Any other beginners prefer a C whistle to D?

Whistle
1

Well, I am on week 3 of my newfound obsession and have been playing and practicing so much my wife wants to shove my whistles you-know-where. One thing I have observed is that I prefer playing C whistles, both from a tonal standpoint and from an ease of playing standpoint. I have a harder time with the lower register on D whistles…I always seem to overblow, particularly when playing faster passages or trying to play with volume and enthusiasm. The C whistles sound a lot “fuller” and I can feel a clear distinction between the registers. I feel like I can play much more expressively on the Cs. My Ds seem to hop all over the place…or, more accurately, I have harder time controlling the Ds.

Any other beginners have this same experience? I am assuming part of this is due to my experience with playing the clarinet. I know that is affecting my technique and I have to make a conscious effort to alter it, but I also wonder whether it affects my subjective view of tonal quality?

2

Different whistle makes have differences in the stability of the low notes, this is not just a difference of the whistle key. But it seems your D whistles need to be played with more careful breath control, or with less breath than your C whistles, and that is something you need to concentrate on.

I personally prefer a C whistle over a D whistle, because
a) the sound is a bit lower,
b) it sounds more mellow and less shrill,
c) it is physically bigger with bigger spacings for my fingers, so physically easier to control.

3

I think the ideal flute/whistle size is the F. Not too useful in sessions, but nice sound and perfect finger spread. Guess you’re gonna have to build a “stable”! WhOA!!!

4

I like them both equally. I have a D and a C from Hans and they’re a perfect match. The D gets more playing time since I’m spending most of my time time working on ITM and fiddle tunes and I like playing in the right key. The C is better for jazz and blues.

5

This is like trying to get consensus on the best flavor of ice cream. Obviously we’re all going to have different preferences; however, anyone that chooses anything other than pistachio is daft, imo.

Get it? :poke:

That said… I have no idea what whistles you’re playing, but if you’re playing on cheap whistles I think there’s a ceiling as to how good you can make them sound barring very rare exceptions. In high D, I own a mixture of cheap and high-end. On the low side, I have a Freeman-tweaked Clarke Sweetone, a Generation high D, a Walton Little Black Whistle, and a Walton Mellow Dog (the last three all self-tweaked). With the exception of the Sweetone which is the chiffiest whistle I own, the rest are all pretty shrill when compared to my high end Ds: an aluminum Burke, a nickel Copeland, and a gidgee Oz. All of the high end whistles are beautifully melodic and not at all shrill. In the end, whistles are probably like most other things in life in that you get what you pay for.

And before folks chime in about [insert name of well known whistler here] who plays a [insert name of cheap whistle here], let’s remember that whistles that we hear at live shows and on cds aren’t the actual sound of the whistle at all as they’re run through various electronic devices (mics, preamps, eqs, compressors, etc.) before the sound hits our ears. And I’d bet good money that [insert name of well known whistler here] who plays a [insert name of cheap whistle here] tested a box full of those whistles before finding one that was suitable.

I think I’ve said this here before, but my advice to people who are looking for advice on buying their first guitar (my main instrument) is to buy as much guitar as you can afford because the better sounding the instrument is, the more likely you’re going to play it and stick with it. It’s not an exact science, but there is a correlation between price and quality. I’d probably give the same advice to those wanting to learn the whistle. I know in my own case, my playing time increased tremendously when I bought the Oz, my first high end whistle in any key. A good instrument can provide great inspiration.

I realize that not everyone is going to be able to lay out $350 for a whistle, but a person can find nice used whistles at great prices occasionally if they’re diligent and keep looking. Just as an example, I recall there was a Copeland D on the used instrument board here that sold for $100 recently. That’s a steal and it’s not the first time such a thing has happened. And if the person is set on buying an unused whistle, there are good makers out there (some even on this board) that make very nice non-shrill whistles, some quite a bit less than $100. I’m sure there’s a thread somewhere that offers a list. But keep your eyes open, check the used listings often (bargains go quickly), and you’ll find a 12" hunk of metal or wood that will make your heart sing.

