Repeatedly on the Board, this issue challenges new whistle-ists, and so at the risk of boring those who have seen many similar threads previously, I offer my take on when & why to use whistles of different bell note. This is offered as my take only, & not intended as comprehensive music theory.
The “D” bell note whistle is considered by most to be the “standard” starting point. Changing whistles to a “higher” non-D bell note is like placing a Capo on a Guitar.
Example: Capo 1 on a Guitar is one semi-tone "UP’ from standard. So, if you played a D Chord without capo on a Guitar, the listener hears a true D chord. With Capo placed at the first fret (Capo 1), player plays same fingering of a D Chord on the Capo-ed guitar as on the un-capoed guitar, but the listener hears one semi-tone higher namely Eb chord.
Similarly with a whistle, play all fingers down (xxx xxx) on a D whistle, and listener hears true note D. Change to an Eb whistle (which is one semi-tone higher than D) but again play all fingers down (xxx xxx), and listener will hear Eb, which is the true tone being heard, albeit with the “D” fingering used by the player.
Say a tune is written in D. If the Guitar player plays the D Chords as written but uses Capo 1, the listener will hear the tune in Eb. So, if the whistle-ist wishes to accompany that Guitarist and play “in tune” with the Guitarist, whistle-ist plays the tune using fingering AS IF using a D whistle, but accompanies the Guitarist by using an Eb whistle, listener will hear guitarist and whistle-ist playing beautifully together in the key of Eb.
Whistles have an advantage over the Guitar in that going to lower bell whistle is like having a negative-Capo which guitars can’t do.
So, to the crux…when and how do I figure out to switch whistles. Firstly, understand that you or I can in theory play a tune written in Eb on a D whistle, but not well. The half holing required to play the notes in an Eb scale is difficult, and I’m not good enough to make it sound acceptable. It’s easier for me to play that Eb tune on an Eb whistle, which will allow me to use the familiar "standard D’ fingering, and simply have the tune Heard higher by the listener. If the written note is Eb,I must mentally quick-think to play my familiar D(xxx xxx), and the whistle sounds an Eb.
If the key of the tune matches the bell note of the whistle, fingering ease is probably maximized, OR, if the tune is in a CLOSELY RELATED key (think of musical siblings), then the fingering ease is probably maximized.
Example: D major is sibling or step-sibling to G major,B minor, E minor, A minor, thus a D whistle works easily. There are distant Related keys (like kissing cousins) that are not quite so easy to play, eg A Major which requires half holing or sometimes (xxo xxx) or sometimes (xxo xxo) to play G# on a D whistle.
So, let’s say I see music written in the key of Bb (not uncommon in liturgical music), I will select a whistle that has a Bb bell note or a whistle sibling (possibly Eb, which I might sometimes prefer over the Bb based on the range of the notes in the tune, and the type of sound I preferred - bright Eb versus more resonant deeper Bb). If the written note is Bb, I quick-think to play my familiar D fingering (xxx xxx, and whistle now sounds Bb. After doing this mental transposition for a short while, it will like riding a bike come back ever more easily.
Many other sources are available to assist you to understand related chord structures should you wish. Don’t be discouraged, just play and practice, and you will break through. I hope this approach helps somebody,and hasn’t been over simplified, but that’s how I look at it.
Best to all new players, and just keep at it.
