I mostly play mandolin, bluegrass and a tad of jazz chording. But I found a book on playing whistle in my Dad’s old pile of sheet music a couple years ago and bought a few cheap whistles so I’d have something to noodle around with when traveling. This winter I tore a ligament in a knuckle skiing and it will be a few more months before it loosens back up again so I can play mando. So I’m playing whistle more. I decided I would be sad to never try to play a low-D whistle so I end up ordering one, a Dixen TB012. I searched some of the threads here on beginner low-D options and it seemed like a good choice. I just got it a couple days ago and I love it already. It really resonates for a haunting tone. I have a Dixon brass G whistle and it was without question my hardest whistle to play. There is such a fine line between the low and high octaves. The low did is not as hard to play; nowhere near as hard as I thought it would be but I’m a beginner at all whistles so not trying to play anything hard or fast. I find the pipers grip not at all difficult but I could never play anything fast with it now. But, practice. I may never get good playing 20 minutes a day but I really enjoy it. I can leave one of my high D whistles in each room so I can always pick something up and play for a few minutes but will also be playing the low-D 10-20 minutes a day; it just sounds so cool.
Congrats on your first low D. I’ve got several and love the way they sound. Each one has its own character and the way it wants to be played. Glad you found one and are enjoying playing it!
Glad you are enjoying it. The issue with the Dixon G is that its headpiece isnt made for a G body. I’m fairly sure the head is made for the A or Bb. So on the G body its just not the best formula. Which is a shame because its one of the most affordable low G’s.
I’ve told people if they practice even 5 minutes a day they can get good. So if I’m right your 20 will be more than enough haha. My logic of at least 5 minutes a day is that your still playing daily and cant lose progress from not playing. So as long as you are challenging yourself with new things you will definitely improve. I’m guilty of playing the same songs I already know most of the time (figuring out new songs is effort haha). But you can always try to play it in a slightly better way, faster, ect to still gain improvement. Have fun!
leearn2turn,
Yes, congratulations on your new LowD !
The Dixon was my first LowD too. Excellent choice - nice voice, very low weight, low-cost.
I’ve played over a dozen different low whistles. I’ll second the idea that “they’re all different”.
I’ll also 2nd the vote in favor of daily practice, with one addition. This quote comes from a book on weight-training: “Practice makes perfect, but practice perfect”. The idea is, some portion of your practice time should be devoted to slow+relaxed+accurate playing. The speed will come by itself. If a player is always rushing+sloppy+tense, guess what ? That type of play will become habituated by the miracle of repetition.
Happy whistling !
trill
ps: I’ve ventured into the LowC arena. Just got one from New Zealand: https://drjohnlaurence.com/product/667750. Lovely item !
Yeah, I’m not the best musician around but I’m an accomplished skier and ski instructor with several accreditations and certifications. I’ve attended a bunch of clinics on neuromuscular learning in general. And I’ve often compared practicing a musical instrument to practicing sports movements just like in your weight training. We have a saying “Practice doesn’t make perfect; practice makes permanent.” and therefore “Perfect practice makes perfect permanent.” I also recall something about it take a few hundred repetitions to get a new motion into “muscle memory” but perhaps 10,000 to change a motion that’s already learned. So it pays to pay attention when practicing. 
Thanks for the encouraging words,
-l2t
If you’re the bookish sort, Judy Minot’s Best Practice come highly recommended (see here)
I love a Low-D whistle, I just find that I practice less with mine than I should because my High-D is just so easy to grab and go. Good luck and glad you’re enjoying it!
Is that Dixon the all-plastic conical-bore Low D?
It’s a very special whistle, more like a flute in a few different ways than most Low D’s I’ve played.
The closer-set smaller holes, the slender tube, the light weight, and the easy voicing make it perhaps the most ergonomic and easy-to-play Low D.
My only issue is that the two that I used to own both had flat 2nd octaves. If Tony sorted that, that whistle would be very hard to beat period.
I would like to try one of those Dixon mezzo G’s you’re talking about. In general I prefer narrow-bore whistles, whistles with less “break” between the octaves. I’ll take the trade-off of volume for nimbleness.