I don’t agree at all the irish music is primarily about casual group playing. The heart of traditional irish music is still the solo, duet, or trio performance (in that order). Sessions may be the main exposure for a lot of people, and they can be a lot of fun, definitely.
But yes - B whistle for playing with other people. Although it also is the whistle I go to most when I just want to pick one up to play a few tunes. I had a great time playing in B with a few different friends a couple weeks ago (over the course of a week or so, too). That whistle was the one used when a whistle was used at all… granted that was less than the other instruments!
I’m afraid not. Overcoming the problem means moving to larger bore sizes all round, head and body both. The new heads will be along the lines of what I use for my Low Ds, a different style of tuning slide and better for fitting various bodies at different times.
Thing is, the most common/popular key that uilleann pipes are made in is D, where the tunes come out (more or less) in the “written” keys.
The second most common/popular key that uilleann pipes are made in is B. It is very common for a piper to have a B chanter in his pipe box, even if he doesn’t customarily carry two full sets around.
So, if there are a number of pipers present, it’s pretty likely that they, at some point, will haul out their B chanters/sets and have a B session. It’s then that a whistler will want a B whistle.
Seems to me that the third most popular key for uilleann pipes to be made in is C.
For my church gigs etc having both a D and C chanter is essential. There have been many times I’ve wanted chanters in Bb and E to handle more flats and sharps.
Maybe once in all the years of studio and orchestral and church gigs I’ve done has a B chanter been called for. It was a studio gig, and the last piper the composer had hired had demonstrated is B chanter, and the composer had liked the sound. So, it was a byproduct of the popularity amongst uilleann pipers of B sets rather than a composer selecting that many sharps for their own sake.
So for church gigs etc my B whistle gets used very rarely.
I have a whistle that is halfway between d and c#. Thats pretty odd. It sounds fantastic though so I am not a bit fussed, just can’t play with others. I suspect it was accidental.
