There’s no way you can play the bell/bottom note without covering all holes..
I am confused as to what you mean?
The second D is possible to play either with all holes closed or with top hole open, is that what you mean?
Sorry about that Mr_B, I kinda made a pigs ear out of the O.P. 
I mean’t to say the C sharp note on a D whistle which as you know is no hole covered but needs support .
I’ve edited the OP so it makes sense :0
Oh, ok 
Well, i have whistles that don’t care a jot if i keep up to three holes closed (E,F#,G), some change tone a bit and some won’t have any of it.
Yes, I think it’s useful to have the fourth finger down supporting the whistle.
I just played a few tunes to observe what I actually do, and it appears that Ms. Pinky plants herself on the side of the barrel most of the time, regardless of key or tune. She may forget herself and dance around a bit, but not for long, and rarely if I’m playing in G.
I think we just covered this recently:
https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/ringfinger-or-pinky-or-on-the-whistle-by-c/82512/1
Then you’re doing it sort of backwards.
Try this: Start by holding the whistle with your top hand, then first place the pinky (little finger) on the whistle, about halfway between the top and side. Only then put your other 3 bottom hand fingers down onto the holes, rotating your hand position as necessary. There’s no way the pinky can’t reach that way, unless it’s exceptionally short.
good question 
i had the same question and opened a thread myself a while ago
there i did get a lot of feedback and i wrote about my experiance as well
see my thread about the pinky and the ringfinger, this may help you
https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/ringfinger-or-pinky-or-on-the-whistle-by-c/82512/1 - edit: oh mtguru was faster i just saw it after writing
but be carefull because you might end up doing the “whistlepray”
by the way, the bell note on a D whistle is the D, right, i did learn this from angel shadowsong
he described it somehow as the end of a recorder looking a bit like a bell
so if all holes untill the bell alike looking end of the whistle are closed its called the bell note, jhope i got this right but am pretty sure
Yes, the “bell” end is just the bottom, open end. The terminology is from the “bell” or flare shape at the end of some wind instruments, like clarinet or trumpet.
The bell note is simply the note when all the holes are closed, and the entire resonant length of the tube is sounding. The open end hole is the vent hole. If there were no finger holes, then the bell note is what you’d get.
The balancing finger topic is covered in Bill Ochs’ book. (I think you’re using that one. Hard to keep track of this stuff.) If memory serves it’s on the same page as playing the C sharp and middle D. From my understanding, it’s a whatever works best for you kind of thing. There are probably advantages/disadvantages to both. As for me, my pinkies are just too darn crooked to use one for a balancing finger. I get much more mobility and less tension when the pinkies are above the ring fingers and out of the way. Give MTGuru’s suggestion a shot though and see what works best for you. His tip made it a little easier for me when trying it just before typing this, but the pinky is still too crooked and gets in the way.
leave all the holes open and support the whistle with the thumb and little finger of the same hand, in my case the right hand-------as IF there was a 7th hole near the bell----------i guess thats it
Thanks everyone for commenting it has made me re-examine my hand postilion and with a slight adjustment to my fingering I can actually get my RH pinkie on the end of the whistle but now it feels odd placing in on the whistle kinda restricts the other RH fingers so I’m intending to have the pinkie floating over the whistle and visible rather than under the bell end where it had taken up lodgings from I started learning
Oh no, not under. 
The ring and pinky fingers are less independent than the other fingers. With the pinky under, you’re putting a strait jacket on the ring finger, and you’ll never be able to properly roll E, cran D/E, do finger vibrato on B3, etc.
It shouldn’t restrict the RH fingers at all … Because in general the pinky is not down when any of the other RH fingers are down. It comes down to support the end when the other RH fingers are all up (G and above).
Yes, there are exceptions to the above. Lazy fingering, for example. Or whistlers with flute habits (like Grey Larsen) who keep the pinky down for everything but D (because their pinky is used to sitting on the Eb key). Otherwise, the above should apply.
Guilty of lazy fingering…and trying to keep the pinky down all the time. 
Thanks to the OP for this question, and MTGuru for the helpful answers. Time to go work on doing it the right way.
No, no guilt. Lazy fingering is a good thing. Heck, lazy anything is a good thing!
If you’re playing a figure like B E B and you’ve got the pinky down for B, you’re not going to lift it just for one note. You leave it down.
Well, you know my teaching philosophy by now. “Right way” simply means “try this first”.
Now I know why I was leaving the pinky down when trying to use it. It’s so crooked (bends at the first joint from the tip) that about half of the nail goes under the ring finger. Come to think of it, that’s why they are up and out of the way until needed when playing the bass…dang things get in the way. At least I tried…and tried.
Sorry about the thread hijack, Jleo Fipple.
Ed no worries on HiJak it’s good discussion especially on the lazy finger playing, somewhere someone said the planted little finger gave them a tactile reference for when the R1,R2 and R3 had to go back down I see this as a benefit as I switch between my warm-up whistle the Clarke Sweet Tone to the Dixon Trad. Why do I warm-up on the CST it’s not as loud or clear as the TDT and when I play for the first time in any day it’s not pretty to the ears so I try to keep it low key to I get in the flow then play on the Dixon when things click properly in a tune or exercise, on this point the missus does reckon I’m OCD’d to the hilt but I forgive her it’s easy after 20+ years of marriage. So back to the little finger referencing R1,R2 and R3 surely whistlers grow out of this aliment after a year or so?