Hello all, I’m Craig and I’m new to the forum and the whistle. I didn’t see an ‘introductions’ forum so I thought I’d just dive in here.
In fact, I only discovered the instrument even existed a week ago when I was considering taking up the concert flute and, upon having a coronary at seeing how expensive they are, went on a Google search of “wind instruments for po folks” and came across “Thoughts on the Irish Pennywhistle” on Youtube. I fell in love with the sound (even though I now realize the video maker had a metric crapton of reverb added to his soundtrack) and zipped out to buy one. Fifty bucks in gas and many blank stares at local music stores later, I finally came across a place that sold them and got myself a Feodog D Whistle (brass with a plastic green fipple) for twelve dollah. I’ve endured the suggestions from the wife that playing Irish music is traitorous to my nationality (I’m a Brit) and I think the worst of the “snake charmer” comments have also passed. My cats are sufficiently convinced that aliens have landed and I’ve become expert at hiding in my car to practice with it during lunch breaks.
In other times and places I’m a horror author and contact juggler/fire spinner. The whistle also seems like the perfect instrument as it will not get me kicked out of renfaires if I bust it out at the picnic tables. Third bonus is that I can learn pen-spinning with it, which is another one of those useless skills I’ve always felt compelled to try.
So yarp, that’s my introduction… I hope to make some friends here and learn some tunes and generally waste a lot of work time while getting paid for it.
Well, if you are feeling patriotic you can always play a Clarke or a Generation whistle since both are British made (among others).
That depends entirely on the Ren Faire and who the sheriff might be. I’ve known metal bodied, plastic headed whistles to be out of bounds among the cognoscenti. Best to go with a good wooden instrument - and there goes your “po’ folk” paradigm. I made and sold whistles fashioned out of plastic pipe at the local faire but had to hawk them as being made of (faux) unicorn ivory to pass the organizers’s scrutiny. You know, those people can be so 14th Century at times.
Craig if you are learning under your own steam you should consider getting the Clarke tin whistle tutor book highly recommended throughout the boards check my sig. The Clarke tin whistle book will also introduce to a host of English, Scottish and American tunes as well as a healthy collection of Irish traditional tunes too. In my signature you’ll also find an easy to follow on-line tutorial created by Ryan Duns. Welcome to the C&F whistle board, good luck and keep whistling
Welcome to a place of wonder. Use the search feature. Ask questions when you get stuck. But play and play often. Don’t listen to the cats and dogs, they have no taste at all. Listen to your wife, or the price you pay will be dire.
Hi Craig!
I see, you’re in the same situation as I am.
I started about maybe 8 days ago and I’m new here as well.
I also had and still have slight probs with the higher octave and I’m working on it.
I ordered several whistles and have received 3 of them yet. I also start to play the Irish Flute as one of my main flutes.
My whistles kinda "take a ride on the already rollin’ flute train.
I was mainly drawn to the whistles after hearing the Star Trek theme “Inner Light”.
The reason I bought several whistles was to have a chance to choose the one I like best and it was a good decision.
When playing the 2nd octave (and playing the whistle in general), there are big differences in sound and playability.
So you might wanna check others as well if it is within your budget.
Hello all, I'm Craig and I'm new ...[/quote]Hello Craig and welcome.
[quote="Inner Light"]...The reason I bought several whistles was to have a chance to choose the one I like best and it was a good decision...[/quote]I'm beginner too (well, I'm rather long-term beginner) but I'm not sure if a beginner can decide which whistle is better by other way than by accident.
I think that playing 2nd octave tones is improved mainly by practicing, regardless of whistle. For me, it took about one month to play whole 2nd octave. For first week I thought it is almost impossible to play anything above 2nd "e" or "f".
Instant improve can be caused that different whistles has different air consumption.
Try to play on your Clarke a few month later, after you learn to breath, and I think you'll ask itself "Why I took it away?".
BTW. Isn't there a common tweak of Clarke original about its windway? Something like [url=https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/looking-for-that-perfect-whistle/37593/8]this[/url] and [url=http://s25.beta.photobucket.com/user/straycat82/media/ClarkeTweak.jpg.html]this[/url]?
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My first whistle was Clarke Sweetone (that's why I can be wrong with your whistle, this one has plastic fipple). I don't play on it due to stupid reason - appearance. I don't like it's conical shape. I know, this shape should be more traditional, but when I saw cylindric brass whistle first time ... there wasn't way to back :-).
I mentioned the plastic fipple just because your Clarke has different fipple. Your has often too big windway (I thought you have Clarke Original, not Clarke Sweetone).
My favorite whistle, Freeman Mellow Dog, has plastic fipple and I like it more than metal fipples (for example in whole aluminium whistles).
BTW. Your red color seems to be stucked. It looks like you yell at me.
If we started wrong, it could be due to my bad english. If something sounded rude, then sorry.
I’m beginner too (well, I’m rather long-term beginner) but I’m not sure if a beginner can decide which whistle is better by other way than by accident.
As a 30-year-experienced musician with almost professional musical understanding I can at least tell whether I like what I hear and feel. As a beginner I choose the one that sounds nice and plays the easiest, which brings more joy while practicing. I’m already selling my Clarke Original because it sucks for what I personally want. Somebody else’s taste might be different. The more difficult to play Shaw stays with me, I surely will get back to it when I’m better.
I think kmarty made a very good point there. Chiffboard has a long history of people complaing about and condemning perfectly fine whistles because they were not able to play them properly. There’s the old board joke ‘when you put the whistle in a drawer and come back to it in a few years, you’ll find it has much improved with time’.
Equally the praises have been widely sung of whistles that no serious whistler would want to be seen with.
It’s the interwebs, everybody has an opinion, some opinions however, are more well-founded than others. The trick is to discern who is talking sense and who isn’t.
I’m in love with my cheapy Feadog D right now. I’m sure over time I’ll garner a collection of whistles large enough to occupy a small island. I do like the more woody, breathy sound I’ve noticed from the Clarkes on internet videos but that’s something I’ll look forward to playing with in the future. I can’t even play a single tune through yet so worrying about subtleties of sound (Chiff?) seems a bit premature
I might plump for a lower whistle too though, just so my cats don’t treat me like a dying bird when I practice.
Very good point, Craig! Just concentrating on your playing rather than on different whistles is probably the best you can do. And Feadógs are fine whistles. So good luck, captain, sir!
That of corse is true, it can happen.
I made the same experience in other forums.
That’s why I keep the Shaw. I think I’m not experienced enough to really judge it but online feedbacks were good, I liked the sound samples, I like the sound when I play it myself without much experience and I like the slightly bigger holes. Last but not least, it also features a nice look.
I know myself, if I really don’t like something, I will never touch it again. If that makes me miss one or two certain good whistles, it’s no big deal. There’s other really good ones which I will like.
Also: it differs from player to player, what exactly is good or not. The majority agrees about what is junk but when reaching the “family of good whistles”, the players individual preferences play a big role as well. It also depends on what you wanna play. A whistle perfect for ITM might be completely misplaced in a ballad.
Good overall quality doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s also perfect for what you want to do with it or what you want to sound like.
