I started playing flute last fall after playing whistle for 5 years before that. I was happy with my whistling when I started playing the flute in ernest. Now, I really don’t like the way my whistle playing sounds and I always reach for the flute because of the instrument seems to release the expressiveness I desire, while the whistle just sounds restrained and and tedious.
Has anyone else had this perspective, or is it just me.
Cheers.
No, I find it the opposite. I find with the whistle I can get the correct tone and the mood comes thru so much better.
With the flute I’m turning blue from lack of oxygen and the tone
still is breathy and stinks. I guess I am just too old to play flute anymore!
Lolly
Mark - I kind of feel the way you do. I played whistle for about 10 years prior to switching to the flute about 2 years ago. I still play whistle, about 5% of the time, but I definitely prefer the flute. For me, I simply prefer the lower pitch of the flute, but I agree, at least with the way I play whistle, the flute is more expressive.
That said, I personally prefer a high whistle to playing fife. I also prefer the flute to a low whistle.
But…that’s just my opinion based upon my playing.
Eric
Yes, I too prefer flute to whistle, and I think a lot of it is due to the expressiveness of the tone. Of course, when I’m feeling lazy or only have a couple of minutes, I’m still perfectly happy grabbing a whistle, but flute is my preferred choice of the two.
Steven
I’m assuming you guys are talking about the IRish flute here? I’m new to this whole whistle thing..and have never seen an Irish flute. What is the difference between the two?
Thanks!
Nancy
The Irish flute can be the same 6 holes and some of the expesive have keys on them, like the silver Boehm ones we played in grade school.
They take about 4 times the amount of air than a whistle does.
I can see why a gentleman might like them better as they are so much bigger and an octave lower like the low D whistle. Men’s hearing
seems to prefere lower rather than higher, especially when they get older and start loosing their hearing. Its always the high tones that leave first.
But, for a weak little old lady, like myself, a flute just takes too much air
and the tone just sounds like breathe; so I stick to the whistles
unless I want to just play low ocatave whole notes in the background.
I hope this helps you understand…you of course, know that flutes
are side-blown while whistles are top blown-only.
Lolly
Thanks Lolly—I am an little old lady myself…I think I will stick to whistles…they are cheaper…and I can make the same music on them!!
Thank you again!
Nancy
i’m in the process of making the switch. but i’m having trouble holding the flute. i know they need to be relaxed, but my grip is far from it…got idees?
Actually, the keys on a keyed Irish flute are very different than the ones on a metal Boehm flute. Nancymae, if you’re interested, try going to Brad Hurley’s page for lots of information, pictures, and links, including links to pretty much everyone making these flutes who has a presence on the web (which leads to all their pictures).
Actually, Lolly, once you develop your embouchure further the flute really doesn’t take much more air than a high D whistle (and a HECK of a lot less than a low D). It’s said that playing the flute should leave you no more winded than talking. I’m not quite to that point yet, but I’m getting closer. The trouble is, a beginner doesn’t have that sort of embouchure yet, so you tend to waste a lot more air than you actually use in playing the instrument.
Steven
Flute is more expressive. You can mold the tone,
it’s more intimate, and tone continues to improve
over the years as your embouchure improves.
Whistle is a different instrument, finally, with
different strengths. For instance, there can be
a wonderful goofiness to whistle playing,
a sort of humor that is hard to attain
on the flute. Hornpipes often sound better
on whistle, IMO.
Lolly, Steven is right about the embouchure. Once you get it down, it takes surprisingly little air to make a flute ring, and loudly. Trust me on this. I’m no spring chicken, a smoker to boot, and it’s surprising how much mileage you can get out of one breath. It’s a matter of practice and experimentation until you find the way it works.
(Edited to add that the flute itself counts. If you have a poorly made flute, the rest is pretty much unending trouble.)
I’m more of a flute player (4.5 years) than a whistler (also 4.5 years), but whistle is a lot of fun! I think the whistle can be very expressive given a good player. I especially like it for sad songs. For me, something in a minor key just seems to work better than “whistle a happy tune”. Actually, I’m a fan of flute for minor key tunes too.
But, like I said, I’m more of a flute player. (Not an Irish music player) Flute can have a richer tone, more complex, so in many ways more interesting to hear. There’s a lot to be said for being able to vary the dynamics like you can on the flute.
To address some other comments:
Tomcat: I hold the keyless flute about the same way I hold a Bohm flute. Most of the left hand support comes from the first joint of the index finger. It means cocking your left wrist backward somewhat. Don’t use your left thumb to support the flute, or you’ll find it moving around when you open up too many holes. Primary support comes from your left hand and your chin. The right hand provides mostly a little balance.
Several: Can’t argue that flute takes more air than a whistle. Especially when you’re just starting out. After a while - often measured in years - you’ll get considerably more efficient and getting enough air becomes much less of an issue.
Get a small Picolo G flute and amaze yerself! It is a lot easier than you think - just give yourself a few months to adjust.
I love any wooden flutes espacially when they blend with violins,the way how we holds flutes looks pretty neat to me but I can hardly stand that unhealthy posture. So I recently play flutes just to show off only when somebody here in Japan insist that whistles are ‘easier’ Period 
Seriously I was glad that Grey Larsen at least pointed out that the posture is unnatural angled,sharing the same opinion as mine.
ack! I should have said this:IMO,from what I feel consistantly,the articulation between Piano and Tin whistle similar,that’s among the reason I choose whistle,not flutes.