Hey, I’m looking into buying a shaw whistle in D, and I was wondering how much air it needed in comparison to, lets say, a clarke (wooden fipple)
There’s a lot of variation
in Clarke classics Ds. Some
are a lot more breathy than
others. I’ve only played
Shaw high Ds a few times,
and my impression is
that they are like a
breathy Clarke. For what
that’s worth.
The tone of my Shaw D was incredibly mellow and warm, even more beautiful than that of the Clarke. Unfortunately, the second octave was practically useless because of the massive air requirement. I gave it away.
I have 2 Shaw D’s one is very difficult in the upper octave the other is easier. My Clarkes, Sweetone and Classic, are easier to play than both my Shaws. But I do prefer the sound of the Shaws to my Clarkes. On the other hand I have a Shaw C which is easy on the breath and sounds superb.
I have a Shaw D which takes so much air, I see stars before my eyes after playing a few bars. I think I’m hyperventilating.
They can’t all be this bad, or nobody would play them.
I have Shaws in both C and D, and like them a lot for that chiffy, Better Than Clarke sound. When I first got them, they took a LOT of air, but I pinched the windway a bit flatter, and that helped a lot. Do this in tiny increments, using nothing more forceful than your fingers. If you pinch it too flat, you can raise it up again with a long, thin, blunt knife blade.