I read somwehere in this forum that some people play the low D at sessions because sometimes, there are too many high D’s yelling. If that is the case, wouldn’t the low A work as well? Also, why aren’t there more low A’s at sessions? (Not the huge bass A, just the regular lowA)
Low As are really useful to play tunes in D that have notes below the tonic.
If you are playing regular d tunes though some go too high then ( some don’t)
I never used really used my Low (big) A flute spontaneously in a session. I had certain sets worked out though that made use of it. There was a nice Reavy Hornpipe called the Gypsy Girl played in D fingering on an A puts it where fiddlers play it. I would play that followed by Farrell O Garas in G fingering
On the A putting it where fiddlers play it with the low notes.
I once played Neil Gows Lament for his second wife with a fiddler, I was playing in G fingering on the low low A so getting all the nice low notes.
That type of thing. Really more useful for arranging stuff than mentally transposing tunes on the fly in a session.
As an aside your Clarke/ Shaw posts had me digging out the old Shaw I’d had in drawer for several years. I’ve tweaked it into a nice whistle.
Yes there are tunes that you could play on the D, but since the melodies go below your Bottom D, you have to “fold” the melodies, play all the low notes an octave up.
Playing those tunes on an A whistle allows you to play the entire tune with all the notes in the correct octave relationship. There are tunes that different fiddlers play in different keys so you use an A or G depending.
Examples are The Bear Reel, Tony Rowe’s, The Dawn… I can’t remember the titles of all of them.
AKA [Brendan] Tonra’s, the late, lamented gentleman who wrote the tune. Gotta love the folk process.
And yes, it lies nicely on an A whistle playing in D.
Best wishes.
Steve
And while we’re at it: no bears in Ireland for the past millenium or two. There is, however a Beare Island that had a reel composed in its honour that could be played on an A whistle.
I thought that was Beer Island… 
Best wishes.
Steve
I remember a certain fiddler praising the brilliance of the the composer of the tune for starting it in E major by referring to him a Ludwig von feckin Dwyer
And to fold this back on topic: I have never encountered an A whistle at a session. Generally speaking most whistleplayers here don’t go out with a whole array of whistles, simplicity, portability and traveling light are perhaps still core values in Irish whistledom. But that doesn’t mean an A whistle is out of place when you can make it work and don’t mind the extra stuff to drag around.
Well, the advantage of the low D in this case is that it’s more or less exactly the same as playing the high D, but not “yelling” at the other high Ds.
That said, since our local session has a good bit of singing, in D more often than not, I’ve found my A whistle absolutely invaluable for playing along. In most cases it’s not impossible to play the same melody on D whistle, but doing so either requires heavy octave folding or taking things mostly in the second octave. The songs fit perfectly on the A whistle, and bonus, I’m not constantly fighting the tuning of the other whistle players, who are playing it in the second octave on high D whistles. (Because the last thing any song needs is three high D whistles slugging it out in the second octave.)
And with my A whistle already sitting on the table, I’ve been starting to use it more for tunes, too. While it’s great for D tunes that go below the range of a normal whistle, I don’t think we actually play any of those at our local session. (I do have such tunes, they just don’t get played locally.) On the other hand, if someone is playing a tune in D or A I’ve played a million times before, I can switch to A whistle and make the tune new again.
our local session has a good bit of singing, in D more often than not, I’ve found my A whistle absolutely invaluable for playing along.
I think you have the difference right there. Over here we have some of the finest traditional singers and they will often be asked for a few songs. Nobody however will even think of ‘playing along’. That’s just not something that’s done.
Thanks all, I can see how the Low A would fit into the picture. When I sit around to play at home or practice, I tend to reach for the Low A or the Bb for some reason. I used to play the Highland Pipes back in my school days, and there are some pipe tunes that sound really good on the low A.
And to Dunnp regarding the Shaw…My Shaw C sounds a whole lot better than the D. I have no idea why.
