Its marked in C with some accidentals(?). Do I need to buy a C whistle? Or is it feasible play on a D whistle - learn Fnat and G# (assuming I have identified the correct accidentals)?
Thanks in advance for any help or hints.
Edit: I guess it should be a C whistle, but someone seemed to be playing a D whistle last night…
D whistle should work fine, as there are no low Cs in the tune.
You need to half-hole the G# (or cross-finger it) and F nat,
and cross-finger the C nat.
Fnat and Cnat should be easy enough, G# needs getting used to.
On a C whistle you’d need to half-hole the F# in the tune (which is G# in D whistle terminology), so you may as well stick to your D whistle.
I am not at all sure. I do not know what you mean by ‘setting’, sorry (some times my ignorance irritates even me). All I know is that they seemed to have fun knocking out the tune. I saw a chap there playing along happily on a whistle which I believe was a D - he only had one high whistle and used it most of the evening, so I am assuming it was a D…
But I would need a different whistle key to be in tune with everybody else? I am guessing you mean a C whistle? I am still poor at this ‘key algebra’.
I must try both ways, I guess, and then if required buy a C whistle. There is obviously no way around using ‘non-native’ notes, s that probably rules out joining in this tune at a session for a long time. [I have realised there are several levels of knowing a tune, and only my very best gets anywhere near session-ready] It will go on my practice list though, and I will try something easier.
[Fnat I can approximate in both octaves, though I dont trust my ear hugely. Half-holing with T3 seems more difficult]
“Setting” in this context means the provided notation.
MTG’s transposed notation is for the benefit of playing the tune in C on a C whistle while reading it as if it is in D, i.e. using normal D fingering.
If you use your own notation (in which the tune is in C), you need to use the D whistle and take care to play F nats instead of F#s, and C nats instead of C#s. I think it is good practise to play C tunes on the D whistle, especially if they lack a low C, so fall well on the D whistle note range.
As for fingering G#: you could try XXOXXX. It is a bit sharp, but as a leading note you may get away with it.
I use MT’s setting; the G# and A# are easy to learn. There is a harmony abc file floating around somewhere (which I cannot find just now) for this setting.
I will practice this, but not with the intention to play it at a session any time soon. (Something in the 1689 Bill of Rights about 'cruel and unusual punishment, I believe ). I am going to have to master all these non-native(?) notes sometime.
). I am going to have to master all these non-native(?) notes sometime.