Hello. First of all, i will introduce myself a tad. I am Emily, or Emm. I live on the Oregon Coast USA, have played Baritone saxophone for about 6 years, privy piano lessons for about 4 (currently postponed b/c of schedule).
My recent obsession is Everything Irish/Celtic (i go through alot of phases ) I am looking to buy a whistle (penny whistle, tin whistleâŚ) to learn. I love the haunting sound that many times are played by a whistle or a wooded flute in celtic music. im not looking to spend oodles of money, since as a i said before, i seem to go through phases of interest.
What type of whistle would you recommend? anything else i should know?
Thanks bunches in advance, and i hope this was coherent enough (and in the correct forum).
There are lots of similar posts from people wanting to buy that first whistle and even more opinions. Iâd try a cheapie to start with from your local music shop and see how it feels. You might like it, in which case stick with it, or you might not, in which case, stick with it, at least until you can convince everyone that itâs the whistle thatâs at fault rather than you!
Thanks for the Response
Unfortunately i Donât have a local music store. The closest one is 60 miles away and is rather over priced. So may have to go online to buy.
What should i look for when buying my first one? i know there is more than one type, but canât fully grasp the differences at the current time (the person who tried to explain it to me goes to Berkley and just kinda talked over my head⌠not on purpose tho)
I am sure there are other things to look for, brands, styles, types, spacings, tunings, pitches, materials, time periods⌠what is the main things to pay attention to? Thanks
My personal recommendation would be to get with Jerry Freaman and order a tweaked whistle from him. Itâs not too expensive but yet it is a quality instrument that is pretty easy to blow. I have a mellow dog D that Iâve really grown to love. They have a pretty good rep and you can get a good clean sound out of them.
Advice from someone new is just thatâŚ
Hope this doesnât sound stupid, But is he jerry FreEman? i didnât find a Freaman. And does the material it is made out of matter? Do i want nickel, brass? I donât care about the cosmetical appearance since its just a learners. thanks for the help
Found out what a generation whistle wasâŚnow i feel dumb
Thanks
I agree with Shatfield, contact Jerry Freeman on this board and send him an e-mail. A tweaked whistle by him will help you avoid the irritating buzz that can come with mass produced whistles that get no personal attention. Itâs a bit more expensive, but worth it. Many say that these flaws are overcome by the player in time, but why not start as easily as you can? Jerry Freemanâs work is great.
If you really want to start out cheaply, I would recommend an untweaked Feadog (no glue on the mouthpiece, so you can carefully adjust it yourself with a tuner), a Clarke Sweetone or Meg (some say they sound toyish, but just âpushâ the air a bit and that sound disappears), or my personal favorite, a Clarke Original. A bit of pressure with the thumb at the edge of the voicing window closest to your mouth sharpens the sound (if you go too far, use a thin screwdriver to lift it up).
The âofficialâ key of Irish music is D. It wonât be long before you want to try lower whistles. The next easiest step is a Generation Bb.
Have fun!! And do learn âMany Meetings,â the theme song from the Lord of the Rings movie!
Thank you very much for the suggestions! I am currently looking at them tweaked by Jerry Freeman or the Clarke Original that was reccomended. But the Clarke comes with a Wooden Mouthpiece, I read somewhere that many prefer plastic for the consistancy in tone. Do I want a plastic or a wooden one? i play Bari sax (so donât worry about air and diaphram there ) and we use cane reeds, and they def change due to variations ofâŚpretty much everthing. will the MP change drastically due to playing conditions? (i prefer wood ones just because i prefer to stick as close to original as i can afford)
and by not wanting to spend loads, i am thinking a max of like $50. Many of the whistles reccomended are around $25. Would taking it up a little bring up the quality and sound another level? I donât mind paying up to, or a little over $50 if its worth it⌠did that make any sense???
Jerry makes a tweaked Sweetone that is excellent. Takes less air than a regular Clark or Sweetone, plays well and itâs only $20 total including shipping. Canât beat that price and the amount of whistle you get for it.
Mirepoix, you maybe in for a surprise if youâve never played whistle before. Not having a reed, the blowing pressure requirements for a whistle are much, much lower than with a sax. Just recently, in fact, I met a saxophonist who himself too was trying out whistleplaying, and he was consistently blowing way too hard, screeching and losing the bottom octave. Despite my best attempts to help him along, he finally gave up, but thatâs only because he was unwilling to really work at unfamiliar territory and change his usual playing paradigm to one that has little physical relationship to saxophone. Iâm not posting this to put you off and discourage you, but to let you know ahead of time that when it comes to getting the right tone and control out of a whistle, easy does it.
I appreciate the warning. i have messed around a little on almost all instruments, but thats just picking one up fingering a few keys⌠not really playing. I am willing to work on my breathing, since it can only make me better. because i have played a variety of instruments (learning to teach band at the moment actually) and played various types of saxophone (Bari and soprano mainly) i have had to learn to control my air, softer and high for different things.
I am a little worried about Embouchure though. Is it highly demanding on a pennywhistle? i have TMJ that makes it difficult to play extended periods of time with a strict embouchure.
Lol and the lack of weight/pressure will be gladly excepted! My bari weighs about 17lb, so i have to wear a harness everyday⌠SO ready to not have to do that anymore
possibly a dumb question but how do you change your pitch? (oh and on saxophone if you change your pitch by using your lips, its not good. Never supposed to change your lips. all in the embocure and tongue)
I donât think that was a stupid question at all. If you want to learn and you donât know, ask. If someone might think anotherâs question is stupid, itâs on them to justify having such a demeaning stance.
Well i PMâd Jerry Freemen asking his opinion, and he recommended the Mellow Dog D/C set. I am planning on taking him up on his opinion as soon as i get the $ (working sucks )
Thanks for all the help, and i am sure i will return.
Embouchure? Nope, no embouchure needed on a whistle. You just put it on your lips and blow. A toddler could do it no problem. Without breath control and proper covering of the holes, though, that toddler would be really screechy.
And donât listen to Denny. They ARE mad⌠and old and cranky.
) I am looking to buy a whistle (penny whistle, tin whistleâŚ) to learn. I love the haunting sound that many times are played by a whistle or a wooded flute in celtic music. im not looking to spend oodles of money, since as a i said before, i seem to go through phases of interest.
