A "keyed" whistle?????

lollycross · Post by **lollycross** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 7:55 am

Hi,
When reading all the complaints we have
about small fingers and large whistle holes and trying to learn the pipers grip, etc. my
husband asks this question......
why hasn't anyone made a "keyed" whistle, like a "keyed" flute??????
I thought someone here could answer him and
me too?
lolly

Feadan · Post by **Feadan** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 8:22 am

I suppose it could be done but my guess would be that keys instead of open holes would greatly hamper doing traditional Irish ornamentation.

Cheers,
David

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 8:37 am

It's been done.

Ralph Sweet makes a 3-key whistle in blackwood (long-F, G-sharp, and D-sharp, I believe).

Occasionally on ebay you can find 6-key flageolettes in various stages of decay which could be made playable.

I do wish another modern maker would make a 6-key whistle though.

--James
http://www.flutesite.com

Feadan · Post by **Feadan** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 10:39 am

I don't think lolly's question was so much about keys for getting notes outside of a given scale (as Ralph's whistle does) but more the issue of keys to accomodate small hands and fingers reaching and covering holes on a normal six hole instrument esp. low D and the like. AFAIK, nobody makes 'em.

- David

mgwhitehead · Post by **mgwhitehead** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 11:00 am

On 2002-04-10 10:22, Feadan wrote:
I suppose it could be done but my guess would be that keys instead of open holes would greatly hamper doing traditional Irish ornamentation.

I'm with David. No way you do trad IR with keys on the darn thing. Imagine trying to slide? And some ornaments require just the very slightest, quickest lifting of a finger; I can't imagine keys would be responsive enough for that.

Anyone experienced with keyed flute enough to contradict this assumption?

Whitey
~. . . . . .

mike.r · Post by **mike.r** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 11:38 am

Does anyone know if a key could be fitted on a Susato low D to take the worry out of getting a good E hole seal for those of us with smaller hands? Peace, Mike

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 11:46 am

Mike

I won't beat this to death here, but Susato has huge holes and a wide spread compared to other low D whistles, or at least they did on all of them made up two a year or so ago when I gave up looking. Many of us with smaller hands can still play other low ds, albeit a piper's grip does help. I have both an inexpensive Dixon and an lovely but not inexpensive woodgrain Overton, both eminently playable by someone who could never get a decent seal or tone on a Susato.

Kelhorn Mike · Post by **Kelhorn Mike** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 12:02 pm

The issue of playing Irish Trad aside key
systems could be developed. However, it
would be costly to do and most likely
double or triple at a minimum the costs of
the whistles. What I wonder is how many players would be willing to pay the cost?

Kelhorn Mike

TrevorC · Post by **TrevorC** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 12:23 pm

The idea does sound interesting, but just imagine trying to do a roll on a keyed whistle... erk.

clarinetwhistler · Post by **clarinetwhistler** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 12:35 pm

Just curious ... has anyone heard one of the Ralph Sweet blackwood keyed whistles? What do they sound like?

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 12:51 pm

Ralph Sweet's 3-key whistle is his high-end "Killourhy" model blackwood whistle.

I have an early "Killourhy" in rosewood (no keys though). Sounds a good bit like a Susato only a little mellower in first octave. Second octave tends shrill and needs very firm breath support (shriller than a Susato), but second octave does smooth out quite a bit after the whistle gets "wet". You have to play this whistle for about 15 minutes before it sounds its best.

Overall it's a very loud whistle, best suited for performance or session playing (*if* you're a good player!). This is not a whistle you'll want to just sit around and play for its own sake.

If I had the money handy I'd love to get his 3-key model. I'm probably in a minority here but I actually like Ralph Sweet's whistles. (I haven't met many whistles I didn't like.)

--James
http://www.flutesite.com

Dzhokar · Post by **Dzhokar** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 1:16 pm

I've seen Joanie Madden play a standard metal keyed flute at a recint CTL concert up here. Sounded just like a wooden irish flute to me with a nice strong low register. The keys may get in the way of some ornamentation like slides but I guess it can be done. So I guess a keyed whistle is not a total imposibility for playing traditional music on, but then again a lot of the charm a whistle has is its simplicity of design. To make a fully keyed whistle, could it still be considered a penny whistle or is it a new instrument altogether?

mike.r · Post by **mike.r** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 1:24 pm

On 2002-04-10 14:23, TrevorC wrote:
The idea does sound interesting, but just imagine trying to do a roll on a keyed whistle... erk.

I think one or two keys on a low whistle would make rolls easier to execute and I would welcome Mike Kelhorns offer to consider this as an option.

Mike

SteveK · Post by **SteveK** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 1:25 pm

On 2002-04-10 15:16, Dzhokar wrote:
I've seen Joanie Madden play a standard metal keyed flute

I think she always uses a metal flute. Noel Rice does too. You can hear his band Baal Tinne at MP3com. I have some of his playing on a flute/pipe/whistle LP called Light through the leaves. I'm not sure I'd know it was a metal flute if the liner notes didn't say.

http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/45/baal_tinne.html

Steve

Otter · Post by **Otter** » Wed Apr 10, 2002 1:27 pm

A keyed flute made into a whistle size.... that is a piccolo.
Do you know any trad musicians who plays the piccolo?
Otter