Use Alternate Fingering to Fine Tune C Natural Tone Quality

[@antonvf9619]

report from the lab: big discovery: squawks come from "finger leaks" and finger leaks come mainly from bad positioning but also and mainly (for me) from too much pressure! too much pressure flatten the flesh and the bone's hardness come in contact with the hole (get your mind out if the gutter I'm talking music here! lol) and leaks happen even more. when pressure is low the finger wraps around the whistle and finds it's place more easily but the most important thing: the flesh being soft will overflow the hole and stop all leaks. In short: imagine putting on a hole to make a note a block of soft putty, then a piece of bone - there you have it! I can now play the exercises and dawning of the day, I still squak and squeek but far far less and the better closure of the hole means i can play the low d note loud when i could not before. One thing: my family who is very supportive just told me the sound of the whistle is (not because of the squeek but because of the richness of overtones if i understand the: correctly) totally disruptive: they can't read or think if i practice in the room where they are. they cannot seriously believe the low d whistle can be played accompanied by an accoustic guitare, they maintain the guitar myst have a mic and amp or it wont be heard. I have a superior to normal lung capacity, was born like that, is that the cause of this problem or is the low d a real problem in itself for your families (and guitar playing friends) best wishes to the community, i go back to the virtual pub and watch Scott's new video!! this is so much mire fun done in a community! i take such joy in sharing all this! thanks again Scott! have a virtual Guinness in our virtual pub - I'm in charge of the first round, folks!

[@LowDWhistle]

Anton, thanks for the first round. I appreciate and enjoy your story. Sounds like you are making great progress. I like your experimenting process. So great to be making progress. Your friends will soon play with you.

[@stulzer]

Always a very good content! Congrats! ❤

[@LowDWhistle]

Thank you very much!

[@antonvf9619]

Scott, I got an answer from David O'Hagan (boss of Macneela) about cleaning the head of my whistle by putting it under the cold tap water: he says it should be ok, no hot water and dont poke directly at the soft resin (if like me you chose that option). hope that helps

[@LowDWhistle]

Thanks for sharing that. That’s good information to have

[@markc1234golf]

on the c# try and have only first hole open and play finger pos 2 and 3 closed it may improve the tone and tuning

[@markc1234golf]

ah yes you came to that later that's how i learned it seems to work fine for me gives a little more stability in holding the whistle too they get wobbly sometimes on just one finger lol i've literally ejected whistles before shooting from my fingers haha

[@LowDWhistle]

Indeed. Stability is really important, and the alternate fingering help with the stability in addition to giving us better tone quality.

[@antonvf9619]

Scott received my wild high d it's a beauty and so easy to play! i am in love! it's heavy and it's wonderful, let mus know what you think when you received yours! i must say i had not touched a high d since i received my low d: well-high d feels so easy now, even my shhush i am used to (still a very good whistle but with a second octave that doesnt require playing in the garden shed (and a wonderful tone) and after playing the wild for a moment i went back to the low d.... and my finger tips went first ti the holes, i guess my brain hasent yet recorded for good the piper's grip even though I'm so better at it. sorry to be so long in this but it might interest you to know that i ordered bot mary bergin's two volumes and the big method by the guy behind the trad school you used the free tunes from. we'll see, but i expect mary bergin to be a lot of work (and totally worth it) the other i ordered more for the fun and simplicity if a good de--method. I'll keep you posted (and i wont spend another euro on whistles or flutes for several months now! or I'll face a divorce lol)

[@LowDWhistle]

Thanks for the update. Please let me know what you think of Mary's books. I may have to take the plunge as well. I have not yet received my high D. The tracking seems to imply it is spending time in airports. I hope it arrives within the next couple days. It is good to step away from one whistle to another. This will help cement muscle memory for both the low and the high D. I do find it interesting the number of great high D players who say that the low D is quite hard. Working on them both is great. I'll let you know when I get mine.

[@LowDWhistle]

My Wild high D arrived yesterday. I played it a little. Effortless second octave, and delightful tone. I’ll share a video of it next week. I have a couple other videos I wanted to do first. I have heard that some folks have a rough time transitioning to a low D. I love the low, but it is in some ways a different instrument than the high. How is your playing progressing?

[@antonvf9619]

@@LowDWhistle so happy you got your wild to! it's an easy whistle compared to a low d. I've had a breakthrough due to playing the wild (first time in ten days i touch a high d) i felt on the low d the air against my finger through the holes (is that what they call "pushback"? was not right, so i made my piper's grip deeper (more toward the phalange that connect with the hand) and i've improved amazingly! i dont really squawk anymore (almost lol) now it's more a matter of putting the finger down all at the same time when several fingers go down. Breath wise I looked at an irish flute method and understood why the lowest d is so tough to play without jumping octave, and I'm improving! I'm still on basic exercises and only playing dawning of the day but i want to give it a few days to settle! have fun with your high d, i look forward ro hear how it changes (if it does) your sensations with the low d. see you at the imaginary pub!

[@LowDWhistle]

I felt the same about the fingering. So glad you had a breakthrough From the pub - cheers

[@markc1234golf]

so is the c# on a c# low whistle still played the same?? confused now

[@LowDWhistle]

Sorry if I caused confusion. Yes, the C# is played the same. The C natural was my concern here

[@antonvf9619]

going into the higher octave for D E F# and G is easy (too easy sometimes but i guess that comes from leak from bad finger position) but this high octave seems totally impossible for the hier hand notes (A to C#) it's like there is a switch that wont flick, is it about breath control or is cross fingering needed? best wishes to you all

[@LowDWhistle]

Glad the lower half of the high octave is getting easier. The upper half from A up is definitely about breath control, hole coverage, and experience developed through time playing. I find that there are days when I have to practice a little before I hit those notes. I also find it easier to play them if I practice the scale.

[@antonvf9619]

@@LowDWhistle our low whistling is a wrk in progress! let's have fun getting better!