I have what appears to be a recorder. However, it only has six finger holes and no thumb hole. What is it?

Question

I want to learn to play it, but the fingering charts I have found all assume there are more finger holes and a thumb hole.

The thing is 18 inches long. Are their penny whistles/tin whistles that size?

Answer 1

It's a flageolet, tin whistle, penny whistle or feadog, not a recorder. They are usually in D (that is the note with all fingers down is D and the natural scale is D) but they are available in all keys. There may be a stamp or label above the top hole which tells you the key.

You can find fingering charts here: http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/tinwhistle/

or here (with basic instruction): http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A489693

Edit: 18 inches means that it's a G or a low D whistle (I haven't one to hand to measure to be sure!) It will be slightly harder to play than the normal D whistle (but not a great deal). The fingering is the same for all whistles, though of course the note it produces for a given fingering will be different.

Accidentals are usually produced by 'half holing' - partly covering the hole, somewhat as one 'pinches' the thumb hole on a recorder, though not with the nail but by sliding the pad of the finger slightly so that the hole is not fully covered.

The second octave is fingered much the same as the first and is achieved by 'over blowing' (blowing harder) rather than by opening a thumb hole.

Here are some simple tunes, with notation and sound files (which may not be in the same key as yours).
http://www.pennywhistle.com/soundtransc.html

Answer 2

A penny whistle?

Answer 3

its a orcalon flute....orcalons only have 3 fingers on each hand with no thumbs

Answer 4

It is a recorder, my children used them coming into pre-school and kindergarten. My son still plays with one!

Answer 5

COuld it be a flute or fife?

Answer 6

piccolo maybe?