Greetings! A local public radio station plays some traditional Irish tunes and I really like the sound of the Irish whistle.
I want to learn to play but I don’t know anything about this. I’ve heard of a tin whistle and penny whistle but don’t know what the differences are–or what’s the most common. Could someone please tell me what’s probably the most popular and in what key I should get?
Much appreciated. Thanks.
Howdy,
To answer your questions, the penny whistle, tin whistle, whistle, irish whistle, are all the same creature. They come in many different keys. Most people start with a soprano D. This whistle is prolly the most common, and can be played in sessions and with other Irish trad instruments. There are many makers that make a whistle under $20. Feadog, clark, waltons, Generations come to mind. Each have their own distinct sound, from a breathy clark (that take more air) to a loud but trad Feadog. It really boils down to what you prefer. Although it is a little more expensive, I really recomend Jerry Freeman’s Tweaked Mellow Dog. That is what my mother started with a few months ago, and she has to keep a sharp eye on it, cause I am always grabbing it up and playing it. It sorta just plays it self. Again though, there is nothing wrong with starting with a $6 Sweetone or similiar.
Matt
Ya came to the right place! Be sure to check out the main website www.chiffandfipple.com for guides to all sorts of whistles.
You definitely want a D whistle for starters. Also, get a good whistle book/cd tutor like Bill Ochs’ The Clarke Tinwhistle (you don’t necessarily have to get an actual Clarke, although they’re fun). If you follow the lessons in the book along with the CD, you’ll be WELL on your way. Enjoy!
I would always recommend that a total beginner just buy a cheap 6-7 dollar whistle to learn the basics on.
If you decide you like it and wish to continue playing, then start shopping for a slightly better one (never go all out at first, this addiction builds over time). If you decide it’s not for you (blasphemy!), you are only out the price of a McDonald’s lunch (and the whistle likely has more nutritional value).
Enjoy the whistle, it’s a wonderful instrument.
In my opinion, the best starter whistles would be a Walton’s Nickel C, or a Walton’s Mellow D, both available from The Whistle Shop last time I checked.
I would certainly 2nd the recommendation about a Tweaked whistle - the best one seems to be Jerry Freemans called a Mellow Dog. Especially if you are in the US. I am a new player so maybe take a hint from my expereince:
I went through 4 purchases of cheap mass produced whistles. I almost gave up. - glad I didn’t. I was very frustrated until I got a Freeman tweaked Generation. All of a sudden, I could get a whistle to work. It sounded like music instead of squeeks and squeels (sp?).
After practicing on this for quite some time, it all fell into place and all of a sudden I could even play the other cheapy whistles better. The Freeman tweaked cost me less than the four I could not begin to play well.
If you are not real serious, then the under $15.00 or $20.00 market is full of choices and you might even get a good one. Might be worth a try, you may do fine.
The key to the Freeman tweaked whistles is that a real live person, with playing experience and a whole lot of technique will “hone” that mass produced whistle to a whistle that is easy to learn breath control on. He will take the new whistle and make sure none of the factory weaknesses are left. I have 3 Generations and a Clarke Sweetone from him, but at this time the Mellow Dog which is made from parts of two seperate whistles is considered one of the very best. They run in the 36 dollar area plus reasonable very fast shipping. They are bargains for his talent.
So if you are even partially serious the Freeman tweaked whistles will become both an excellent learning tool and will still “be in your stable” for a great sound when you have become a more accomplished whistle player. By then you may be also buying other whistles because you like their sound or maybe their look (think brass, nickel silver, wonderous wood, copper, delrin (Plastic)). Each of these have a little different tone to them. By then you will have gotten the fundamentals of playing and will be able to improve your technique with the vast array of middle and high end whistles on the market. And anytime you ask, the veterans here can provide thoughtful advice based on their experiences. There is no better place in my mind. I would NOT be playing whistles today if not for the Chiff website and this board.
Most of us find this pastime seriously fun, fulfilling, and can’t wait for that next new whistle to try. Hope you stay and become a happy member!
After practicing on this for quite some time, it all fell into place and all of a sudden I could even play the other cheapy whistles better.
This suggest to me that maybe it wasn’t that the other whistles were “worse”, but rather that you needed more practice. (Granted that it appears that some people find certain whistles easier to start on, I’d wager that in the end any whistle would do)
If you want to try the whistle, get a whistle. Any whistle. Practise. That’s all you need.
(ie; Whistle+Practice=Playing the Whistle)
So if you are even partially serious the Freeman tweaked whistles will become both an excellent learning tool and will still “be in your stable” for a great sound when you have become a more accomplished whistle player.
Although, I do agree with Moreno that the most important thing is to get a whistle, I really agree with Kansas on the tweaked whistles. It is true that you can find a really good $5 whistle. But a tweaked whistle can be an excellent learning tool and can really aid with ornamentations. Sure, you can get ornamentations out of an Acorn or Oak. However, with Jerry’s they seem to happen. To use my mother as an example again, She had a very, very cheap whistle. It was very hard to make a tune much less a tune with styling in it. She purchased a Mellow Dog and within a week, she was playing polkas with very crisp ornamentations. My suggestion, again, is to get a tweaked. Jerry’s tweaked Sweetones are around $15 and very good from what I hear. Going this route would take out the squeaks and squawks and the guess work in getting a good whistle. However, you will find that everybody has their own opinion on the “Best” starter whistle. Perhaps the best thing to do is to go to the site below and compare the different whistles and their sounds. Wanderer has put together some great reviews and clips.
http://www.tinwhistler.com
Find out what you like, and go with that. Which ever one it is, you will not be disappointed. The whistle is an extremely fun, and extremely addictive instrument.
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For about $20, Feadog has a whistle, instruction book and CD. That’s how I learned. I agree that one should start with a good whistle. If you play an instrument that is not in tune you will incorrectly train your ears. I’d start with a Burke or Hoover or Jerry’s tweaked. I hate Sweetones, though, and can’t imagine even a tweaked one being any good.