Well, I have not played Irish Music in years.
Ive been playing Clarinet mainly in Community Bands
When I did play Irish Music, sessions etc,I played Flute, as well as the C and high D Whistles
Ive been thinking about buying a Whistle.
I won’t be doing sessions, but just playing around the Kitchen Table
I’d like to get either a C or a B flat whistle, as these sound a little more mellow than most high D Whistles
Any opinions on the best choice of between these Keys for just noodling around?
Ive heard a lot of good things about the Killarney Whistles, so I’m looking in that Direction to make a purchase of one of these key Whistles
Could buy one key first and then done the road the other
Thanks in Advance for any Opinions!
Ben Shaffer
Greensboro,NC
BTW, do you use a Pipers grip with the B flat Whistle?
Everyone’s sensitivity differs but to me a long session with a D starts to irritate like dragging fingernails over a chalkboard. The same time with a C isn’t harsh like that. But, if I had to keep only one whistle it would be the Bb. It’s sweet and mellow, the lowest of the highs and a good compromise in physical size. For me, it doesn’t require the Piper’s grip. I tend to favor the Burke for its quality and clarity.
I quite like the Generation C and Feadog C. In fact they are both so good that I never considered getting anything more expensive. The Generation Bb is also nice. I play it with normal grip.
Tempted to get a Generation Bb actually
I don’t think you could make a wrong choice here. The C and Bb are very nice keys for the whistle.
The C whistles are easier on the ear in the 2nd octave than the D and the Bb (in my opinion) is a cross between a high whistle and a low whistle. It is small enough that you don’t need to use the pipers grip on it and the first octave notes are very pleasingly lower than the D.
I very much enjoy my Feadog, Generation and Walton C’s and my Generation Bb’s.
Whichever way you decide to go I think you will be pleased.
Its funny, but I rarely play my C recorder as I find it shrill and my ears hiss afterwards for a few minutes. But I don’t get that with the D whistle, despite the fact it’s higher pitched.
I’d get a Killarney Bb. I got one about a month ago and love it. I have a good Generation Bb and the Killarney is clearly better, IMO. It has a stronger, better tone and is a bit more responsive and easier to play. I also love my Killarney D. I haven’t played a C. I’ve sold all my other high whistles.
Hmm kilarneys are too expensive for me. Very tight budget here.
That’s because the tone of the recorder is clearer and more focussed, less overtones. The purer the sound the harsher it is on the ears in my experience. That’s why I had to stop playing ocarina. Very pure tone and high sound pressure – very bad for the ears.
You won’t need to use pipers grip until you get down to perhaps a low ‘G’, if you have small hands, or more likely, a low ‘F’…
I like lower whistles than ‘C’, but I do have a very nice Tony Dixon Duo which has a somewhat mellow tone to it, probably why I like it. 
Generation ‘C’ & ‘Bb’ could be bought, they’re not expensive - then you could decide whether to spend more money on a better quality whistle, in the key you prefer.
My personal favourite key is the ‘A’, very easy to handle, & low enough not to grate on the ears - I have a Tony Dixon Trad brass & a Thunderbird one piece aluminium.
I have whistles going from the little Eb up to a huge 36 inch long Bass A.
When I paid attention to it I noticed that I have three different grips. I don’t think about which one I’m going to use, I just pick up a whistle and play.
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Pretty much like the typical Boehm flute grip, with the six fingers all slightly curved (the natural gentle curve my hands have when relaxed, not an artificial exaggerated arch) and the holes sealed with the fleshy pads on the underside of each finger’s end joint (NOT the finger tips! not much flesh there). I only use this with the smallest whistles, High Eb, and sometimes with High D.
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Still using the fleshy pads on the underside of each finger’s end joint, but with the fingers nearly flat. I use this for most of the smaller sizes down to some of the mezzo sizes.
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The so-called “piper’s grip” with the fingers still flat, but using the endjoint pad on both ring fingers, and the middle joint pad on both index and middle fingers. I’ll use this for the Low and Bass sizes, but sometimes also for some of the mezzo sizes.
Here’s a video where you can see me playing all those sizes. I wasn’t putting the slightest thought into the “grips” and it was interesting for me to see how I was holding the various mezzo sizes. I’m using my #2 grip described above from the High Eb down to the mezzo A, then when I go to the Burke mezzo G and below I go to the piper’s grip.
However if I’ve been playing Low Whistle for a while I might pick up the mezzo A or Bb and use piper’s grip, out of habit.
Where did you get a Killarney Bb? They aren’t on their website
Since you aren’t trying to play with others it really is up to you. I have heard that of all the current Generations out there the Bb is particularly good as is. I don’t particularly like my Generation D or C but I know you’ll find folks here swear by them. I have a Bb and find it fine. (I had a plastic Dixon Bb at one point that was very mellow too.)
