Background: Would like to play duet with Wife who plays concert/peddle harp. I am very much a beginner and have just learned to play the whistle. Currently own a cheaper Feadog intro kit w/ learning material. I don’t really like to play the Feadog D and am looking for a better sounding whistle.
Models looking at:
1.) Freeman Tweaked Shaw D
2.) Huphrey Narrow Bore D
3.) Mack Hoover’s Soprano D - Narrow bore Brass (possibly tunable)
I am located in Metro Detroit Michigan. Don’t know of any local stores (besides Lansing) that carry whistles.
Any help would be appreciated. Looking for a “decent” beginner’s whistle that would sound wonderful beside a full concert (peddle) harp.
Whatever you get, you can always send the Feadog off to Mack to have it Whitecapped. Then you can use it for quiet practice times, or keep it in your car.
You will definitely like the Humphrey and it is loud enough to play with a harp. I don’t know about the Shaw. I have a couple of Mack’s whitecaps and a wide bore Bb whitecap (whole whistle) that he made for me. They are great whistles. They have a reputation for being quiet but he will make a loud one for you if you ask.
Happy whistling.
Mike
I don’t know anything about the three whistles you are looking at.
With that said, I think your primary concern should be finding a whistle that is in tune. Some whistles can wander greatly from perfect pitch. And if you are going to be playing duets with a harp, you better be in tune or it will show.
Since you are looking at beginner whistles, I’m going to suggest a Susato. I have a couple and don’t usully play them for other reasons, but they are pretty much always dead on in tuning. The upper range of that second octave can be a *itch, but the rest of it is okay. Overall it’s a pretty good whistle. It’s what I started on and some people do very impressive work with them. Just listen to either of Sean Ryan’s albums.
I play the Humphrey and it’s a lovely whistle which blends very well with other instruments (try that with a susato or a shaw), a Freeman Generation would do you too.
Just realise, no matter what most people here will say, that any beginner will have intonation problems on any whistle. It’s not the whistle, it’s the beginner’s lack of control over it.
I am new to the whole whistle scene. After having played the guitar for a while now, I can tell what is in-tune, and what is not. That is the problem that I have been having with all of the “low-end” whistles- that they usually are not in-tune. I tried the tweaks, with no real improvement. Then I got a Susato D, and it was right-on, and I have been using that for practice now.
It is true, though that usually it is the player’s breath control that affects the performance of most any whistle the most. I have six different whistles now, and having no experience as it is I can still hear and feel the effects of how you breath on how any given whistle performs. Maybe that is part of the joy of getting WhOA, you can get a whole bunch of whistles, and with years of practice, you can gain enough control to play almost any whistle and make it sound good!
My wife is replacing her previously favorite whistle with a Syn. REALLY nice whistles, those Syn’s. I have a Lancewood from Erle that is cool too. Most of my other whistles are out of the price range of the ones you mention.
Well, Glauber, how do you blow a D wrong, if the tuner says it’s sharp or flat and you are not going up an octave? That is why after trying the tweaks, I could get the D to go in-tune- but the next notes up would be out of tune, and then there were other problems along with the tweak. Then you take the Susato, and bam- you can start out with the D in-tune right off the bat!
I like all of those whistles. For playing with someone, and the fact that you are just beginning, I’d go with the Humphrey.
Shaw is great, but not tunable. Good volume though. And I think beginners have an easier time on a whistle they can put a little air into.
Hoover is great, but a little quieter than the Humphrey and takes a little more breath control too.
You’ll be hard pressed to find a better whistle than the Humphrey. Lotsa people in here with many times the experience of myself have absolutly raved about it.
Hear hear. People obsess over tuners far too much. You can’t watch one and read music, much less watch one and try to tune as you play. Everyone was born with two tuners built in. One on each side.
Thanks everyone for the assistance. It is greatly appreciated. I also wanted to thank Colomon for the local information! I contact the local CCE branch and am going over tonight to discuss a class they are offering on playing the Tin Whistle. What timing!
