What notes are being played here please?

Whistle
1

Okay, I recognise this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I would like to figure it out anyway. It’s Big Sea Ballad by Davy Spillane. The main tune is not that complex but as the tune fades he plays some fiddly stuff that’s beyond me. It starts at 6:15 and takes about 4 seconds. Any takers? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tK7AitpeWAA

2

I didn’t listen much beyond the precise segment you identified, so I have no idea what key of whistle is being played. But grabbing the Generation Bb lying on my desk, I find that the passage in question fits on a Bb. Sort of anyway. In “D fingering”, the initial shriek slides up to a high G, possibly A, followed by a Cnat-D Cnat-D wobbly sequence, going back up to the high G, and then down to A.

So the actual notes involved would be high Eb, Ab-Bb and F. I think.

Time for a nonvirtual cup of tea.

3

Thanks for your reply. I’m still trying to figure that out. The tune’s played in G on a Low D whistle. Before the point I mention, he plays third octave D & E a couple of times. Can you translate what you got for the section? Cheers.

4

There are multiple layers of whistle in there at that point, so I’m not sure precisely which notes you’re trying to figure out. The prominent ones, to my ear, are simply a G in the second octave, with an F#, rather deliberately played tap, repeated falling through F# to E and then CnatAGA. Is that the passage you mean?

5

Sounds straightforward enough, flattement or partially covering holes to make the pitch waver… a finger-vibrato, but used in a slightly different way.

As people are saying it’s so over-processed that what’s really going on is open to question. What would settle it would be a video of him playing where we can see his fingers, of course.

6

Thanks guys. Very helpful.