OK, so I’m now the owner of three high D whistles (Walton, Parkhurst, Freeman/Shaw), each of which has its strengths and weaknesses. So I’m set there for a little while. It’s a good breadth of whistledom.
So now I’m wondering where do I go from here? In football terms, what is the second string of scales for whistles? High D is obviously the most popular, but what next? I see a lot of ads/posts/comments on Low D whistles of various stripes, but is there something I’m missing here?
I realize this is all very subjective (hey, what isn’t on these boards?), but what’s your second favorite whistling key?
A C whistle was the logical second choice for me - the fiddlers around here just love stuff in D minor, and playing them in E minor on a C whistle works well.
Of course, I had to try a low D as well, don’t ya know. I’m thinking an A whistle would be really nice to cover some other common tunes…
I have a Hoover Whitecap aluminum mezzo A that’s great for slow airs and blues. It has a nice tone and is very easy to play. The upper octave is easy, and the high A and B don’t require a lot more breath than the other upper octave notes, unlike most of my high D whistles.
The volume of the octaves is nicely balanced. The lower octave is a bit louder than most of my Ds, while the upper octave is a bit quieter. (This is also true of my Whitecap-Feadog, so I’m thinkin’ it’s a Hoover thing.)
Mack’s not taking any more orders this month, but his prices are great.
The finger reach isn’t much, although the distance between the 5th and 6th holes is a bit long in proportion to the separation of the other holes, so I have to play it for a few minutes to adjust to that.
I also have a Burke Pro Brass in C. I don’t think the tone is particularly interesting, though it plays well. I’m not sure if it’s the brass or just the key. I got it mainly to be able to play tunes like “Star of the County Down” in Am with a friend.
I’m pretty well set for now (A, C, five Ds and one more on the way), though I’m sure I’ll spring for a low D someday. If I get into playing more with my folky friends, G and E are on my list, too.
I don’t play much other than the D, C and A anymore. sometimes I play a low D. I think I would like to try an E (not Eflat), but I’m more curious than in need of it.
I really don’t think there is anyhting subjective about it although context plays a big role. Get whistles that will be of use to you in the keys you are likely to play in. What keys do the people you play with prefer?
If it’s just or mainly Irish music you play, then the keys that make most sense are Eb (if you have musicians, probably fiddlers, who like to tune up) and A which gives you a three hole start on D tunes so something of the low whistle effect without the difficulty of learning low whistle. Then there is the possibility that you might want to play along with flat pitch pipes—most likely C, but possibly B or Bb. The piper will soon tell you which. Finally, you might want to play along with records by people who play in unusual keys for Irish music; you’ll find plenty of use for a low F and a low G.
Now, if you play mainly in other styles, just tell us and we’ll advise you accordingly. So, assuming irish music is your thing my, suggestions would be C, Eb, A pretty much in that order. Low D and Eb will get a lot of use too if you like low whistle.
Many thanks, yes, I am playing primarily Irish/Scottish/Breton traditional tunes currently. So C seems to be the most popular answer across the board. I’ll start checking out C whistles, then.
