Traditionally the hole pattern used on the whistle has been a straight line, and with the fairly new development of the low whistle, most makers have continued with this tradition. However, the distance between holes on a Low D, when they are in their optimal acoustic position, is beyond the reach of some people with small hands.
In an attempt to make the low whistles more accessible to more people, Reyburn Whistles is offering an off-set pattern with the 3rd and 6th holes off-set to more comfortably fit the hands of the player. In using this pattern, the sixth hole, generally the one most difficult to cover, is covered by the “pinkie” finger which greatly improves the reach of the player. This approach allows the player to use the more sensitive pads of the fingers to cover the holes.
The following is a quote from a customer who has switched to the off-set pattern: “The issue I was most concerned about…fingering the bottom hole with my “pinkie”…turned out to be a non-issue within a day. Isn’t the brain an amazing thing? Yes, I can play it with the pads of my fingers similar to the soprano D. Reyburn whistles are exceptional!”
And for those who prefer playing with the left hand on the bottom, the off-set can be reversed. Reyburn Whistles also offers the traditional in-line pattern which generally requires the use of the “pipers grip” on the low whistle to cover the holes.