6

As a humble request from your sometimes not so humble moderator, please have mercy and let’s not take this thread about C vs. D into price-quality / cheap-expensive territory. Thanks a lot! :slight_smile:

7

Sorry, my intent was not to start a war on whether C or D whistles are “better” (whether expensive or inexpensive). I was just curious as to whether other beginners had the same experience as me and whether there is anything inherent in the differences between a C and D whistle that makes the former easier to play/control.

For the record, I own (and have been switching off between), a Freeman Mellow Dog D & C, a Clarke Sweetone D, and an Oak C. I have done the poster putty tweak on the Clarke and Oak (which improved both). Given that these are all relatively inexpensive whistles, I figured it was pretty safe to do an across-the-board comparison.

8

No worries, NewGuy. Please carry on. :wink:

9

i think the C is probably easier to start on, for the reasons already mentioned… perhaps doesn’t require the same degree of breath control that a D whistle might, without getting to the point where you might have to consider switching to a piper’s grip do the the tonehole spread (that happens for me around A-G, but it depends on the whistle).

that being said, C whistles sound boring to me, i prefer the D for all its potential for shrillness. :slight_smile: and if you like ITM, and want to play at sessions, you’ve got to play the D.

the whistles you mentioned tend to not have really strong bell notes, but the freeman and sweetone ought to be pretty solid. in my experience, conical bore whistles tend to have stronger bell notes than straight bore whistles (unless they’re really hard to blow in the high octave), so you might try picking up a shaw… i have one i really like, i got it for $20 (i think they go for $40 new?). they’re a bit airy though, but you might like that since you played clarinet?

anyway, C is fine for practice and solo work… but if you’re going to go to a session, better to keep practicing on your weapon of choice… :slight_smile:

cheers,
eric

10

Depends on if I need to play in C or D (and related keys)

11

My favorite solo whistle is my Generation Bb tube with the Hoover Blacktop fipple (no longer in production, sadly). It is the most expressive whistle I have.

I have a Hoover B pvc whistle which seems to be the second whistle I would reach for playing solo.

I also have a C Generation tube with a Hoover Whitecap fipple which I replaced a lost one that had the blacktop. The blacktop had the edge, but I still play that whistle quite a bit.

For session playing, I use my Every whistle as I can adjust the volume to quiet if I don’t know the tune well and around 2/3 volume for everythig else. I can go to full volume for a large session.

12

Not exactly a newbie, but C is about my favorite key in whistles. Hans listed some very good reasons, but mainly I just like the key of C. My whistles range from hi G to alto G; flutes fill in the low D needs. Whistle choices, in make & sound, are basically personal … in spite of all the touting here for a particular whistle or another. Enjoy exploring the wide variety of whistles, NewGuy. I’m a former clarinet player, too, so maybe it is the clarinet. :wink:

13

That would seem to me a most reasonable request as I thought the forums had moved beyond that nonsense some time ago. And taking into account the spurious arguments put forward.



And before folks chime in about [insert name of well known whistler here] who plays a [insert name of cheap whistle here], let’s remember that whistles that we hear at live shows and on cds aren’t the actual sound of the whistle at all as they’re run through various electronic devices (mics, preamps, eqs, compressors, etc.) before the sound hits our ears. And I’d bet good money that [insert name of well known whistler here] who plays a [insert name of cheap whistle here] tested a box full of those whistles before finding one that was suitable.

Spurious arguments that 1. assume most of us involved in these arguments never get to hear any whistler face to face. Well, speak for yourself is what I say to that. And 2. Generally people buying an instrument pick the one they like. True. But what makes you assume more expensive instruments do not get tested and hand picked before buying? Most good whistle players will tell you they also test a few handfuls of the any type of whistle because every next whistle is slightly different. The designer ones as much as the cheap ones.

Carry on now.

14

Still being fairly new to the board, I’m not always familiar what subjects that have been beaten to death. I’ll let that issue wither on the vine.


Argument wasn’t my intent; I was offering my opinions/impressions/experiences and as such I’m speaking for myself. Naturally, we’re all going to have different opinions on various musical topics.

