Hello everyone :) newbie whistler seeking advice

Whistle
1

First of all just want to say hi and thanks for creating such a great space to share about traditional music.

Well a bit about me; I am a musician, I play guitar and sing (not too well) :smiley:

I’ve always loved fiddle music for the longest time… But I had never been exposed to true traditional irish fiddling until recently. Or traditional irish music at all really… The other day someone gave me a copy of Lunasa’s Otherworld, and it was so beautiful that it made me cry. This is the music I have been looking for my whole life! It touches something inside me that is beyond words, and connects me to “home”. Maybe it’s in my DNA as I do have celtic blood mixed in there :slight_smile:

I fell in love with the tin whistle over the past few days, specifically the low whistles.

I am about to buy my first one and learn to play the heck out of it :smiley: but I just have a few questions first.

Do you guys knows the song by Lunasa “Autumn Child/Heaton Chapel”?

That is a low whistle that is played with the guitar at the beginning right?

I have been leaning towards buying the Kerry Songbird low D, because it seems really beautiful and it is within my price range and also seems to be of high quality.

I was wondering if that whistle would be a good one to get. I have read some very favorable reviews on the forums here on it.

I have also read that it is best not to learn on a low whistle because it is harder. Is that because of the piper’s grip that is necessary or something to do with blowing into it?

I don’t have any experience playing tin whistles, but I did get pretty good at the recorder when I was a lad :slight_smile: we learned it in school.

I don’t really want to get a higher whistle as I am more drawn to the deep beauty of the low whistle. Has anyone here started on a low whistle and could share some advice on this?

Thanks so much, I’ll probably stick around here while learning to get advice from you pros :slight_smile:

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Both. The grip takes practise, and the air requirements for a low whistle can be high for someone not used to playing a wind instrument. A high whistle takes much less puff and doesn’t make you black out so often.

If you could be more precise than “Canada” as your location (I understand it’s quite a large place), you may well find there are people on this board living near you who would be happy to meet up to give you tips, experience, encouragement, mutual playing, and possibly a lend of a low whistle to try out.

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I had an initial interest in the low whistle too. But I started with a regular high D. Everything you learn on a high whistle is transferable to a low whistle. High whistles are much easier to obtain. They are also much less expensive ($10 and up) than low whistles ($100 and up). I ended up getting several low whistles and I love the sound, but 98% of the time I stay with my high whistles.

Also whistles come in most keys. A Bflat whistle is a nice instrument about half way between a high and low D.

Good luck - It’s a lot of fun.

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I have short fingers. Besides that, they don’t splay out very much. I’ve compared my finger spread with others and I’m definitely at the extreme end of “narrow-handedness”. If you don’t have long fingers, or at least medium, the low whistle will be a challenge.
Start with a high whistle. My recommendations:
Low price: Feadog, preferably one that’s been professionally tweaked.
Medium: Syn (pricewise at the low end of medium) or Burke (high medium)
High: Abell

5

I started playing both at the same time. The tunes I learn on the high whistle I practice on the low whistle at the same time (if they’re not too fast, songs and airs eg.). the high whistle is easier to play. The low whistle takes a piper’s grip and more air requirement. I’d say buy both, but first find out with a cheap whistle if you’re into playing the whistle at all (I would say so). Look for whistlemakers at Sassafras Groves Whistle links; you’ll find them in all priceclasses. Then find the site WhistleThis.com, there you can learn to play tunes. Look at TheSession.org/tunes, where you can rip free sheetmusic. Best is to find yourself a teacher to get things right and to get feedback, I did and learned a great deal in a short time. Succes with it mate!

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Thanks for all your replies!

I went to a music store today and picked up a high D tinwhistle. All they had were Generations so that is what I got. It is pretty cool.

I have only played it for about an hour :smiley: sqqueek squeek squawk

I will order a low D whistle once I learn a few reels on this little one.

And good idea Martin about meeting up with local folks to get some tips. I think I will practice for a few weeks before doing anything like that :slight_smile:

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As it happens, I ran across a very cheap Bb Generation today – too cheap to pass up. Like many of the cheap whistles, it had a bit of plastic “flash” and some plastic shavings inside. Sounds much better with all that removed.

Most likely your squeaks and squawks are the ones all beginners make, but it’s always a good idea to look the whistle over for these kinds of things.

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The Gen Bflat sounds good doesn’t it? I did the same and also filled the cavity under the windway with putty. It makes a diffence. I did the same with my Gen high G, and that made even more difference. It takes out some chiff and stabilizes the tone.

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Another advantage to the high D is that it’s very portable: stick it in your pocket and play wherever you like.
A Bb whistle would be a good thing for you to get: easier to reach the finger holes than a low D, but it’ll give you a bit of that haunting mellow sound you’re looking for.

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I am a new whistler also and could not resist buying both high and low D whistles.
I turned to Dixon polymer non tunable wistles which I enjoy a lot.
I have a wet mouth so they clog a bit too fast for me, but they are great value for the price : I think I’ve paid about 80 euros for both of them (that would be about $ 105 I believe).

Hope that will help making a (not definite) choice.