I have a 2002 Burke DAN, which I have been playing for a couple of weeks now. I like the sound and like the whistle. However, I tend to notice that it jumps octave very easily between its low D and middle D.
Could it be my unskilled breath control?
Could it be my lower finger control - the spacing between B1 and B2 is less than that between B2 and B3 and maybe my fingers are still clumsy (I doubt it though)?
Could it be that it really does not require much breath pressure to play this whistle and I am simply trying to play too loudly?
Would one of the Burke brass sessions (which seem very desireable) be less triggerhappy in jumping octave? In other words is the narrow bore not the best choice for a beginner?
What do folk think of the Thornton as my next choice of whistle - I am on that slippery slope to multiple whistle ownership!!!
Incidentally, folk have said that my Feadog (Freeman tweaked) will listen to the Burke and become further improved. Well…it does seem to be less prone to the octave jump than the Burke and does also seem to have improved in sound!
I have a Brass Session Burke and I do have to say, the jump from low to high D is very, very easy… I have to keep my breath really controlled when playing the low D… But in fact, that’s one of the things I like about it 'cause it make the high notes in the second octave easier to reach…
To me, a whistle being able to leap the octave with little effort is a plus, actually a necessity. I think of it as the whistle being nimble, or having a good “action”.
But a whistle having a feeble low note, a note which has a much lower “breaking point” that the rest, is unacceptable.
The key is evenness, the various low-register notes having a similar “breaking point”.
It’s all a system of compromises, but on the best whistles the low range is full, notes like high B are sweet not shrill, and the whistle can nimbly negotiate the entire gamut.
I have six Burkes now in six sizes and they all have very even voicing. The bell notes are very strong but still the octave leaps are facile.
I know nothing of Burke whistles, but I love my Thornton. It’s a very easy whistle to contron and I particularly love the fact that I can play it a low volume in the second octave. Sweet and pure. And the price is right!
PS. Haven’t heard of anyone else who started with a Burke as their first whistle.
I think this is the second thread recently wherein the difficulty in breath control/octave jumps has been noted and I guess I’m surprised. I’ve always found the Burkes (brass and aluminum, of which I have a total of 6) to be the easiest for me to adapt to quickly, actually right from the start. I find them very well balanced between octaves. I guess it comes back to what Peter says which is basically we all adapt differently to various whistles, but for me the Burke and I became one more quickly than with any others, as I recall.
Interesting answers. The Burke DAN is actually my third whistle, behind a Feadog and tweaked Feadog. The Burke whistle was purchased used at a good price.
It seems that there are a couple of causes that could be the cause of my consternation: breath control - maybe when descending notes in the lower octave, I need to ease off when transitioning between the higher notes (G, F#, E) and the D. I have no problem with any of the other notes.
The second cause maybe finger spacing of the D hole versus the E and F#, and that I have simply found a tune (Leitrim Fancy) which is exposing me to poor / unskilled finger placement, particularly on the drop from F# to D. Although in all the exercises in the Grey Larsen book, I have not noticed this problem.
Maybe, my enthusiasm in playing this piece is causing me to overblow the whistle, Afterall the DAN is supposed to have very low air requirements.
Of course, I am also itching to buy another whistle. I love the looks and description of the Burke D session in brass. I also like the tuneability, which may prove real useful as and when my wife accompanies me on piano. However, I also noted Tony Hinnigan’s review of the Thornton.
I suppose, I should be comfortable in that Burke offers a full refund on his whistles, and I expect that Tommy Martin also does the same for the Thorntons.
Maybe I should simply persevere and see if things improve with the DAN, which I expect they will before I take the plunge and buy another whistle.
You may be right. I bought the whistle from a highly regarded forum member and I very much doubt that he was trying to ditch a defective instrument. If anything, it is well played and could simply be highlighting my inadequacies.
Incidentally, when I played this morning the problem didn’t seem anywhere near as pronounced, in fact, I played the piece flawlessly. I expect that it is not a loud whistle and requires so little air that I am overblowing it.
I suppose I could send it to the maker for a check over, but that means that I’ll have to part with it.
I promised myself that I would not buy the Burke brass session until I was good enough a player to reward myself. So maybe a Thornton purchase would satisfy my whistle craving sufficiently and give me the opportunity to return the DAN for a check-over.
Anyway, the reason I purchased the Burke (besides the reputation and the price) is that with a good whistle, I practice more and feel as if my playing has progressed significantly.
I simply hope that the “hair-trigger” D has gone away and that it was just something dumb that I was doing!
I have played the latest iterations of Burke’s DAN and DBSBT. I did find that the DAN transitioned from low to middle D easier than the session; I assume this facility is due to the narrower bore.
The session bell note is solid as a rock with a very stable and predictable transition.
From what you have stated, I would imagine you would find the DBSBT more to your liking.
Please note, I am speaking of the latest, 2008 models.
I suspect that it may have something to do with starting out on Feadog whistles. I went the other way with several low volume, narrow bore whistles before I even tried a Feadog. I quickly discovered that the Feadog required a more aggressive, no nonsense approach when playing higher notes.
So I suspect that you just need to adjust to a lower air volume and a lighter touch. Probably won’t take long.
I am itching to buy the DBST, but should really force myself not to. Afterall, I remember when I was a high-schooler, a friend of mine from a well-off family (custom house, jag, etc.) got a Fender Stratocaster for Christmas. He really thought he was something else with that guitar, but played worth cr*p and was consequently ridiculed behind his back. I had an old 1962 Hofner electric on which I rewired the pick-ups, even I played better than he did.
I simply have to bear that in mind, when eager to buy the DBST. When I can play a couple of jigs, with cuts, taps, etc incorporated and at a respectable speed for playing jigs, then maybe I will reward myself with a DBST. Until then, I have a very good quality whistle and I can always visit the DBST page on Burke website for inspiration and a drool.
AND, if I really find the low D on the DAN to be persistently jumping octave, I could always justify buying the DBST sooner.
