I came across this video from Julee Glaub on Youtube, and I would like to know what key low whistle is being used, by Jerry O’Sullivan (according to the discography). I could figure it out, but it seems a bit more trouble than an old guy like me needs to, to do it, and I’m pretty sure there are some of you who could tell right away, with little difficulty. So thank you for being you, and taking the time to tell me! I really like the sound of it, and to me it seem to be in the neighborhood of F, maybe a narrow bore? What do you say? I only have Low D whistles right now, so I can’t just match it up either. And I’m tired, and need a nap! Thanks again for the help!
He’s using a low Eb whistle, if I’m not mistaken. As for what whistle it is, or being a narrow bore or not, I couldn’t say. My first impression would be to say something like a Goldie soft-blowing whistle, though.
Thanks guys, that’s odd, since I tried playing my Eb with it, and it didn’t sound right. Should have mentioned that the best part that you can hear the whistle starts around 5:15 in the video when he solos.
OK, just to add to the confusion, I’m going to change my mind again. But this time I think I might actually be right!
I think he is playing what would be an A dorian version of the tune (if it were played on a low D whistle) but he is playing it on a low C# whistle.
This would be consistent with what WhistlingGuitar posted, and would not require any half holing.
Standard notes for low C# whistle would be: C# D# E# F# G# A# B#, with a cross fingered B.
Or if you prefer: C# Eb F F# G# Bb C, with a cross fingered B.
I don’t have a low C# whistle, but I do have a baroque flute in D at A=415, which is pretty much the same as a flute in C# at A=440. I just picked that up and found it easy to play along to the YouTube video on that, and it sounds right to me. I think you can also recognize the timbre of the cross fingered B (equivalent of C natural on a D whistle), and hear the octave switch.
Brilliant job! That sounds right. I also can flatten my D flute about a half-step, and I get the same results you do.
If you’re wanting to play along in the original key without getting another whistle, you might see if you can tune your low D down, or use your Eb with half-holing or cross-fingering to get Bb and Fnat (using D whistle notation).
Wow, you guys are good musical detectives! See, I knew you were out there, just waiting for such a question to be asked! I couldn’t find my tuner, and the online tuner I tried with it wasn’t picking it up well on my laptop mic either. And trying my limited whistle keys didn’t do it, but yes, I was doing a lot of half holing to try and get the right notes. But it didn’t sound as clear as Jerry’s whistle on the recording. And then too, I needed a nap, so I knew I was done trying for then.
But, I do have a C body for my Reviol that I haven’t tried yet to see how sharp I can get it to play, and also a tenor recorder somewhere, but I don’t remember if it plays in 440 or not. Thanks very much for all the effort, and information, Whistling Guitar, and Paddler, I do appreciate it very much!
Too bad I can’t toot around now, since my wife it still sleeping, but it should be more fun trying now, knowing where I have to go. Ta!
That’s right, I also have my D flute to try yet too, thanks guys! Oh, by the way WG, I opened Michael Eskin’s converter, and it only showed the notes, no other tools, as suggested. Any ideas why?
That would be because I forgot to add one small extension to the URL. Sorry! Here it is properly:
(Also, in the previous link, in the top right corner there’s a button to toggle full-screen on and off, if you click it, then it will show the ABC editor.)
Yes, great, thank you WG, now it’s working! I believe I had Michael’s tool on another computer, and had forgotten just how good of a tool it really is for learning! So Michael, thank you kindly also for that!
I have tried out my D whistles, and C, and found three D whistles that can be tuned down to C#, and also my flute. So I guess I am set, unless some of the notes are off too much. But now at least I have something to work on now to see how it plays out.
I also discovered that my old Chieftain tunable Low B whistle might work too since the R2 note is C#, though it’s a beast to play with any speed.
You know, at first I thought this sounded like the timbre of an alto G whistle to me, and not a tenor whistle playing. The suggested C# key whistle couldn’t be a high C#, nor does it sound like it’s a tenor C# either to my ears. So I asked the big G search engine, and it told me that a G# whistle could play in C# fairly easily, and that seems to make sense to my ears and what I am hearing in the recording as far as timbre goes.
I only play by ear, and my music theory is rudimentary, so I have to rely on help from those who have a good grasp of it, or the computer for help. What do you guys say to the alto G# whistle; does it sound right to you for what is being played?
By the way, Jerry O’Sullivan is a piper, so maybe that also makes sense that he might have whistles that play in C#?
If you listen to the low drone notes played earlier on (like at 0:46) you can hear it’s definitely the Eb above middle C, which is below the range of a G# whistle. Also, in the solo, where it plays higher notes, all that breathiness you hear is more common of low whistles, I’d expect a G# whistle to have a clearer tone. The very end of the solo ends on a G# note; you can hear the whistle goes below that note in other sections.
I can’t really speak to whether or not pipers would be more likely to have a C# whistle than others. Professional players of high & low whistles do tend to have whistles in virtually every key, though.
Thanks WG for the further analysis, it’s much appreciated for your time and talents, and your reasoning that is easy to understand. I have been playing along on my D flute, flattened to reach C#, and it works well. But it surely doesn’t have that sound of the whistle that I want to hear!
Funny, the whistle part starting at 2:24 on the high end doesn’t sound like a low whistle at all to me, but a higher one, like maybe a G# would sound. I don’t hear any breathiness at that point, maybe because I often prefer a breathier whistle voice, or they have mixed it such that it doesn’t sound like a low whistle in the 2nd octave there? For that matter, even in the solo, where it sounds more like a low whistle, it still doesn’t sound airy to me. It just sounds like a whistle, and the sound I want!
OK, so I need a C# low whistle, or at least a body for one of my tunable low D’s in that key. There is something special about this sound to my ears (especially in the low notes) and is something I would love to hear on a regular basis! Thank you for all of the help!
On the cuts you can hear that they aren’t as crispy as higher whistles; that’s probably the biggest indication I can hear, if general tone isn’t doing it. I can still hear it in the mix, but I’m more sensitive to hearing breathiness, because I dislike it in the whistles I play. (It sounds good in recordings, I just don’t like how I sound with it.) I like whistles that play like my c. 1988 Generation D, but to find a low D like it will probably be a long search…
Sounds like you’ve found what you’re searching for, and bonus: now you can justify WOAD yet again…
But this time I think I might actually be right!
I couldn’t find my tuner, and the online tuner I tried with it wasn’t picking it up well on my laptop mic either. And trying my limited whistle keys didn’t do it, but yes, I was doing a lot of half holing to try and get the right notes. But it didn’t sound as clear as Jerry’s whistle on the recording. And then too, I needed a nap, so I knew I was done trying for then.