low low b on a high d whistle?

[sashagregor]

Hello! I'm sorry for the newbie question, but can anyone tell me how to play a low low b on a high d pennywhistle? I know the fingering for the b which is on the staff (finger 1 hole only), but I can't find a chart online showing fingering for the b note which is below the treble cleff staff. I have a song that needs it. Thank you in advance!

[plunk111]

It's not possible to play that note on a D whistle. Your lowest note is the D just below the staff. I think most people take the B that you're talking about up an octave.

[jemtheflute]

Yup, your bottom note is your bottom note! On a standard high D whistle that's the 6-finger note D. In staff notation that's the one just below the stave, but it sounds an 8ve higher. Any notes lower than that are not available. To play music including such notes you have to change it. That can be done by simply switching the offending notes themselves up an octave, but that is often musically unsatisfactory: it may be better to switch a whole phrase or even section up, or to write a simple melodic variation or harmony for the relevant passage that stays within the range of your instrument. You should be able to fine plenty of old advice on all this on the forums: try searching on 'octave folding'.

[sashagregor]

Thank you both! I misunderstood the music and those notes were the singing notes, but the playing notes were indeed up one octave. Problem solved. Thank you again!

[Adrian]

Your question has been well answered by other posters. Just out of interest though, on a high D whistle the lowest note [for emergency use only] is Db/C# which is achieved by shading the end of the whistle with the lowest pinkie.

Seated recorder players occasionally play an extra low note by shading the bell end with their leg. The recorder has the advantage over low whistles with this technique as the bell end is quite wide and this allows more control with the pitch.

[Denny]

been done on sax too

[bramble]

Ah yes, with the tenor you can either jump in a wardrobe or put your knee over the end.
Depending on the proximity of the wardrobe.

[MTGuru]

[for emergency use only]

Whistle emergency!

The only person I've actually seen to pull this off in performance is Brian Finnegan. He must have extra long fingers; he also plays low F whistle with standard (not piper's) grip.

[hoopy mike]

The only person I've actually seen to pull this off in performance is Brian Finnegan. He must have extra long fingers; he also plays low F whistle with standard (not piper's) grip.

I think I've seen Andrea Corr do this on a motorbike, but I was somewhat distracted.

[jemtheflute]

I think I've seen Andrea Corr do this on a motorbike, but I was somewhat distracted.

Born again biker?

[highwood]

English horn players have been known to stick a cardboard tube from toilet roll into the bell to get a lower note - forget which composer wrote a note below the bell note, any cor anglais players reading this and know?

[jemtheflute]

In my early fluting days on (student level with C foot) Bohm flute, there were a couple of song accompaniments I played that needed low B, but happily not low C, so I made a little tube out of yoghurt pot plastic that just fitted into the end of the flute's foot snugly, marked it for the right insertion/length and lo, I had a low B instead of a low C. Worked just fine as long as I had time to slip it in/whip it out between numbers. But that wouldn't work too well on a D whistle - too many intervening/missed out notes and likely very weak tone.

[Adrian]

The only person I've actually seen to pull this off in performance is Brian Finnegan. He must have extra long fingers; he also plays low F whistle with standard (not piper's) grip.

I think I've seen Andrea Corr do this on a motorbike, but I was somewhat distracted.

Well, that's a good excuse for posting an Andrea Corr whistle picture!

[Thomaston]

Some enterprising whistle maker should make a 7-holed whistle to get the low C (like Paul's D+ model) and then fit a special key for the upper pinkie that partially covers the bottom to give a B.
I wouldn't buy one, but it would be interesting!

[jemtheflute]

The only person I've actually seen to pull this off in performance is Brian Finnegan. He must have extra long fingers; he also plays low F whistle with standard (not piper's) grip.

I think I've seen Andrea Corr do this on a motorbike, but I was somewhat distracted.

Well, that's a good excuse for posting an Andrea Corr whistle picture!

But, but... For Hoopy Mike's sake (not at all interested myself), where's the motorbike?