…and one more thing about the Low A
I have on order a copper Elfsong Low A. I have a copper Elfsong in C and I really appreciate the sound of the copper. I believe Ethnic Winds also makes them in copper. Elfsong is made by Sandy Jasper of Vancouver. There is something about the sound of the copper that is rather haunting.
Anyone else out there playing copper in a low A or other keys?
I play a copper tone tube 9/16’’ ID in the key of high D with a Generation Bb head. It is clear, pure, and can be pushed to loud.
Years ago people were looking for whistles that could be heard in large sessions, but the trend now seems to be quiet whistles.
Also play a Generation Bb head machined out to 21/32’’ for fitting to a key of A aluminum tone tube 5/8’’ ID.
You make your own tubes, then? That is impressive. You’re right about the copper; it’s loud. But I think it’s loud without being too intense. That’s what I like the best about copper, its mellow nature. I wonder though, whether copper may limit itself because of its weight. Low D in copper may be too heavy. There is a fellow on YouTube playing a copper low D made by Ethnic Wind…very nicely done. I may get a low D from Elfsong after I get used to the heft of the Low A. (Never played a low D before.)
I make complete whistles. Here is a high D copper conical with black pvc head. https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/cp-woodwhistle-pvc-copper-prototype-makers-tip-moving-holes/64875/1
Also low whistles and ‘‘Whistles of Wood’’. http://praisewhistlers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=5704
A copper tube doesn’t have any inherent qualities that will give it a different sound over any other material. The qualities you are attributing to the copper are most likely coming from one of the other aspects of the whistle’s design. Whistles don’t make their sound by the material vibrating, but it is by the action of the column of air itself, within the tube. The body of a whistle is essentially just a container for that column. The ramp, windway, window, blade, bore size, hole size, and other such bits are what make the difference in sound.
You know, there are probably at least a dozen ways that I wish our sessions were more like yours. But having (some) songs that are performed with instrumental accompaniment? That’s actually been really nice, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Thank you, that is good information. Mods, if I digress a little from the original post, please excuse me.
I’ve only been playing the whistle for about a year. Years ago, I played the pipes (1970s) with some fine people of the Hibernian Club in West Haven, Connecticut. After playing the Great Highland Pipes for about 10 years, I developed an ear condition that made piping painful so I made an interesting transition to the recorder only because it had the same number of holes as the chanter. I play by ear and enjoyed playing a variety of pipe tunes and early Anglo-Irish-American tunes on the recorder. I shied away from the whistle because I didn’t want to give up playing the 8 holer, but I finally made the transition last summer and am very glad for it. I’ve always preferred the sound of the whistle over the recorder anyway. I have miles to go, but it is a good journey.
Now, to the topic on sounds. I played on a set of Hardies for which I paid $325 new in 1975. It was made of African blackwood. The Hibernians told me, (I was 19 at the time.) that the blackwood produced the sweetest sound, so I got a a blackwood. They told me Hardies were better than Hendersons for reasons I can’t recall.
Move forward 20 years… I started playing recorders made of various woods and plastic and they all sounded different. The maple was smokey, the pearwood was sweet and fruity, the Yamaha plastic was, well, plastic. So, I assumed whistles have unique sounds based upon the type of material used. However, in the case of whistles, what really matters may be the configuration of the whistlehead, and not so much the tube. Still, I must wonder how all this comes together. For example, my Elfsong C has a delrin head and a copper body. If I were to stick the head into an aluminum or a wooden tube, would it still sound the same? It would be very interesting, though highly unlikely for someone to market a whistle set with a brass tube and three heads: wood, delrin, and brass.
Anyway, these are good things to think about, regardless of various viewpoints and empirical evidence. Now, if only my copper Elfsong Low A would hurry up and get here.
…just one more thing. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can’t walk past a brass curtain rod, copper tubing at Lowes, or an aluminum tent pole without wondering what they would sound like as a proper whistle.
Good grief, do I need help?
Straight line of the week. Add your own punchline.
Best wishes.
Steve
But having (some) songs that are performed with instrumental accompaniment? That’s actually been really nice, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
I was just flagging up a significant difference that could explain why whistlers here travel light, not making a case for one or the other.