Hi everyone.
I am wanting to buy a whistle. I have played a brass instrument for years, but I am wanting something I can use to play along with my fiddling daughter and my piano playing wife. A low whistle in D has been recommended. What do you advise?
Thanks!
If you havenât played a whistle before you might be better starting of with a Soprano D,just to get you into the swing of things,the low D is exactly the same to play,but it does take a lot morepractise to get the finger stretch and breathing requirments just right.
And welcome to the board 
Welcome to the forums! 
My advice:
Donât buy a low D.
Buy a few cheapie soprano D whistles, and the Bill Ochs book.
Practice a lot, ask questions a lot, and post here a lot.
Buying a high D to learn the low D whistle makes about as much sense as buying a ukelele to learn the bass viol!
That took a low d off my mind. 
It helped me a lot, especially as I had never played whistle before and didnât really understand fingering. If I had started with a low D instead of a high D, I would have been very frustrated and might have given up. I donât think people should (generally) start out with a low D, at least not a low D only.
I would not tell anyone to play piccolo before they played flute, or a fife before a keyles flute. Starting with a low D will be alright. Self motavation is the key to learning anything.
I understand what youâre saying (believe it or not!) but I think low D and soprano D are more similiar than a piccolo and standard-sized Böhm flute or a fife and a keyless flute, especially if youâre new to playing an instrument.
Hi and welcome,
If you have heard a low D and you like it then go get one and start to learn with it. I have been playing about 6 weeks now and i am slowly getting there, i have a high D as well but thats just for a change now and then, like someone else said its no point playing a high D when its the low D you really want.
To be clear, Iâm not saying donât start out on a low D. But if you do, it wouldnât hurt to have a high D as well. You may find it easier (as I did). For that matter, get an A. It has the good (and bad) qualities of the low D and the soprano D, and can play much of the same music.
I just bought a Low D a month ago. Itâs my first whistle. I also bought a soprano D, but I never play it.
The low D is much more satiflying, and it took a little while to get used to the fingering, but I got all the fingering problems worked out in about three weeks.
I hold my fingers much differently on the low D than on the high one. It did take a little time, but I think it would even if you started on a High D.
He didnât say he wanted a Low D whistle, though, he said it had been ârecommendedâ.
I agree that he should buy the whistle that he wants to play, and with brass experience
heâll have plenty of breath for a low whistle. However, low whistles are more difficult
to finger, and are more expensive⊠it doesnât make sense to start on the low D if
he wants the highâŠ
Anyway.
Low D: Youâre playing in the same octave as other players of trad music,
and the sound blends better. More expensive, more difficult to finger, may
take longer to get up to speed.
High D: Youâre playing an octave up from everyone else, so the whistle really stands
out in the mix of sound (at least, in the upper ranges⊠towards the low end of the
range, soprano whistles get pretty soft⊠but with only 3 instruments, likely it wonât
get lost even on the bottom D.)
If it was one of the wife or daughter that recommend a low whistle, you should probably
go with that then, in the name of domestic tranquility. You should get a tunable whistle,
in any case. Youâre not going to retune the piano if the whistle is off from itâŠ
I believe the Susato low D is both affordable and tunable. Susato does, however, have a
characteristic sound that is distinctive from the metal low whistles. That may be a
disadvantage if you prefer the sound of a ânormalâ low whistle. A search on the board for
âfirst low whistleâ may reveal something useful. (Or a search on the board for âfirst whistleâ if
you choose the soprano route.)
I want one of those âmodalâ Overtons in A. That would be an awesome whistle.
Wow! So many opinions. Thanks to all for the great advice. You comedians are killing me! 
Especially âHip OââŠIâm just sorry I didnât think of that myself! As far as the recommendation goes, a fellow who plays whistle in a local Celtic fiddle group suggested the Low D; also his son who whistles a little but is an excellent bagpiper. At any rate, based on your suggestions and comments, I will probably go w/ the Low D. In fact, ChrisA, the Susato was the whistle that was specifically recommended. Iâll keep watching and let you all know what I end up with.
Thanks again to all! 
I do, too.
Go to Jubileee music www.tinwhistles.us and check the price for his low d,
and also buy a feadog high d. Not much money and you can have both.
Then enjoy playing music soon.
Searching for the best whistles is the closest thing I know of to perpetual motion. It can not be said that they exist and it cannot be said that they do not.
I wasnât gonna say anythingâŠbut do not get a susato!!! They are way too harsh!
HeheâŠthey are very âplastic-soundingâ and ârecorder-sounding,â but if you must get one, I like the keys from Bb through (low) G best.
Any key above Bb is harsh in the upper octaves, but any key below A or G (I think there are different models that have different spacing) has insane finger spacing.
I have one and I like it.
Of course, Iâm a newb myself, and probably havenât developed so much of an ear for whistle tone.
But I can say that when Iâm doing the right thing (occasionally), it makes a sound that I like.
ninjaaronâŠyouâre absolutely right. Iâm sure you can make a Susato whistle sound good, if not excellent. Itâs my pathetic prejudice that has provoked my comment.
Truthfully, however, I would not recommend a Susato whistle to anybody. But if the first whistle that you pick up is SusatoâŠthings should be fine. You get used to its body, sound and in turnâŠnuances.
Good luck to all.