With a young family I’m finding it difficult to get my hour practice in every day as I like to practice in the woods where I’m not disturbing anybody. I would like to pick up a tin whistle to practice tunes whenever I can steal a free few minutes here and there. Any suggestions for the best type of whistle to buy? Thanks a million
dont know anything about piping (right word?)
But if you are looking for a whistle with which you dont “disturb” anybody, i would say:
get a parks, with its tonering you can adjust it from loud to silent
than you dont need to go into the wood for practise 
but if you like to, get a parks walkabout, its in 3 smal parts and a real outdoor whistle ,smal, light, “undestroyable”
on the other side there are ways to make every whistle silent
which whistle is the best one?
there is no best one
cheap whistles are great, expensive whistles are great, it depends on what you want
This:
http://clarketinwhistle.com/products/sweetone-tin-whistle.aspx
It’s a great whistle. You can spend a lot more for sure, but this is all you need.
My first reaction was: The one you’ve got. . .the main thing is to use it. . .
If you’ve a practice set, and hopefully an instructor, you will be able to note some of the differences between ‘whistling’ and ‘piping’.
But mostly the whistle is a vehicle for learning the tunes.
Some very good pipers I know have a few ‘show pieces’ that they have worked up for the whistle, using a full range of whistle techniques, but use a whistle primarily to dope out a new tune.
That said, I have a Copeland ‘D’. Not suggesting that, and an old Soodlums ‘D’. The Copeland is for large sessions where I would not
hazard my pipes. I don’t know if the Soodlum’s is at concert. but is in tune with itself, and I can take anywhere. . .
Bob
The tinwhislte is useful to get into the music, gain control over your fingers. It’s not a replacement for playing the chanter and can be a distraction when it comes to piping technique.
Get a Generation whistle or a Feadóg and play away. Just don’t think you’re practicing the pipes while doing so.
Thanks a million for your responses.That has given me a few whistles to consider. As I said, my primary focus is on continuing to practice the pipes themselves but I thought for those days when I can’t get out to practice away from the house, the whistle would come in handy.
It’s also far less cumbersome than lugging a set of pipes around. I have a set of v-pipes on the way so really looking forward to plugging in those headphones whenever I want and playing away.
By the way, I’m not looking for any easy way out as I know the only way to perfect these pipes is to keep battling away at them. Although with an hour a day its steadily becoming less of a battle and the tunes are getting progressively easier to pick up.
Thanks again
The finger spread & hole placement on a B flat whistle begins to approach that of a D chanter. B flat also a bit quieter than higher pitched whistles. Generation makes them, for example; shouldn’t be too hard to find.
Nick
And if you decide to go the Bb route (not a bad plan!) I heartily recommend Jerry Freeman’s tweaked Generation Bb. Just sayin’.
Whistle recommendations?
I’m glad you asked!!!
First, as An Seanduine said, the best whistle is the one you have.
So, always have a whistle on you.
Parks Whistles make a very nice three piece Walkabout out of PVC that is very rugged, compact and has a built in mute for quite play.
http://www.parkswhistles.com/WalkaboutWhistle.html
David O’Brien also make a three piece out of wood or Derlin, it gets sterling review, but it costs more.
O’BrienStowaway Telescopic whistles, so have a look at those too.
http://www.obrienwhistles.com/
One of my favorite whistle makers is Mack Hoover.
He made me a telesocpic brass wide bore D that I really like;
https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/c-p/80823/1
There are other worthy makes of both 3 piece and telescopic whistle, do a search.
But honestly, any whistle will do!
Jaysus, yee are a fountain of knowledge. Thanks a million!
Well, I’m a fountain of something, for sure.
One more link. Since you’re in the UK, you know about BigWhistle?
http://www.bigwhistle.co.uk/
They stock Parks Whistles.
They also carry the Clare 2 piece whistle.
And as rugged as they come are the Susatos.
Yer basic, great, economy, whistle, Dixon Trads.
If you are a GHB piper elfsong makes whistles that match the pipe fingering.
http://www.elfsongwhistles.com/
I suppose that is not the case given where this question was posed, but folks have been known to post to the wrong forum…
if Uilleann pipes maybve you’d like to consider this
http://www.theotherworlds.com/product/UILP/Uilleann-Rosewood-Practice-Chanter.html
Don’t.
If you’re tempted to, look here: https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/pakistani-ups-and-other-budget-sets-the-facts/33245/1
Hello you,
the best Whistle is the Abell Whistle - the only one that I know that is really in tune within and both octaves one to each other: http://www.abellflute.com/.
Have you heard about http://www.vpipes.com/ - pipes via head phones?