Just thought I'd jump into this thread. I very recently returned from a

loooong european bicycle/camping trip and held on to Ireland as the

crowning jewel to my travels - the last place I visited before returning

home (rented a car and B&B'd - ahhhhhhhh). I spent a week in Dingle

attending pub sessions (listening and quaffing - not playing yet,

although I was "forced" to sing a song at Begley's pub in Ballydavid),

and met some musicians, learned a little about the music and instruments

-- now to the point:

I started playing the whistle just before I left (couldn't justify

carrying my guitar on my bike) using a method I heard described in

one/some of the articles in this thread. I played melodies that I am

familiar with (Amazing Grace, Somewhere Over the Rainbow - great way to

learn the D - D' jump and it's amusing, Auld Lang Syne, Coast of Malabar

-from the Chieftans "Long Black Veil," etc, anything that came to mind

or off my fingers naturally like twinkle twinkle little star and as

someone else said Christmas songs seem natural, too - Good King

Wenceslas).

Playing Amazing Grace in the "middle of nowhere" to the sky, earth and

creatures around me often created magic of some sort; but I digress.

Expensive flutes? Well the Susato is relatively expensive. I met

people in Ireland that like them and others that didn't. Some people

liked the sound (they're louder, for one), but they're not "traditional"

or don't sound "right;" or so goes the debate.

Another expensive one was like a plain Feadog (had a green mouthpiece),

but was custom tuned. They filled the inside of the mouthpiece (the fat

bottom chamber) with an epoxy. It's only got a large chamber because of

construction methods (so I was told). Then the "slot" is shaved for

optimum playability and the whistle tuned so that the highest D is

really in tune. The local musicians wanted these flutes for recording.

The woman in the shop (a friend of hers tuned the whistles) demonstrated

by playing two full octaves up to the high D on a plain whistle and a

tuned whistle. She wasn't just trying to sell me one because she

actually advised me to stick with the cheaper ($5 - $6 model). The

tuned Feadogs were $24 US.

Then there's the Clarke with the wood plug. I personally don't like

mine as much as the others. It's got a softer, mellower sound and plays

much quieter, which just makes it harder for me. I accidentally smashed

the slot (it's tin) and had to learn how to reshape it for for optimum

sound.

I love watching my daughter's dogs ears while I'm practicing in the

upper octave (Playing/trying to play along with "An Speic Seoigheach,"

from The Best of the Chieftans, 1992).

Chuck Anderson Boulder, CO