I want a whistle that is lower than the Susato D I presently play. I thought I wanted to play a Low D (who doesn’t? 
) but recently tried one at a shop, and found I could not make the finger stretch. I am thinking now maybe a B flat. Or A? How low can I get, and not run into difficult stretching?
Take it slowly and cheaply and get a C next, a Sweetone or a Walton (it’ll need to be tweaked). Beyond that the price goes up quickly and you’ll be find the fingering will be an entertaining change just going to C.
My first Low Whistle was a Low G. You can try that. The stretch is much easier than a Low D. The holes are still big, though (i.e. they are enormous on the Chieftain Low G) and you will be better off using the piper’s grip. There are a few affordable Low G’s on the market.
Good Luck!
P.
I found even an A slightly difficult when I first tried a whistle lower than d. I recommend an A whistle, though, because you can figure out alternative fingerings to some tunes you know and play in the key of d.
~Jessie
If I am playing from sheet music, I could see this as a problem. I am currently trying to learn both soprano and alto recorders, and it is difficult to keep things straight at times. However, my understanding of whistles (which is small- please correct me) is that I can play a tune the same way on another key of whistle and it will just sound lower.
I already had decided to get a C, and another besides. WHOA is setting in. I prefer them very much over the recorders, but I also play strings in an early music group, and anything not “period” would be frowned upon, I am afraid.
My Dixon G is the lowest whistle I have that I can play with normal grip. The holes on the Dixon are closer than most other makes, and they’re cheaper too. May fit the bill.
IM(very)HO, learning recorder and whistle at the same time is very confusing. I still find myself fingering recorder notes with an imaginary back hole on whistles occasionally and having to think hard “round corners” (ie just why a six finger note can sound higher than a one or two finger note) and I haven’t played a recorder seriously for over twenty years (although I do have a soprano Moeck 
).
Trisha
Answer the question…I don’t much like C whistles (OK, I have yet to own or play one I like) - and with both narrow and standard bore Silkstone D plus whistles, don’t find I need one anyway as they have the C below built in which is so useful 
.
I’d head for a Bb next. If you want to head low, there are some nice Low F’s about (I bought a Burke AlPro as I can’t play Gen high F’s as the finger holes are too close for me and the tone too high really). It’s great and not heavy either. Doesn’t feel “industrial” like some of the heavier metal whistles.
Trisha
I found that to play along with the Dubliners on one of their tracks I could play my Susato F as if a D and get Bb - the Dubliners’ key. Somewhat confused and some time later I came up with this universal as-if-a-D whistle guide to transposition. Probably this chart already exists somewhere on the Chiff and Whistle site.
http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/~bjs/key-change.jpg
Brian
BTW my Susato low F is not so easy to play as I first thought. Covering those 3 bottom holes properly is quite hard to do consistently. I love the rich tone though.
Of course I should have added that the score I had was written in G
Brian
I’d go for a Bb or A if you want to head low. To tell you the truth I don’t find it harder to play a C whistle than a high F. It’s different but not harder, at least not for me. But don’t buy a Susato A. I’ve only got one model (Kildare WB), but on that one at least, the bottom hole is quite a strech and to big to play with the pinkey. Go for a Gen. Bb. It’s cheap and might be good, I’ve got one wich is just gorgeous. By the way folks, I’ve got a Generation Eb wich responded very well to tweaking. It’s one of my favurite cheapy whistles, it’s got that mellow, chiffy, deep tone of the good Generations. Just thought I should share it with you…
Cheers
Gen Bb is a great way to go, and then an Overton A.
The Gen Eb are sweet sweet whistles, the best there is if you get a good one. Last week Mary Bergin played the Blarney Star in NYC and I hear (I wasn’t there 
) that apart from a few tunes she played everything on a Generation Eb. Great whistle.
I don’t understand the chart… Could you please add an explanation…
As to the one question, yes, if you play music written for a D whistle (ie in the range D to D’’ with some sharp notes) on a different key, you can play it the same and it will sound lower.
This begs the question that all whistle music should be written for a D whistle, and the actual whistle required listed in the title, margin header or where ever they write that stuff.
It is fun to try and play different written keys though!.
Nico
I agree with the Generation Bb. It is very nice when you get a good one or tweak it into good. Plus the price is right for trying something out. Bloom is right (naturally) then go to the overton. I love my 2 Gen Bbs. One is nickel one is brass. I favor the nickel. Most everybody else prefers the brass.
Ron
Seconded…
As for “whistle music” - I generally have a choice of flute, violin, or Bb clarinet…transposition still driving me nuts 
And I’m very fond of my Gen Ebs - a nickel (chewed by toddler) and a brass. Great for fast stuff without upsetting the neighbours - well we only have one, but the valley echoes right into his living room (again)
Trisha
Yes, I agree; start with a C, then go from there.
Sorry if the chart is not understood. I will try a clarification.
You have a whistle. To make it easy first say it is a D. Everybody starts with a D. Look at the top line and find D. You have some music and there are 3 sharps in the key signature. The music is written in the key of A, thats on the left of the chart. You play the music from the sheet and you have to be careful to play the g# of course-half hole or whatever. Now see where the D column meets the A row and you find A. So the music is coming out in the key of A. No surprises yet I hope.
Now you have a Susato F so look in the F column and you have a score written in G (one sharp) so you play your whistle as normal as if it were your trusty D whistle (half hole the Cnatch say) and the music comes out in Bb or A# (same thing) because the F column meets the G row in the space between A and B.
Brian
C is a good place to start because you get the most gentle introduction to the idea of having to manage a longer stretch. After that I’m inclined to think that It’s good to choose something low enough to sound quite different from a D but not so low as to give you serious fingering problems. A is probably a good choice. But most of us want to play low whistles and, given the difficulty of going straight to low D, you will probably want a G or F fairly soon too.
I began with D and C Clarkes but acquired Bb, A, low G, low F and low D whistles within a few months of beginning, although many years of sax playing meant that whistle fingering was rather familiar to me from the outset.