I know this has been asked before but I’m new to all this so give me a break. Which whistle for a beginner would yoy recommend? In which note? How much to spend? (Clarke penny whistle ?)
Hi there,
My first whistle was a Generation, but then I got a Clare from thewhistleshop.com and have been using that for the past year. It doesn’t have any eccentric personality quirks and seems well balanced and generally fun to play. I wasn’t too thrilled about the Clarke I bought because it sounded to me like a toy and I didn’t dig all that back pressure.
Cheers
I like my Clarke orginal well enough, but I had to grow into it. It takes a bit different technique (not more air, but more focus) than most other inexpensive high whistles.
A good bet to start off is the Clarke Sweetone - around 5 dollars.
A good Generation (again, around $5) is a wonderful whistle, but they aren’t all good out of the box (Though most can be made good to excellent with a bit of tweeking).
If you want to spend a bit more ($15 or so) a Jerry Freeman tweeked Sweetone is a good bet, or a Dixon non-tunable (both available from The Whistle Shop online).
But a good Generation or Sweetone is a pretty good whistle. Most Sweetones are OK as you get them, too. But they’re cheap - why not get several inexpensive whistles - say, a Generation, a Sweetone, and maybe a Feadog? With shipping, you’re out maybe $20 and have a variety of different whistles (with different voices) to try.
key of D
I own an original Clarke C and a Tweeked D from the whistle shop. The tweeked one takes a lot less air. I also have a Burke Session in D which I would recommend over them all. More money but it will make learning easier and much more enjoyable.
I also have a generation D (don’t care for the tone much), 2 piece Clare brass (took some tweeking but is ok), Kerry songbird (nice sound, takes more air then the Burke), Oak (skip that one totally), Waltons Guinness (two of them, tweeked one to sound ok the other is hopless cause)
Tweaked Clarke, or if you might want to play with other instruments, a tunable Dixon.
Not everybody has the chance to go out and purchase a few cheap whistles to try, but if you can then that’s the best option.
I was able to bring home Sweetone, Gens, Clarke, walton’s and Feadog ~ all in D.
2 of my sons joined me in testing them, and guess what? We each liked different ones best!
My favorite at that time was the Sweetone, ~ I quickly found the Whistle shop, and have collected my share of whistles over the years ~ have fun!
(And there ARE some mighty Oak fans around here 
Mary
My first whistles were Susato D, C, Bb
Then purchased a Shaw E, Gen F, Shaw A
Also Waltons D, Black Guinness D
Then obtained a Cook low D, E, F combo
Finally a Dixon D.
Arriving soon will be a Dixon low D whistle/flute combo.
To start: Generation, Clark or Susato.
I have to agree the Susato would be a good starter. Not too expensive, and sounds nice, plus it requires less air then the Clarke.
I disagree about Susato as a beginner instrument - too loud!
I think a Sweetone is an excellent first whistle.
I think a Clare or Waltons is good for a beginner, because they are pretty reliable. Also a Sweetone, if you can stand the sound. Generations and Feadogs are good, but often require a bit of tweaking that a beginner is reluctant to do. Oaks/Acorns are a bit too touchy for the beginner.
Susatos I cannot recommend for a beginner, because of the air and control requirements. Also, because they are loud and require a push in the second octave, they tend to be intimidating and cause the beginner to hold back in the upper octave.
Yikes! JessieK & Bloomfield agreeing on something!
now that was very civil… 
Bloomfield, do we normally disagree? About whistles, perhaps, but I don’t remember disagreeing about other stuff.
You disagree about whether you disagree.
I agree that the Susato D, whatever its eventual
merits, is tough for beginners.
I like better the Susato C.
I think Clare’s are great. Best
Oh, there is poetry in that!
Jessie, I agree that we don’t disgree much, it’s just that…
and I’ve never told you this before…
but…
cough
I don’t like cats.
I think a Jerry Tweaked Generation D to be a great whistle at any stage a whistler’s at for the price. The way he laminates a piece of plastic to the bottom of the windway is brilliant. They come out to be a great Generation. Just what people are looking for.
I started on a clarke. I had ordered a whistle or two, but befor I got them, I found a clarke in a music store. As soon as the other whistles came in and I had a back up, I started tweaking on it. Mashing the windway down and playing with the blade. Off and on it was my favorite whistle for the first few weeks.
I still like to play it, and it is one of the ones in my pocket right now.
Well, you haven’t met mine. I don’t like ALL cats. I had one that was a terror (I left her with my ex-husband). In my opinion, to say you don’t like an entire species is similar to saying “I don’t like people.” They vary just as much. Dan didn’t like cats before we got together. You should see him now. He adores our cats. He talks to them and loves them and they love him back. They get so excited when “Daddy” comes home each night. They run to the door to greet him, kissing each other as they wait for him to come inside from the garage.