I’m contemplating getting a Dixon high D pennywhistle, and I’m a bit tempted to spend an extra $10 and get the piccolo head that turns the whistle into a Piccolo in D (isn’t that just a fife in D?).
Has anyone played the Dixon 2 piece whistle/piccolo? The whistle board gives great reviews for the whistle, but comments on the piccolo have been minimal.
I’m just curious how it plays, how well in tune it is in the upper register, etc…
Basically, is it worth the extra money?
I bought that duo under the assumption that I might be able to lean to play the fife.
The whistle is my favorite whistle right now. I have a brass slide Dixon but I prefer this whistle.
The Fife for a beginner takes a lot of practice so unless you will be required to give up some of your whistle time unless you are already able to play. I have not yet devoted the time required.
I ordered my set through the whistle shop and they did not have the fife head in stock. When it arrived it was a very tight fit and I suspect as time goes by the whistle head will become loose in the body.
My whistle is in tune when the head is pulled out about 5/16". I have found this to be different on other Dixon’s though. The beauty of this whistle is that it brakes down into two pieces that fit comfortable in your pocket and travel anywhere.
I like the idea of a two part whistle. As for the fife, I already play flute and have a Sweetheart Renaissance fife that I’m not enchanted with…I was hoping the Dixon was better.
I assume if the connecting part becomes loose that Tony would sell replacements…
Jay,
If you really want to try the fife, there is only one fife to get for less than $90 or so: the Cooperman black plastic fife that they sell for $6 or so. Look here:
http://www.cooperman.com/traditionalfifes.htm
Don’t bother with the maple or persimmon fifes from Cooperman. As far as the Dixon combos, I’ve tried them and don’t think they work as fifes, flutes or piccolos. They are great whistles, though!
I’ve been playing and teaching fife for nearly 30 years. Search this forum for fife related posts by David Migoya or myself. There’s plenty of information posted.
E-mail me privately if you have any other questions. I have a word file already prepared that I can send out. It has fife links and recommendations for tutors, books and cd’s.
Jayhawk,
you asked about a piccolo, but recieved alot of answers about fifes. Piccolos are pitched in d, one octave above the flute, as you know. Fifes are usually pitched in the b-flat above the flute. In addition, fifes have narrow cylindrical bores for their size which favors sweet playing in the 2nd and 3rd octave and leave the 1st sounding slightly thinner, weak and a wee out of tune. I agree with the previous comment that the Cooperman plastic fife is the best. I have played them for many years, and yes they really do cost 6 dollars and are better than most wooden fifes that cost under $100. There is a rich, if hidden, tradition of fife playing in Ireland and North America, though be wary of the association of fife and drum with political factions in Northern Ireland when playing in Irish circles.
Piccolo is a much harder instrument to play. It requires a really tight embrochure, even compared to the fife. Just imagine chewing a couple of lemon rinds and your lips will take the proper shape. I own a Sweet Piccolo and a plastic one by Yamaha. Despite my best intentions, I haven’t enjoyed them. I much prefer the whistle when the pitch is that high. You will find that is the case with most who play traditional dance music. I do love having a fife along with my D flute. I recommend you get just the Dixon whistle and use the extra 10 for a Cooperman plastic fife. (Fife is excellent for playing with those pipers who have b-flat instruments.) Along with your d flute, you’ll have three very serviceable and traditional instruments. As to the quality of Dixon instruments. I have the D whistle, and have played both the cheap and the high quality plastic D flutes he makes extensively. I think they are very good. I prefer his whistle to others. The 2 flutes are very different in sound and hole pattern, but both excellent for what they are. I hope this helps.
[ This Message was edited by: jedku on 2002-11-02 09:57 ]
I have a headjoint to the Dixon picolo, it blows well - clean sound, transitions between octaves well. The crown setup is a little piece of cylindrical cork stuffed into the bore and then a round crown plug with little ribs that holds it.
The only problem I see is that the cork can get poked out of place with a cleaning stick. I’m not sure if the plastic plug rests against the cork or that there is space between them. I recommend that you measure the position of the cork surface down to the of the headjoint and write it down somewhere. If it’s already moved,
contact the maker of the instrument.