On every single D whistle I’ve played, the first octave Eb XXX XXØ is muddy and not very strong, but the second octave Eb is is clearer and stronger, with the same fingering.
Why?
(I thought this might have been discussed a long time ago but once again, my ability to run a successful search has failed me so if anybody knows if and/or where it was talked about and can point me there I’d be appreciative.)
Hi, Cran. It’s Enat, but that’s not the important thing. A strong bell note will usually mean a strong E on the D whistle, while if the bell note is mushy at all, so will the E be, with the notes getting more pure as one goes up the scale. Peter Kosel’s Flutomat proposes a solution for similar situations on the flute, being an 8-hole flute in which the bottommost 2 holes are not fingered. Quoting from Peter’s own observations:
There are now two versions of the flutomat calculator, this version for 8-hole flutes and another for 6-hole flutes. The 8-hole version actually has 6 finger holes and 2 “vent” holes that are normally not fingered but exist to make the lowest two notes (played with 5 and 6 finger holes covered) sound more similar to other notes.
So it seems there is an approach to fixing the problem you note. I’ve considered trying that on a whistle, but just haven’t gotten around to it. Maybe Dan Bingamon has - I know he’s done some really interesting stuff. And he’s probably got even better answers for you!
Cheers,
serpent
Quote @ serpent
Hi, Cran. It’s Enat, but that’s not the important thing.
No. E (natural) is XXX XXO. Eb is XXX XXØ, like I said.
When you half-hole a hole that is already small, the resulting note will be very weak.
A D whistle with a large E hole will half-hole Eb much better than one with a smaller E hole… which seems to be the more common design.
I prefer to make my D whistles with smaller E holes because of the easier reach and coverage, and because I don’t frequently use Eb in a tune… but it is actually better to make the E hole larger to prevent the very problem you’re referring to.
The issue isn’t specific to any one key though, and both high and low whistles suffer from the same problem.
For instance - I have a ‘big hole’ model Overton low D, and an ‘easy reach’ model as well.
When I put on a Davy Spillane CD and play along, it’s the ‘big hole’ model that I need.
Davey does throw in a few Eb notes here and there, and the small E hole of the ‘easy reach’ model just doesn’t produce a good strong half-holed Eb.
The 2nd octave half-holed Eb comes out sounding OK because being an overblown note, it is just naturally stronger than its 1st octave counterpart… but half-holed 2nd octave notes are more likely to be out of tune, because they are much more dependant on proper hole diameter.
Any time you get into a discussion like this though, it really just boils down to personal preference… since whistles are diatonic instruments by definition, there really isn’t any right or wrong where accidentals are concerned.
Quote @ raindog1970
The 2nd octave half-holed Eb comes out sounding OK because being an overblown note, it is just naturally stronger than its 1st octave counterpart… but half-holed 2nd octave notes are more likely to be out of tune, because they are much more dependant on proper hole diameter.
Thank you. That totally makes sense. Blowing into the next octave does make notes stronger, half holed or not, I should have seen that. 
Quote @ raindog1970
since whistles are diatonic instruments by definition
Where did you get your definition? 
Most whistles have an already small hole for the lowest note.
The high pitched note is by pitch just like Gary said. If the whistle had a really large hole for high whistle with an uncomfortable stretch, then you would get an Eb that sounds good.
The best way to get a good Eb is to add a normally closed Eb key to the whistle and use the pinky finger to touch the key. You can get the raw brass materials to make keys from www.specialshapes.com
Hiya, Cran!
Sorry. I missed the slash/zero. Not used to seeing it, I guess. Once you said you were talking half-hole, it made sense to me. Daniel and Gary are absolutely right. And if you look at most high D whistles, the bottommost hole is rarely larger than 1/4 inch, making it difficult to half-hole anyway.
Some whistles have enough range controllable by breath, to allow you to either push the bell note up, or to drop the open E down, to accomplish the semitone. Some Clarkes will do that. The down-side is that the very whistles that give you that sort of control, are often criticized as “airy”, so I’d suggest you strongly consider Daniel’s suggestion.
Have fun! 
serpent
I bought a wooden whistle in China (near Guilin) which has extra holes below the bottom D. It also has an extra hole at the top which is taped up. I read in some encyclopedia of instruments that the extra top hole is often there in Chinese whistles and has a membrane over it to make a Kazoo like sound. Not figured out how to get this effect on mine though.
brian
Are you speaking of Groves Encyclopedia of Instruments? Very expensive set of books.
The ‘Mirliton’ Flute with the membrane usually has a membrane between the fipple and topmost hole and it’s a thin ‘Onionskin’ thin like material or like what you see in kazoos.
Some of far eastern whistles have two holes side by side and one is plugged. The plugged hole is the left-handed hole.
If a left-handed player gets the instrument, he/she must remove the plugging and transfer it to the other side.
BTW - I’m left-handed but I play the whistle in what is traditionally known as the right-handed method.
El Correcto, indeed! I bought one such in San Francisco with the membrane untaped and still intact. Sounded mighty weird. Unfortunately, it also sounded mighty out of tune. I wound up giving it to a little one at a show who messed with it and broke the membrane. Stuck some tape over the hole. I don’t think Mommy and Daddy were real pleased, but hey, it only cost me 2 bucks, and they shoulda kept better control of their kid.
serpent
Are you speaking of Groves Encyclopedia of Instruments? Very expensive set of books.
No I think it was an Oxford paperback. Also it was stamped G but in fact was a D. That is the way the Chinese do it apparently. The seller gave me a packet of small transparent thin plastic pieces, presumably for correcting the tuning.
Brian