Leaving the cheap vs. quality argument aside, I’ll address just your last point about folks having the opportunity to test instruments… yeah, I’ve sat in guitar shops for days at times when trying to narrow down a purchase. I can do that because I have local access to guitar shops that carry good selections of high-end guitars. But high-end whistle purchases are a different animal, at least in my neck of the wood. There aren’t any places I know of around here that stock a good selection of high-end whistles. I’d guess there are shops in some areas where one can go and sit for a few hours testing out various high-end whistles, but I’d wager that probably isn’t the norm for most folk.

So for those of us without access to good whistle shops, we’re limited to whatever selections of the low-end variety that we can find in generic music stores or we rely on a variety of input to make a high-end purchase, including getting the opinions of folks on boards like this, youtube videos, maker sound clips, etc. The method isn’t foolproof but it’s all we have short of hopping on a plane and flying to a city with a good shop, and even then you’re going to limited to whatever selection they carry.

And to be clear, I know this isn’t the case for everybody and it isn’t my intention to represent it as such. Anything I write on this board regarding subjective things like quality, tone, etc. is always simply my opinion as it is for all people regarding subjective topics.

You do agree with me on pistachio though, right?

15

I was actually addressing the argument that some whistles you hear were selected from a box full. So that’s a different story.

And the argument isn’t contained in your:

Leaving the cheap vs. quality argument aside

the argument is cheap vs expensive or quality vs poor quality (which can apply across all priceranges)



In general though, I would pick a whistle from a batch if at all possible. Most recently I played ten Cillian O Briain tweaked Feadogs before buying the one I liked best.

It’s only sensible. Even so there was a time picking the most suitable whistle from a batch was seen on this forum as ‘dishonest’ as those ordering by internet or just arriving later at the shop would be at a disadvantage. I have no words for that silliness.

When buying a whistle untried you’re setting yourself up for big disappointment. First of all I still have to read a review on this forum that accurately describes the actual behaviour of a whistle.

I bought a used whistle from a forum member recently. One that is usually very favourably talked about here and which had me curious for that reason. It was desperately awful. When I received it I wrote to the seller and said what my feelings were (not to blame him or ask him to take it back or anything like that. Just to say it had arrived safely and what my first impression was). ‘Yes that’s exactly what I thought’ he replied. I put it up for sale again after three days. And sold it. Several posts were made to the FS thread by people to say what an opportunity it was to buy such a lovely whistle. I could mention similar instances of receiving whistles that badly disappointed despite the forum’s high opinions of them.

Anyhow. Don’t believe a word you read. Trust only your own judgement and try before you buy. Or ask the maker you order from for a trial period during which you can return your whistle. It’s only reasonable.

16

Peter, I can’t see anything in my post that remotely relates to this. I’ve never ever found a box full of whistles, not even Generations, in my part of the world. I do agree with you that it is best to try before buying, if you have the opportunity. However, I can’t see how this relates to the OP’s question or my reply that I also favor the key of C over D.

Maybe I’ve misunderstood and there is another Judy who replied to this thread. If so, please ignore this.

17

I miss the humble Peter Laban. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hej0hs0yHH8 Where did he go?

18

Peter, I can’t see anything in my post that remotely relates to this. I’ve never ever found a box full of whistles

Yes, you’re right. I miss-attributed the quote. it was JTC111. Sorry. I edited the OP. I thought it was a bit out of character to begin with.

It would be good to let the old ‘you get what you pay for’ to stay in the box. if anyone wants the arguments, do a search. That fight has been fought.

19

I know that during our learning process our families and pets prefer the lowest possible key that we have.

20

I’m not a newb either, but I love C whistles. I have whistles in many keys, but I don’t do ITM much of the time. I do a lot of American old-time and Southern mountain music, so a C whistle is great for ballads in A minor. I also play with a banjo player who likes double-C tuning, so C is the natural choice there. But he also tunes in G and plays in G and D, both of which I can do on a D whistle, but sometimes use an A whistle for D songs as well. A high D can be shrill in the beginning, but once you get good breath control, it will sound fine. I like Bb but don’t play with pipers or fifers (yet) so don’t use it much.

Anyhoo, enjoy your C whistle and whatever other keys you want. Unless you’re hard-core ITM all the time, you can play C no problem.