Unique fingering for Clarke whistles?

Whistle
1

Sorry, another silly noob question!

The instructions that came with the Clarke Original and Meg D whistles reads:
“The Clarke Tinwhistle, like other tinwhistles, has its own unique fingering…”

Although, you may think that if it’s like other tinwhistles, surely it can’t be unique, unless it means that they are ALL different? :astonished:
I have no fingering charts for the Feadog D that I have and can’t yet compare directly, but is this statement suggesting that the fingering for the Clarke whistles really is unique and is not the same for any other (D) whistle?
I thought that this was simply misleading grammar, but I notice that the note produced with all holes open is shown as C#. The online tutorials that I have seen so far describe this note as C, so maybe it does have unique fingering after all.

Is it the same as other (D) whistles?

EDIT: Doh! When I blow on each with all open holes, (C or C#?) the Feadog and the Clarke sound the same. I guess then that they are all the same and that the learning fingering on one will be transferable to another…It’s just down to mis-information?..
Regards, Dave.

2

Dave: ooo|ooo is C# (Csharp), no matter what’s indicated. A D whistle produces a D major scale: D E F# G A B C# D (some octaves up, obviously…). I read somewhere that out of habit, some people simply omit the “#” signs. That’s not helpful, but understandable in the context of the D whistle.

Cnat can be played on both Clarke (Original, I suppose) and Feadog with oxx|ooo.

M.

3

Ah! This explains a lot and helps to clear my confusion.

Thanks for taking the time to answer a silly noobie question.

Dave..

4

The only silly question is the one that is not asked! By the way, a Cnat can also be played by half-opening the C#. You do that by lifting up the finger just a bit, but leaving it partly on the hole or shifting it halfway the hole so the hole is half covered. Advantage of this technique is that you can use it on any hole so you can play any note you like once you mastered it. Succes!!!

5

For Cnat I prefer oxx xox . I find you blow it harder and more in tune that way.

6

That seems to vary from whistle to whistle. Some work best this way, some with the OXX OOO and some just don’t work at all. Which means learning to half-hole - a useful skill anyway.

Best wishes.

Steve

7

First post here. :slight_smile:

I recently bought a Feadog D whistle along with a book and have been attempting to not make it sound like a
strangled cat for the last month or so. :slight_smile:
I have been using the excellent lessons Ryan Duns so kindly put on Youtube.

This thread caught my eye because I am currently trying to master Roddy McCorely. I have printed off the
sheet music http://tinwhistler.blogspot.com/2007/11/week-2-lessons-tunes.html.
I think that I have been making a mistake in playing the C as a C# (it’s been 32 years since I last read music).
After watching Ryan’s finger movements I am more or less convinced that I should be using a oxx|ooo
fingering rather than ooo|ooo. The sheet music seems to show and F# but not a C#(I think)
Am I right, have I been doing it wrong (it sounded wrong even to my untrained ears). Should I change my
fingering so I play a C instead of a C#?

Please be kind to a n00b. :slight_smile:

8

Yes, those Cs should be C-naturals. That tune is in the key of G major, which has only one sharp, F#.

You’re right … If the Cs are supposed to be sharp, there will be a second sharp sign in the key signature, or next to the individual notes.

Welcome to the Chiff!

9

Thanks for the reply.
Pleased to know I wasn’t seeing\hearing things after all.
Now I just have to reprogramme my brain and fingers to move differently. :slight_smile: