Well, I started learning tinwhistle (I think it was a LBW) a few years back, but around that time I moved, and in the hoopla and ensuing hassles, my whistle was sat upon (love those aluminiums!) and at the time I was too harried to bother with it.
Now things are more stable and I have the time to begin again. So, after reading reviews here and on the site, I might go with a Feadog D, and get a book and CD, as I don’t think there’s much of an Irish whistle scene here.
I’ve heard there’s some breath control issues with the newest generation of the Feadogs, but I have a strong public reading voice, so I don’t know how much of a problem that will be.
I had bad luck with a Feadog, but several others seem to have been quite happy with theirs.
I’d try one, and if you aren’t happy with the way it sounds or the way it plays, send it off to Mack Hoover with $20 and have a Whitecap put on the tube. (Don’t forget to mention whether you prefer the result to be quiet or loud.) The Feadog tubes seem to be very well made. It’s the heads that are the problem.
That’s what I did. Mine is extremely quiet, but I did the same with an Oak tube later and got a pretty loud one. (And I have one with a Hoover tube that’s in between those two.)
You could even try tweaking it yourself. There are plenty of instructions floating around. That’s what I tried before sending mine off to Mack, but I didn’t do a very good job.
Hi there—I am a beginner too. Only been playing since September. Main advice is just practice every day, even if not for very long. Play slowly and carefully. Don’t worry about playing fast—that’s not going to happen for a long time. I work a lot from tutorial books and CD’s too.
Hi Josh:
I second the suggestion to get a Mack Hoover Whitecap whistle head to be installed on your Feadog, Oak, Generation, Walton’s Mello D, etc, etc.
For the $20 cost it’s well worth it. Just let Mack know what you’re looking to achieve; don’t be bashful. He’s a legend of A NIce Guy.
I don’t have a lot of experience with Feadogs. The few I’ve played have been horrible. My old Mello D (Soodlums, Walton’s predecessor) was OK off the shelf. Generation D’s are not known to be reliably good. My Oak was just fitted to a Hoover Whitecap. Nuff said ?
The question is: As a newbie, how can you tell whether your new whistle is bad or good ? Without knowing whether you’ve ever played a “good” one before. Maybe you can seek out an experienced player to help you on an evaluation of instruments. I think starting out on a good whistle is fairly important. Fortunately, a good whistle can be had for less than $40. Do check out the many options of new tweaked instruments.
As a newbie with a growing collection I too bought a Feadog, it’s pretty good but after listening to clips on Mack’s homepage and James flutesite I too went for a Whitecap. BTW the instructions on C&F mainpage on tweaking are excellent.
Just to say that after i had try several tubes with the Mack Whitecap, the best for me is the Clare two parts with Whitecap. It’s definitively my prefered whistle (for the D whistle).
The two parts Clare is already a very good cheapie whistle on its own.
Thanks for posting that web site Cynth. That will be so helpful to us newbs.
I have 4 whistles now, including a old and dented generation D, a Mack Hoover and two others. They both have sounds I enjoy hearing, but I’m too much of a noob to recognize a good whistle either. I really like collecting/trying new whistles and discovering what my taste is, so fun.
Josh, I’m a newbie also. I have a Clarke original, Clarke Sweetone, Walton LBW and a Feadog, all in D. The Clarkes were the easiest to play at first with the LBW a close second. I didn’t like the Feadog when I first got it and threw it in the car as my “redlight whistle.” After a bit of practice, the Feadog is now my favorite. The Feadog requires fairly precise breath control or it will make some pretty horrible noises. I like the tone of the Feadog better and, when my breath control is “on,” it just seems to play better. Having said all that, it really is largely a matter of personal preference. Cheapies are, well, cheap so you might do what all the rest of us have done: get several different kinds so you can pontificate with authority when a newer newbie arrives!
I’ve always found Dixons to be among the easiest whistles to play. I like their tone much better than the Clarkes, Feadogs, Sweetones, etc., and they’re not that much more expensive.
If you’re looking for advice then you came to the right place. The vast majority of people here are extremely helpful. Some even know what they are talking about too. At any rate here’s what I would suggest.
Have fun. Unless you’re a professional musician, that’s probably why you are taking up the whistle.
Realize that the whistle is deceptively simple. A lot of people (myself included) decide to take up whistle instead of a “real” instrument because they are under the impression that it’s simple. In a way, that’s true. It’s easy to learn to basics, but just like any other instrument, it will take a lot of work and effort to be able to play it well. So don’t get frustrated if you hit a plateau, just keep at it.
Beware of WhOAD. Even a cheapskate like me has difficulty resisting the temptation to purchase every other whistle someone mentions.
