I have a bunch of whistles, all of them cheap whistles. I have some Clarkes, two Waltons, and a Generation. They have VERY different sound. The Clarke (one piece) D is very “windy” and it doesn’t have as much sound volume as the Walton Little Black D. The Walton has a very clear sound that I like and it sounds more than the Clarke. The Walton is also easier to play in the second octave.
Now, my question is, since the difference in sound is so noticable, what should I look for? What do the “big guys” like? If I play whistle in a session, what sound will the other players prefer? Is it disturbing with the very clear sound of the Walton? Will I hear myself if I play the Clarke? In my opinion there’s much wind noise in the Clarke.
I agree-- play what you like. This will probably vary from day to day, even from tune to tune. Variety is good!
The size of the session may dictate the choice of whistle too: something like a classic Clarke may be too quiet in a large session.
If you’re looking for volume I’d actually go with the Waltons personally. I played a Waltons brass D on a tune one time with the 70 piece orchestra I play in and people in the audience said they could actually hear me. It should be noted that I was in the second octave the entire time and even ventured into the third, but you know, it was loud.
Hej!
Vet att du spelar en hel hög med andra instrument så jag antar att du inte vill spendera allt för mycket på en ny whistle, eller? Bland de billigare flöjterna får du svårt att hitta något bättre än en “Dixon Trad” ~200 sek. Om du vill vara säker på att höra dig själv på en session så är en Susato ett bra och prisvärt alternativ. Jag brukar beställa från http://www.bigwhistle.co.uk tar en tre till fyra dagar innan de ligger i lådan. Om du beställer något så ta med några clare med svart topp, hur billiga som helst och helt ok. Undvik Clark’s Meg dom är verkligen usla.
It’s even fun to switch them up occasionally. I usually play my Burke at sessions, but last time I decided to play my Elfsong, and was amazed at how well that unbelievably sweet tone carried (I’ve never thought of it as a session whistle because it’s relatively quiet, but it did quite well, and got a lot of covetous looks!).
People in our sessions play all kinds of whistles, from Susatos to Clarkes. Play what feels best to you at the time. Perhaps you have one you like the best at the moment…one that you feel especially comfortable with. That’s always a good way to decide.
I’ll have to add my vote for “own a bunch…rotate through them”. There are days when only a Rose will do the trick, and others when Sindt is in vogue, and others when I even take out my Parky and decide that it’s the one to play (not that my opinion’s biased). Get several…there is no absolute “ideal whistle sound”, except for what makes you happy when you’re playing.
dom är verkligen usla.