Hello, so I’m fairly new here. I’ve been looking around for wind instruments to get and start learning, after a months of search and stoping at various flutes, clarinets, japanese flutes, sax’s I think I might have found the winner, the Tin whistle. The “Irish” feel just got me, those short high pitched sounds, ah…
My question is. Where, and which brand whistle should I get? Something that would last a long time and keep me satisfied. Many thanks, hope to get some sorta idea of whats popular around here so I can buy it and start learning !
Well, I’m an American, with parents that were of German & Lithuanian heritage, so I imagine I can also welcome you to the Chiff Irish music forums! So, Welcome, Arunas!
Are you looking for the smaller, higher key (high D is the standard), or the lower tones of a Low whistle? The Low D is also the standard for Irish music, though other keys are also very useful and pleasant to hear too.
High whistles are very easy to finger, but the low whistles, being much longer and having harder finger stretches, take some time and practice to manage a good tone. Though breath control is very important on any whistle.
Anyway, we also need to know about what price range you want to spend. And then we will be able to recommend whistles that may suit you best.
Yes, how much do you want to spend is a good question. Even if you decided you want to move on to a low whistle, it is much better to learn initially on a high whistle, the standard being the high D. As Sirchronique suggests Jerry Freeman’s whistles are a good way to start. Jerry is known not so much for making his own whistles, though he does do that now, but for taking one of the cheap but very popular and traditional makes of Irish whistle, like Generation (all of which tend to be inconsistent in quality) and “tweaking” it to make a fine quality whistle at a reasonable price.
Jerry doesn’t have a web-site but his whistles are available on eBay. One of the most popular of his whistles is called the Mellow Dog, a brass whistle that clearish in tone but also more mellow in quality than many high whistles. Many people love them, and they are a good whistle for beginners to start on, though equally good for more advanced players. They are for sale here: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Freeman-Whistle-Mellow-Dog-D-C-SET-Tin-Penny-LISTEN-/281180121637?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4177a42a25. You can hear one played here too.
I don’t know whether you would have to pay import duty in Lithuania on items imported from the USA, like we do in the UK. I have an identical set of Mellow Dog D & C whistle available here and in excellent condition. https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/fs-freeman-obriain-dixon-whistles/87226/1 If you turn out to be interested, I am away now until Sunday.
I’m willing to spend up to 30GBP, I have no idea which key I want it to be in because I have no idea how that effects things, I’ll probably go with the most popular/standard key there is.
Someone here posted some ebay links, while I’m OK with ebay I wouldnt want to ship it from the USA, anywhere in Europe is ok though.
I’m actually interested, however I see you have a few other ones for sale too, mind giving a small round up, what makes them different?
I’d say you shouldn’t fuss too much over it and be practical about it. Get a cheap Feadóg D or something like that, if you want to go the ‘improved’ route get a Cillian O Briain (€30 directly from COB himself, don’t let anyone overcharge you) and find out what you like while learning to play. Don’t risk extra (customs) charges by buying from the US, it’s a waste of money.
I think Sweetones etc are dismal and would advice against them but others seem to think differently.
Hello and welcome to the forum.
You most certainly want a high d to begin with.
I’m another big fan of Jerry Freeman.
The Mellowdog is a wonderful whistle, as is the Bluebird.
Others like Dixon products like the Dixon Trad.
Mr. Gumby recommend the Cillian O’Brien tweaked feadog, he knows his stuff.
I’ve owned all of them and I think any would be a great first whistle.
Some folks like off the shelf Generations, Feadogs, or Oaks.
I haven’t loved most of the ones I bought, with the exception of Oaks.
I very often buy used whistles as the price is usually attractive.
And I’ve never had any issues with bad deals from members on this forum, but
that is no guarantee for you of course.
You can alway use the forum search feature to learn about all things whistle.
It will provide hours, or days of good reading and learning.
Enter such terms as;
Freemans Mellowdog
Best whistle for beginners
Best whistle tutor
Jerry is known not so much for making his own whistles, though he does do that now
Jerry now makes his own whistles that aren’t tweaked cheaper whistles? I haven’t heard of this yet.
And yes, dixon trad is a good one, too, and is made in the UK. Actually, I like mine equally to my freemans. It is tweaked with putty, so I’m not sure how close it is to a non-tweaked one, but I’ve been playing almost entirely on it during mon-fri lately. It’s become one of my favourite whistles.
As I often mention in such threads- You could name any brand or type of whistle that exists, and you will find people who love it, people who hate it, or anything in between. They are all different , and people like different things. If I were just starting and looking for something in that price range, I’d go for a Dixon trad or a Freeman, though.
The important thing is to just get a whistle and start learning! You might not know what you will most prefer until you get into playing whistle. Also, price doesn’t always coorelate with quality in whistles. I like my freeman Bluebird and Dixon Trad more than I like certain whistles that cost over 200USD.. So, you can definitely find whistles that would suit you well for a very long time within any price range. The best thing is to just get to learning, and you will find out what your preferences are in time.
Also, in addition to getting a D whistle, generation makes some cheap whistles in several keys, which is good to keep in mind, if you decide you want other keys in the future. I think their Bb is quite good, and I am glad I got one of those when I first started playing.
Welcome to the Chiff & Fipple Whistle Forum. Others have already covered the suggestions for beginner whistles. Just get a whistle, any whistle and start having some fun.
Awhile ago I did see Youtube videos of whistlers posting from Lithuania so they’re around. You may want to search in your local area for people with whistles and where they play.
i’d agree with maki, something like a feadog is a nice cheap starter you can’t go far wrong with. Am a big fan of the Dixon Trad too, fits the bill nicely for the next step sort of whistle. That said, not sure i’d bother with the tweaked varieties of any of them though. The changes to tone the tweaks make are so subtle its not likely to make much difference to a starter.
If you are going to play with other people I would suggest a whistle in your price range that has been tweaked to be in tune with itself and is or can be made to be tunable. In my first year of playing I found the ITM community very welcoming and I attribute a portion of this to my Burke whistle. However, I don’t believe is is necessary to spend 200 USD as I did to get the qualities in a whistle that will get you invited back. In a session situation tonal quality and complexity is secondary, ability to match pitch with others is critical.
As far as keys go, I’d recommend a D and a C. The key of D is what most ITM is written in, and it can also double in the key of G, though usually only in one octave. The key of C is what you’re likely to hear most modern day popular songs in, so it would be fun if you want to try to figure something out that you heard on the radio.
If the whistle maker you’re looking into has tunable whistles, you may be able to save money by buying two whistle bodies and only one head.
With a £30 budget, i would recommend the Dixon Trad. I did own one when they first came out and really liked it. I only sold it after i got a Sindt which meant it wouldn’t be played any more by me. Well worth the money and an easy playing, forgiving whistle to begin with.
Jerry makes an alto A and G which use a modified/tweaked Bb Gen head and a hand made brass body.
To the OP, I agree with Gumby. Get a Feadog (or Feadog Pro if you can find one). Another good inexpensive choice is a Walton’s Little Black. You should be able to find these in a music store and the out of the box quality is consistent and plenty good enough to keep you going for a while. The Feadog will come in D and C so you can get both and still be within your budget. Then you can decide if you need something more without straining your budget from the start.
Good luck, practice as much as possible and report back from time to time.
