I’d like to apologize in advance, as I’m sure this has been covered before.
I’ve been playing whistle for about a year now, and I own a few whistles in high D and Bb. I’ve recently been considering trying out the low whistle (preferably a D). What’s the general consensus on a good beginner Low D? I’d say I have medium-sized hands, and have a little experience playing a D flute.
Thanks all.
If what you mean by a beginner Low-D is something inexpensive but nice sounding and easy to play, I would recommend the new Howards.
If what you mean is something that is easy to play, whether or not expensive, then your options expand a great deal. I have found the Burke Viper very forgiving (of sloppy technique) in a way other higher end whistles are not. It is not super expensive and it is a real, quality whistle.
Just my two cents.
On the less expensive side, you might consider the Dixon Low D. Lower breath requirements, slightly smaller tone holes, and lighter weight make this generally easier to play than most the other less expensive Low Ds.
Thanks guys, quite helpful. And to clarify, yes, I meant relatively inexpensive and forgiving.
I recently started playing low whistles and I really like my Thornton low D.
I started with the Susato low D and found it to be a good and inexpensive first low D. Though these days I prefer to play my Burke Viper I won’t part with the Susato as it lightweight, robust and easy to throw in the backpack.
Guido Gonzato - buy one of his or make your own.
Hoovers are nice, forgiving, and quiet (so great for practicing). They are also much less expensive than the others. I have beautifully made PVC low D (picked up here) that I’m learning on.
If you’d like to try one just to get the idea of how a low whistle feels and works, try Becker, who sometimes sells on ebay. I think you can get one home (if you’re in the US) for under 20.00, and it is much less likely to squeaky uncooperatively than a some other low whistles. It has a rather dusky sound but it grows on you. I think it’s probably a lot like the Brady whistles that were discussed a while back. It looks pretty utilitarian-- it’s a big PVC pipe, but it does have beveled fingerholes, wooden fipple, and a curved windway. He paints them if you want him too, I think. It is quite large around but that doesn’t seem to bother me, anyway. I can probably hunt up his email if you’re interested. I enjoy playing it because you can just pick it up and play it without any warming up, which is handy if you just have a couple of minutes to play before bed, for instance!
Not to steal the thread, but can anyone recommend a low D for small hands?
The Dixon is good for small hands. My hands are medium-small and I can play it with finger tips.
I haven’t tried one myself, but I know David OBrien is making Low D whistles at a decent price. The video clips he has of it show a quite nice sound coming from it.
The Susato Low D gets some grief (and I’ve given it my own share), but I’ve heard some beautiful music come from them recently.
It’s amazing how much the selection has grown in the past couple years. There are a huge number of folks making quality whistles and low whistles now. It’s a good time to be a whistle player.