Hello there
I have recently acquired this low whistle, but suspicious of some of the notes.
Does anyone have a picture or a sound sample of the correct notes.
Sorry to ask this very basic question, but it seems out of tune, slightly flat on higher notes, against my keyboard.
Thanks again
The Edster
If it’s just the higher notes, then it might be a problem with breath pressure.
Have you played low whistles before?
Also, you’d probably get a better response if you posted this in the whistle
forum… Ah, and here we are…
Moved. 
I haven’t played the low whistle before, but am persevering with it.
At least I can manage the grip!
Thanks for your help here.
Sorry to ask this very basic question, but it seems out of tune, slightly flat on higher notes, against my keyboard.
First, the Dixon’s are cylindrical bore whistles and it is a common attribute of such whistles to be a little flat on the high end. They can usually be blown into tune as fearfaoin suggests.
I have owned a bunch of Dixon polymer whistles. I have had three Dixon tunable polymer low D’s and one low C whistle. The tuning of the first two low D’s I bought were good. The last low D and the low C I purchased were noticeably off. When the body was inserted all the way into the head the bell note was quite flat on each. I was able to bring both of those back into tune by shortening the top of the body to get the bell note into tune. After that little fix the rest of the notes took care of themselves. That’s just my experience and I don’t recommend this as a de-facto cure for all Dixons. I do like the Dixon low D.
Feadoggie
Yeah, that makes sense.
I guess every whistle has its own idiosyncrasies.
I will work on it. I didn’t think I was going banana’s.
I here that the new Dixon easy blow low Ds are good, but maybe if I try another brand, there lies another issue though!
Thanks for the comments!
I wouldn’t go after another whistle just yet. Not that I would ever suggest someone refrain from buying another whistle. If you are tuning against an electronic keyboard, try tuning the whistle to the first octave A or G and not the D. See if that gets things closer. And don’t be afraid to attack those high notes.
Feadoggie
Thanks Feadoggie
I’ll start by saying I’ve never played a Dixon whistle -
I have made whistles including a low D that had a problem similar to what you are describing until I modified it - working on the next one.
I believe that for a cylindrical tube the hole lattice (the combination of holes) looks like a longer tube to higher frequencies than to lower frequencies, so the octave notes are going to be flat compared to the 1st octave with a pure cylinder.
Boehm (spelling?) flutes cure this with the space beyond the embouchure hole to the stopper and a non cylindrical head.
You can just blow harder to sharpen the 2nd octave but this also effects the timbre and makes it louder (duh).
As I said, I’ve never played a Dixon so the above are general comments to the effect that it probably should be considered normal (though unwanted) for a cylindrical whistle to be flat in the second octave and if it is not then the maker/manufacturer has gone out of their way to fix the problem.
Bottom line:
work on your playing
or get a new whistle,
or both!!!
or I guess you could tweak the whistle if you are sure that it is a problem with the whistle
Thanks Highwood,
At least if I need to make mods, I know know what to look for.
Thanks again for your help.
How are you coming along in the whistle making?
Hello All,
Just to let you know that after some fiddling about, and some helpful hints from Tony & Yasmin Dixon, I am happy to say that, my whistle is now playing beautifully in tune.
Thanks also to the support given from all the members here.
Its nice to know you can get support & advice from fellow whistlers, and its just a message away.
Now, what do I play first?
So what exactly did the “fiddling about” and “helpful hints” consist of? I am curious, should I have this same problem.