My life has been ineffably enriched by the arrival of a new Michael Burke tin whistle; I wrote an account of how I use it and sent it to him.


My Burke Low D Brass Pro Viper whistle is a wonderful instrument, with good tone and a forgiving nature. I ordered mine with a thumbhole, and here offer my thoughts on this feature.

The thumbhole on a whistle is controversial in some quarters—it’s “outlawed” at competitions, for example—and poses other dilemmas, such as having to change fingering when playing a whistle without the feature. But the C natural it produces is so clean and accurate, it’s not something to be dispensed with lightly. I’ve worked out a fingering system that resolves some of these issues: I play C natural both ways.

If I’m playing a C that stands out, a quarter note or longer, say in a slow tune like an air or a waltz, I use the thumbhole, for a note that’s clear and pleasing to the ear. But if the C natural is an eighth or shorter, a transitional note between B and D for example, I use cross-fingering; it’s easier and quicker, and I figure that the ear isn’t going to detect the difference. On my whistle  T2, T3 and B1 down produce a note close enough without breathiness; adding B2 yields a note a bit closer, but far too weak. With this system I find there’s no confusion in using both thumbhole and cross-fingering in a tune.

Now, if I find myself at a competition and I’m playing a fast tune, I can simply tape over the thumb hole and not use it, since I’m used to playing short and quick C naturals with cross-fingering anyway. If it’s a slow tune, I have enough time to remember to use cross-fingering when I encounter a C natural. Same with playing someone else’s “standard” whistle: it’s not hard to make the switch from thumbhole to cross-fingering when playing a slow tune, and not an issue with fast tunes, since I’ve learned them with cross-fingered C naturals anyway.

I recommend the thumbhole, even if purists do look down their noses at them. It is important, though, to not get too dependent on them. My little system avoids that.