"Fish and Whistle" by John Prine

[HJ51]

Hello, I’m a novice whistler but am very interested in playing this song on the penny whistle. I’m willing to put in the work but need some advice so I don’t start learning it wrong.

Do the solos on this song go up into the third octave? To my untrained ear they do, based on where they start (which I think is the second octave). You can listen to the song here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G487EDeXadA

The whistle part starts around 1:10 but the solos I'm talking about start at 1:48 and 2:45.

Assuming they are in the highest octave, I am having a lot of trouble sounding those notes. They are just non-melodic high-pitched screeches…barely notes at all. I'm sure there are other threads about playing hight notes, but here are my specific and personal questions as a beginner (again assuming that those are high, 3rd-octave notes).

1. Is it not worth it? If I’m a beginner, should I just work around this because, while possible, I would really have to elevate myself to an advanced whistle player before I could hope for good sound at that register?

2. I am using the same fingering for the third octave as for the second. Should I change fingering, and will that help (realistically) or is answer to question #1 still probably the same?

3. Will buying a high-end whistle help hit higher notes? Will it help SIGNIFICANTLY or is it mostly tehnique?

4. Am I even right about what notes they are in this song?

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to answer these questions!

[MTGuru]

Hi, and welcome to the board!

That whistle part is played in D fingering on a high G whistle - probably a Generation G, given the recording date (1978).

The part could be faked on a D whistle playing in G, but that would require playing up to the 3rd octave G, which is tricky (and possibly illegal ).

[ggiles]

After listening to that song I am thinking you have the wrong whistle if you are trying to do it with a Standard D whistle ... It may require a high G whistle???
That would keep you out of that 3rd octave.

edit ... I see MTGuru beat me to it. ... What he said.

[MTGuru]

That would keep you out of that 3rd octave.

Actually, even a high G whistle takes you into the 3rd octave for the high D fingering (concert G). But that's within the "normal" range. Above that, there be dragons.

[HJ51]

Thanks very much to both of you. Your answer was much simpler (and much better news) than I expected. I ordered a "Freeman Tweaked Generation High G" whistel. Hope that is a good choice.

Just to be clear, are you saying that I play the G whistle exactly as if it were a D whistle? So if I want to play the note D I use the fingering as if it were in fact a D whistle (all holes covered, or all holes except the top)? That kind of blows my mind in a music theory sort of way, but I'm willing to just let the mystery be if you say that is the case.

[MTGuru]

Just to be clear, are you saying that I play the G whistle exactly as if it were a D whistle? So if I want to play the note D I use the fingering as if it were in fact a D whistle (all holes covered, or all holes except the top)? That kind of blows my mind in a music theory sort of way, but I'm willing to just let the mystery be if you say that is the case.

Not exactly. If you treat the G whistle as a transposing instrument (up a 4th), you'll use the D scale fingerings to play in the key of concert G. And you'll play the John Prine whistle part as if it were written in the key of D. To play the note concert D, you'd finger an A fingering xxoooo.

I ordered a "Freeman Tweaked Generation High G" whistel. Hope that is a good choice.

Sure, a fine choice. Though my untweaked Generation G sounds just fine, too.

Like most, you'll probably find that your fingers are pretty cramped on a G whistle, because it's so small. It's one case where I recommend playing with the tips of your fingers instead of the pads (flat-fingered).