Poll: How do you Anchor?

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 6:21 am

I voted that I didn't think about it (which is true). But when I took my whistle in hand, I discovered that if all holes are open, I will be anchoring the whistle with right-hand thumb and little finger (pinkie).

I don't think about it. The alternative is the whistle falling at my feet, which would be even more embarrassing than people hearing the way I play normally.

bozemanhc · Post by **bozemanhc** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 6:40 am

I use my lower ring finger (R1) as a balance finger most of the time, but increasingly, I find myself using R2 on the E-hole to balance depending on the fingering sequence in the tune. I never use my pinkie. I don't remember consiously beginning to play this way, but one day I just noticed what I was doing and it works very well.

RonKiley · Post by **RonKiley** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:10 am

I am with Howard on this. I use the thumb and ring finger of my right hand most of the time. I may use other fingers depending on the sequence.

Ron

dfernandez77 · Post by **dfernandez77** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:24 am

My pinkie is short.

When everything else is up - I use the 3rd finger of the bottom hand down over the bottom hole 000|00X.

I had to think about it at first - now it just happens when it needs to.

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:33 am

Chiffed wrote:
Join a rescue group - then you get to use the heavy metal (and play with helicopters and crazy military pilots). Pitons, rock bags, picket lines... it's all PC in a rescue. A little more secure than having Friends in high places.

I'd love to, if/when the circumstances (my physical location, available transportation, etc.) come together.

As for anchoring whistles, I just stick them between two beer glasses on the table, and they stay put.

Loren

markbell · Post by **markbell** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 9:35 pm

I basically do what Adrian does - as I move up the scale, my right pinkie seems to know it has work to do, and comes down to anchor the whistle.

Mark

Lambchop · Post by **Lambchop** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 12:55 am

I want to hear more about that clamp.

shadeclan · Post by **shadeclan** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 11:33 am

dDave wrote:Howdy,

Thumbs and pinkies on both hands.

Best,

Dave

It's called the "Neuman" grip and it was popularized by myself. It's for those of us who need to exert a "death grip" on the whistle to keep it from sliding out from between our hairy, rec**der-handling palms!

justajoe · Post by **justajoe** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 9:42 pm

bozemanhc wrote:I use my lower ring finger (R1) as a balance finger most of the time, but increasingly, I find myself using R2 on the E-hole to balance depending on the fingering sequence in the tune. I never use my pinkie. I don't remember consiously beginning to play this way, but one day I just noticed what I was doing and it works very well.

ditto

Tom O'Farrell · Post by **Tom O'Farrell** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:58 pm

I find using the RH pinkie helpful for fast octave changes in G maj, using the cross fingered C Nat, otherwise the whistle sometimes slips.

Dave Parkhurst · Post by **Dave Parkhurst** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:51 pm

To secure my whistle, I use crazy glue and secure it to the dining table... works well except my wife keeps having a fit when she wants to set dishes down