Hi everyone. I’m a new member, and have been playing the pennywhistle since I was 5 when my dad brought one home for all of us, and gave me the smallest one. =)
My dilemma is that whenever I move to the high C, I get this annoying half squeek before I accomplish the full note.
I’ve never had this problem before, and I don’t know WHAT could be causing it, since I keep my fingers as flat as possible, and there doesn’t SEEM to be any air leaks that could be causing it.
I think I’m developing a fear of high notes because of it, and am beginning to avoid any of the higher pitched songs because it’s just so annoying!
Any suggestions on how I can rectify this? Thanks for any feedback!
Hi Banshee -
what key is your whistle?
I’ve got a bunch, but usually it’s my D that “makes” me do it. 
What make whistle is it? And exactly
which note is squeaking? How do
you place your fingers to play it? Best
[ This Message was edited by: jim stone on 2002-01-28 22:18 ]
Erm… I’m not sure of what kind of whistle it is on one of them, the stamp has worn off, but it’s got a red mouthpiece and gold body.
My other one has a green mouthpiece and the stamp says… Irish made. Helpful eh? =P
And it’s the high C that is causing me trouble. I get a squeek just before I finally get the full note.
Thanks for trying to help!
The first is probably a Generation,
the second may be a Feadog.
Please say how you are fingering the
note.
You can use x’s and o’s, like this:
oxx ooo That’s the cross fingered
C natural. The first three ‘oxx’
represent the top three fingers.
Is that the note? Is that the
fingering? Best wishes, Jim
Hrmm… let me see here. Oh, I think your right about the first one, my other is a generation as well.
And the note is fingered like this for me
ooo ooo that’s not a high c though? All holes covered. Erm… is that a d? LOL! Sorry.
Nothing to be sorry about.
x’s mean holes covered. I think you
are describing a note played with
all the holes covered and more air.
If I understand you, that’s a high
D–on a D whistle, that is.
The picture of what you are doing is
this:
xxx xxx All holes covered, blowing
harder. One way you may be able to
avoid the squeak is to lift the index finger of your left hand when playing that
note: oxx xxx. That’s standard
for playing the high D. Some whistles
don’t need it, some do and will
protest if you have all fingers
down.
Thanks! That sounds like good advice, and now that I think about it, I used to play high D that way (index finger lifted) but read somewhere that if you can master the other way it enables you to play faster. Seems like I’ve got a picky little pennywhistle! =)
Hi Banshee,
Fingering OOO OOO is actually a C#, on a D whistle. In the key of D all Cs and Fs are sharp, so on a D whistle all Cs and Fs are “built in” as sharp. This is why you finger a C natural as OXX OOO, one semitone lower. Some tunes require C natural as an accidental. In the 2nd (higher) octave, the OXX OOO fingering is not always reliable (that’s a pretty high note) and OXX XOX soemtimes does it.
I don’t play many tunes requiring that high C myself, or only as a quick cut.
Sorry if this seems a bit technical!
If you’ve been paying since you were five you’re probably a much better natural player than I’ll ever be already!
On Generation type whistles:
oxx-ooo will give you a C-nat in the first octave, but if you overblow it you’ll generally get a high D (third octave).
Try oxo-ooo for high C (the second octave, one note below what I describe above). Don’t blow too hard for this - same pressure as for a high B.
Edit: PS as we all know, the best fingering for the first-octave C-nat on this type of whistle is usually oxx-xox, rather than oxx-ooo.
[ This Message was edited by: StevieJ on 2002-01-29 08:16 ]
StevieJ is right about the OXX XOX fingering for Cnat, but I think it’s a bit of a handful in a fast tune, and don’t use it myself, nor does anyone I know. That said, it does give a truer note and is worth learning. Sorry if I mislead you!
Re: oxx xox fingering. Check out the cover of the classic Sean Potts/Paddy Malone “Tin Whistles” CD. They are both on their, seventies side-burns and all, doing oxx xox c-naturals on Generations. Very cute. And a highly recommended CD.
This is all making perfect sense so far, thanks for all your help!!
But the note that I’m getting the squeek is on
XXX XXX (X is closed, right? ) I do my best to confuse things, ya know. O.o
On 2002-01-30 04:17, Banshee wrote:
But the note that I’m getting the squeek is on XXX XXX (X is closed, right? >
That’s D’. As Jim Stone suggested, try using OXX XXX. Most whistles will cope with either fingering, but OXX XXX is more reliable. And dead easy to go down to a Cnat from!
I used OXX XOX in whistle class last night. It does give a truer Cnat on my Clare 2-piece, and I guess it’s really just a matter of getting used to it. Thanks StevieJ and Bloomfield for the help!
Now to work on my sideburns! 