Never ask “Which whistle is best”. Feel free to ask about certain brand or certain attributes (ex: Quiet with lot of chiff), but just asking which is best will get you lots of partisan cheering and jeering.
Useful websites: Cyth has already mentioned Brother Steve’s page. Another is The Wanderer’s site, www.tinwhistler.com/music/ It has lots of tunes and whistle reviews. Another good tune site is the ABC Tune Finder http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/abc/findtune.html And of course, there’s Chiff and Fipple. I tend to visit each of these on a fairly regular basis.
I didn’t know that website I put down was Brother Steve’s too. It is a big website so I will put down the Brother Steve part here in case others are as confused as I am :
Well, technically, I guess it’s not really a part of his site anymore than it belongs to any of the other contributors. I just tend to think of it as a whole because they are hosted by the same domain. No offense intended to the other contributors.
Feadogs are lovely once you fill the void under the windway with Blu-Tac. It might take a few tries to get it right, but when you get it nice and level without holes and gaps it turns a slightly harsh, tempramental whistle into a much smoother, trad-sounding beaut.
Tony Dixon’s whistles are also very, very nice indeed. Sweet sounding, and extremely reasonably priced for what they are.
Either of the above will serve well, but persevere for a while before writing off any whistle. An instrument that squawks and shrieks for a couple of weeks may be transformed by a bit of practice
Thanks to Entropy, walrii, and all who responded! After getting the whistle (Feadog Teoranta asleep over there? It’s been a few days since I sent in my order) I’ll see how it does.
I’ve listened to clips of people playing Feadog D’s, but I can’t tell whether it’s because it’s tweaked, or the player’s skill, or the whistle’s manufacture. Sometimes the clip has that information, sometimes not. I do like the sound though. Sorta like a recorder but with something different.
I think I like the idea of an “earthy” or “rougher” sounding whistle for playing on my own or something. I may have to get something with a more pure, mellow tone if I decide to play in Church. I attend the Cathedral here, and I have always wanted to hear what “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name” or “Amazing Grace” sounded like on whistle in that magnificent building. Besides, our senior rector is Irish, from somewhere near Dublin.
Are there any tunes anyone would recommend learning after I get the fingering down? When would anyone recommend learning ornamentation?
I’m a newbie too, I’ve been playing for about two months now. My friend has a Feadog and his works well and sounds pretty good. I do notice that it’s a bit louder than my Acorn whistle (which really requires precise breath control) when we play a couple of songs together. But with inexpensive whistles, it’s often pot luck. You may get a good one or a bad one (I got a defected Walton’s Mellow D but I am set on getting another one in the future).
In terms of ornamentation, I recommend maybe learning a few easy songs first and once you have those memorized and played with good rhythm and tone, maybe you can try some ornaments. The thing about ornaments is that you don’t necessarily have to use any or all of them, they’re used to maintain interest in a song and to have a bit of fun so I wouldn’t recommend rushing to learn them just yet. Of course you have to work at your own pace
You’re in Kansas – you don’t need ornamentation. We are simple, pastoral folk, shunning ostentation and science. Kansas is where Ulysses ended up when he walked inland with a whistle under his arm, vowing that he would settle in the place where someone asked him “What’s that you got under your arm?”
On the positive side, you don’t have to be that good to stand out. I am, at best, a mediocre player, but I can still draw an admiring gaggle of gaping primates if I’m of a mind to. Don’t get upset if folks ask what kind of flute you have.
Since you won’t be able to find much beyond display card full of brightly-hued Sweetones in most music shops, here is where I get my stuff – http://www.thewhistleshop.com/. Shipping is reasonable and fairly expeditious when the stages are running. And there is a small beginners section, plus some slow-session music.
(P.S. – Please don’t tell the others that tornados are not a daily occurrence. We don’t want a whole bunch of them moving here and driving our car insurance rates up.)
You’re welcome Josh. I’m always happy to try to help. Just be advised, you know those people that I mentioned who know what they are talking about? Well, I’m not one of them. I’m pretty new to this myself. However, I would like to second some of the advice that some others have given you.
Like Gonzo, I can recommend thewhistleshop.com. I’ve purchased most of my whistles through them. Their customer service is excellent.
I would also agree with Nikki, learn a few easy songs first. Everyone wants to learn the ornamentations, but good rhythm and tone are more important. If you’re not using ornamentation, most people will not notice, if your rhythm or tone are off, everyone will notice.
As for simple tunes, you mentioned Amazing Grace. It’s pretty simple and is located on the site that Bill posted. Mostly you want to look for tunes that are in the key of D, aren’t too fast, and stay mostly in the lower octave. Other than that, I’ld say just pick out a couple that you really want to learn. You’re much more likely to stick with learning a song if it’s one that you like.
At any rate here’s what I would suggest.
