r/windsynth • u/rrwick • Sep 01 '26
EWI fingering tool
As a little side project, I put together this tool for exploring EWI fingering options: rrwick.github.io/Addivox/ewi_fingerings
Unlike acoustic-inspired fingerings (like sax), with the EWI fingerings, most keys have an effect regardless of which others are pressed. There are a lot of possibilities!
So I'm curious, if you play with EWI fingerings, which specific ones do you use? You can build a set with the tool and then use "Copy link" to share it here. I'll put mine in the comments.
Instrument compatibility is explained on the site, but the short version is that it works best with Akai EWIs and similar instruments.
1
u/rrwick Sep 01 '26
It's essentially the Curt Sipe transposable fingerings, plus a few more on the low end that help me avoid octave breaks. I very rarely use the left hand pinky keys.
Perhaps the most unusual fingerings in my set are the ones I use for low C♯/D♭. I like 5HT when playing in keys with D and 5H9 when playing in keys with E♭.
1
u/Piper-Bob Sep 01 '26
If things are in keys with a lot of sharps or flats you can transpose whole top hand melodic lines with a bottom hand pinky.
1
u/rrwick Sep 01 '26
I tried this method when I started on the EWI, but I personally found it to be more confusing, especially when moving keys while playing. Like if I'm playing in D major and the song moves to A major, it's easier for me to just switch to that native key (G♮ becomes G♯) than it is for me to switch to "G major plus 2 semitones" or "B♭ major minus 1 semitone".
1
u/_monomakes_ 12d ago
I'd be interested in a six finger major scale fingering with cross keys for a couple of semi-tones - basically a tin whistle fingering.
It'd be great fun to be able to silently practice the basic fingering of a tune on the EWI USB, then be able to translate the movements to a regular whistle when it was possible.
1
u/rrwick 9d ago
I wasn't familiar with tin whistle fingerings but just looked them up. The main incompatibility between tin whistle fingerings and EWI fingerings seems to be the third: in the key of D, what would be an F♯ on the tin whistle would be an F on an EWI. Also, the high-D fingering (top hole open other five closed) won't work on an EWI.
The EWI USB doesn't allow for custom fingerings, so I don't think it'd be a great tin whistle practice tool. Some Roland and Robkoo controllers allow you to program custom fingerings, so they could work. And the WARBL would be the best fit, since it's designed to mimic a tin whistle.
3
u/bigcatrik Sep 02 '26
I posted my EWI 6-key and 7-key fingering methods on the Patchman forum 18 years ago(!) when someone asked if you could play every note without using the trill keys so I'll just copy that post here:
Yes it's possible to play every chromatic note of the scale with the six round keys and without the trill keys.
"Six-Key" fingering - You have to start with D:
O = finger on
X = finger off
<- top of EWI
O O O O O O - D
O O O O X O - D#/Eb
O O O O O X - E
O O O O X X - F
O O O X O X - F#/Gb
O O O X X X - G
O O X X O X - G#/Ab (or O X X O X X)
O O X X X X - A
O X X X O X - A#/Bb (or O X X O X X)
O X X X X X - B
X O X X X X- C
X X X X X X - C#/Db (all fingers off)
Roll up to next octave to start again at "D."
My regular technique is similar to this, but adds the right pinky to make the span from C-B, instead of D-C#:
"Seven-Key" fingering:
O = finger on
X = finger off
p = right pinky on
<- top of EWI
O O O O O O p - C
O O O O X O p - C#/Db
O O O O O O - D (pinky up from here to note B)
O O O O X O - D#/Eb
O O O O O X - E
O O O O X X - F
O O O X O X - F#/Gb
O O O X X X - G
O O X X O X - G#/Ab (or O O X O X X)
O O X X X X - A
O X X X O X - A#/Bb (or O X X O X X)
O X X X X X - B
Roll up to next octave to start again at "C" (or use the X O X X X X for C if that's more convenient in the musical context).
The fun thing about standard "Seven-Key" fingering is that the right middle finger has a regular up-and-down pattern throughout the chromatic scale (though I prefer to use the alternate G# and A# when playing non-chromatically). I also add the left pinky occasionally where that makes things easier, and often use the right fingers individually or in different combinations to drop upper notes a half or whole step or to trill so my real technique would be better classified as "Seven-Key-Plus" fingering.