I personally enjoy playing an A. But it is a Sindt. I don’t know how other As play.
I doubt you’d have trouble reaching any alto whistle with a modified grip that you may not even notice you are modifying. Once you get past thinking you need close the holes with the pads of your fingers you’ll find your hands move to the right spots in a few practice sessions. This varies slightly with each person’s hand size and flexibility. Which fingers you curve, which you flatten, and how you angle your wrist will settle into place.
I have whistles down to F with which I don’t really have to think about my fingers until I pull out the low D. And I am sure if I played it every day my muscle memory would take over.
I’d just try to run a search of videos of whistles played in different keys and see which range inspires.
It’s really a ‘how long is a piece of string’ type of question. Having other people decide what is the best whistle for you is at best a bit of a fool’s errant.
I have never needed a Bb whistle but one came with a bunch of other ones I picked up a few years ago. I don’t think I will ever need another one. It’s a Generation. I have a number of Generation Cs, all a bit different and all fine, they’d do me although I got me a Killarney C at one point. I used that a year ago to do a little gig in memory of Kitty Hayes, just before Christmas. Haven’t played it since. To be honest, if you ask m the Generations handle better, take less effort and are just more enjoyable to play. But I am not one for the lower whistle keys so perhaps I am not the right person to give an opinion on this
I can only suggest you make up your own mind, according to what you need and want from these whistles.
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But they are – for 95€ apparantly:
https://killarneywhistle.com/whistles/
Ben you are doing what I and thousands more like me are doing. We are not playing in sessions but playing around the house. For our own enjoyment and to possibly play for family and friends.
For the hard core Irish Traditional Musician I suppose the high D whistle is really all you “need” if you want to play traditional Irish music on the whistle; however, for the thousands of us who are just playing around the house for our own enjoyment, it’s fun to play whistles other than high D. It is fun to see how a song can take on a different character or emotion when played on something other than a high D. I am also enjoying learning songs other than Irish trad songs and having more than just a high D whistle helps when the song is written in something other than D or G.
So Ben, I agree with the suggestion someone made earlier, get both the C and Bb in the cheaper mass manufactured whistles and see what you like. It won’t break the bank. Then you can get a more expensive C or Bb if you think that is what you want to to.
Have fun!
For the hard core Irish Traditional Musician I suppose the high D whistle is really all you “need” if you want to play traditional Irish music on the whistle; however, for the thousands of us who are just playing around the house for our own enjoyment, it’s fun to play whistles other than high D. It is fun to see how a song can take on a different character or emotion when played on something other than a high D. I am also enjoying learning songs other than Irish trad songs and having more than just a high D whistle helps when the song is written in something other than D or G.
I realise that, obviously. What I said was more or less factual and to provide a bit of context and perhaps an illustration different people have different needs and preferences: until very recently I didn’t have a Bb whistle that I’d play and just never felt the need to get one. Playing around, in the kitchen or otherwise, people have different wants and needs and they will vary from one person to the next. I feel everybody must do what they feel they need/want to and in that context ‘best choice’ is a rather subjective sort of thing to ask.
I had a look into the Killarney Bb when they were first out but decided there was no point spending €95 on something that probably wouldn’t get any use. That old Generation is best choice for my situation, it plays well, sounds fine, should the mood take me (and I did play it for a bit earlier this week when a question about these came up on the forum). But the reality is that I have a limited number of whistles standing in a mug on the table that I use for daily playing (2 O’Briain ‘improved’ D, Generation C, D and Eb and a Potter D) and those more than cover the playing around the house. The small number of designer whistles (Sindts and Killarneys) only come out on special occasions, keeping them seperately in a whistle roll means in practice I don’t bother taking them out. But that’s just me, I suppose.
Actually, a “C” recorder (descant/soprano) is at the same pitch as a “D” whistle. It’s just that the recorder has on extra hole (or double hole) in the foot that takes it down one note to C.
It’s obviously something to do with the tone and volume of the recorder and whistle in question.
From their website. They were there when I ordered. Maybe they are out?
Maybe they are out?
They’re not, they are listed on the buy now page on the website @ €95 right now, €99 with pouch
also:
The Killarney Whistle not only looks great, it has all the qualities that a musician needs in their instrument. These include:
Bright clear tone in both octaves
Good volume in both octaves
Excellent responsiveness
In tune with itself and manually tuneable with a tuning slide
Solid ergonomic feel when played, with a comfortable mouthpiece
Triple Nickel-Plated body for a bright sound
Available in the Keys of D, C, > Bb > and Eb
Now available with Brass body