D-minor pentatonic on tin whistle

[Doc Jones]

I believe Ronaldo Reyburn will mae pentatonic scale tooters on request. I have a harmonic minor D of his here that is much fun.

Doc

[Jetboy]

I made a 5 hole pentatonic whistle in D minor for a client in australia. As it was principally used for indian Raag music and made from antique indian rosewood, it was named after an indian deity. I actually made 3, the Durga, Shiva and Mashisha but I cant recall which was which. They are given a work out by Tony Hinnigan on http://www.tonyhinnigan.com/moviedl.php?group=29#

[MTGuru]

Susato also offer pentatonic "recorders" (whistles) in both Dublin and Kildare styles (1 and 2 piece) in a number of keys. The hole layout is the same as a whistle with the T2 and B2 holes missing, and the keys are designated based on the xxxooo fingering. So the "G" pentatonic is equivalent to a D whistle, and plays: D E G A B or G A B d e.

Susato Pentatonics:
http://www.susato.com/konakart/SelectCa ... 0Recorders

[talasiga]

Yes, why bother?
You can already get G major pentatonic on a normal tube.
Therefore you get E minor pentatonic and the 3 other relative penta. modes.
Just keep certain fingers down as you would if the holes weren't there.

These are really not the type of pentatonics that require special tubes for to make it easier.

[MTGuru]

Yes, why bother?

Quite so. A good question.

I understand that these instruments are targeted mainly at music education for very small children, particularly programs influenced by the methodologies of Orff, Kodaly, et al. And 4 holes only are presumably easier for tiny hands to handle.

[bjs]

You can already get G major pentatonic on a normal tube.
Therefore you get E minor pentatonic and the 3 other relative penta. modes.
Just keep certain fingers down as you would if the holes weren't there.

Easy So if you really want D minor, without cross fingering malarkey, use an A whistle. D is 5 semitones below G and another 5 semitones down takes you to A.

[MTGuru]

Easy So if you really want D minor, without cross fingering malarkey, use an A whistle. D is 5 semitones below G and another 5 semitones down takes you to A.

No, an A whistle will not allow D minor. D major and D Lydian, yes (starting xxxooo).

A C whistle allows: D Aeolian and D Dorian (starting xxxxxo)
A G whistle allows: D Dorian (starting xxoooo).
An F whistle allows: D Aeolian (starting xooooo).

The C whistle is the usual solution for playing the D minors in ITM, being closest in range. The other whistles place the tonic and range such that considerable octave folding is usually needed.

But the point of alternate-tuned whistles is not simply to allow a given scale to be played, but to preserve a given timbre and range while allowing old finger habits to create new tonalities. It's fun!

[talasiga]

yes, and as I have said before here over the years (and it is an unremarkable comment)
one can get pentatonic minor easily without cross fingering
from the phrygian tonic at XXX XOO.
So for D pent. min you would use a Bb tube.
Particularly good if there is a low pinky hole (for A) and the melody calls for a perfect 5th
as the lowest note.