Where does a beginner start?

Whistle
1

Hi all,

This is my first post in this forum. I’ve listened to irish and medieval music for some time and I really feel like trying the tin whistle. I made a short try with a wooden Moeck recorder but didn’t really like the sound, and had quite some trouble covering all holes since I hurt my little finger once. I figured hey, a whistle with six holes is perfect, and sounds great.

I especially love the songs with a low, sad tone and figured maybe the low whistle would be for me. But after a little reading have gotten the impression it’s a bad start.

I’ve never played any instrument but I’m mostly interested playing for my own pleasure for now, not taking formal lessons or playing in group.

I’m reading and reading, trying to figure out what brand to buy. I don’t want to spend a fortune but I could imagine buying one a little finer than the mass produced types if I knew I could get a better sound. But I might not even notice the difference, inexperienced as I am?
I especially like the look of those kinds that look a little more genuine, completely in metal or with wood, but not plastic.
I’d like to get one that is easily played for a complete beginner, that probably doesn’t have a huge lung capacity, but preferably with a deep round tone. Is it a good idea to have a tuneable or not?
I could imagine buying a couple to try out if they’re not too expensive.

I’m thinking about maybe a Sweetone, Clarke original, maybe even a Shaw, but they seem to require more breath? I’m thinking of buying a tweaked one since I probably can’t modify it mysef. Is it worth it as a beginner?
I’ve also heard some good about the Syn D (?) and tweaked Mellow Dog but don’t really know anything about them, how are they compared to the others?

I have an example song that I absolutey love.. if anyone wish to hear just contact me. It’s called Polska från Haverö, by the band Poeta Magica.
That’s how I’d want a wonderful whistle to sound, but it’s a low whistle I’ve learned.

Oh, and I live in Sweden and it doesn’t seem really easy to find music shops where I can find tin whistles, and maybe try out a good one. I’ll probably have to order and hope for the best so I’m looking for a fairly reliable type.

Thanks for listening to all this rambling, and for any tips I can get!
/Malin

2

Hej Malin.

Vet inte var i Sverige du bor, men på de flesta musikaffärer går det att hitta ett eller ett par olika märken av whistles. Prova en Clarke Original, de kräver lite mera luft men de passar in på din beskrivning i övrigt och kostar bara runt hundringen. Ingen idé att börja med något finare när det finns spelbara instrument färdiga att köpa för under 100:-. När du har fått grunderna och känner att du vill ha nått finare så kan du beställa ett handgjort instrument av någon makare.
Lycka till.

MVH
//Henrik

BTW. Hope you guys don’t mind the swedish

3

That’s just what I was going to say!!

4

Though I don’t speak Swedish, I think I can translate for the benefit of others. Henrik says: “Try a Clarke Original. No Susatos.” :slight_smile:

Shaws, even tweaked, take more breath than most others. Any of the whistles you mentioned would be a fine start. Consider getting a Sweetone, a Mellow Dog, or a Generation–any of these tweaked by Jerry Freeman. The Big Whistle Music shop in the UK has a good selection online.

A good tutorial or two will also help, as will a selection of tunes you can play along with (such as" Irelands Best Tin Whistle Tunes" with CDs).

Best wishes.

5

I play a feadog. I suggest a feadog. Perhaps two feadogs?

The real trick for a beginner (and this is, of course, my opinion) is to buy a cheap whistle, then spend the rest of your money on CDs.

6

Thank you all for the opinions!

I think I might get one Clarke original and one Sweetone and try out the difference. Perhaps a Mellow Dog, just a name or does it actually have a mellow sound?

Would a tweaked one really make a difference to a complete newbie?

Oh, and I read this in an review about the Freeman tweaked Sweetone: “Though it takes slightly more work to play, Jerry’s version of the Sweetone has some definite improvements for the experienced musician, espcially if you like whistles with a Generation-like tone. If you like a less-pure sound, and want a little more out of your instrument, it’s a whistle worth looking into.”
Is it a good thing with a LESS pure sound??

I suppose all think it’s a very bad idea to start out with a low whistle right?

Anyone has an opinion of the difference between these cheaper ones. Which have the more deep, round sound? Is some more airy than others?

I’d still love to have more people’s opinions, always good with more versions, thanks!

7

Depends on the player’s personal aesthetics. You get more tonal texture, I suppose you could call it, with a less pure tone. That sort of thing is often sought after by players of Irish Traditional Music (ITM), for example, but not universally so.

8

Well, that depends on how you look at it. I have several untweaked Feadogs, and a Freeman-tweaked one, so this is how I see it. If you were to start on a tweaked instrument, you’d have a rather different learning experience than on an untweaked one. Probably the first few months of playing on the tweaked whistle would be more satisfying, musically, but you would probably make a great deal more progress in that same period of time on the untweaked whistle–especially with breath control, and musical listening, and all those areas that are hard (if not impossible) to teach. Again, I’m no expert in whistle pedagogy, but this is what my own (admittedly limited) experience has led me to believe. Perhaps some more experienced players could chime in on this particular issue?

9

HI Malin,

Not all the lower keys are difficult to master. What key is the Poeta Magica piece played in?

10

Sadly I have no notes for it, and I don’t know enough to determine by ear, I just find it beautiful :slight_smile:

11

Most important..what did you do with the Moeck???

12

I would personally recommend you get one of the Clarke’s you were thinking about because I find them superior to other cheap whistles, but I can see what Congratulations is saying. Starting out on a Feadog or Generation really teaches you lessons about breath control that will come in handy immediatly.

And they’re good whistles once you get the hang of them.

13

Oh, I haven’t done anything with it, stays in the basement for now. It was my mother’s old recorder.

14

Argh! I think I’m already showing signs of catching WhOA and I don’t even have ONE whistle yet! :wink:

15

You’re already listening to the music so you’ve got the most important step covered. I’d get a simple tutorial, one that’s short and doesn’t look overwhelming. Then go at it. Like you, I started with no musical experience. It is easy to get wrapped up in “which instrument, which tutorial, which method?” when you are teaching yourself. The best approach is get one of the whistles recommended above and start practicing. You will sound terrible at first. That’s OK. Every one sounded terrible at first and most of us still sound terrible on occassion (some of us more than others!) Take joy in the small improvements and keep at it. You’ll be playing your favorite tunes sooner than you think.

If you have problems, ask here. There is a wealth of whistle knowledge floating around C&F. Welcome to the wonderful world of whistling.

16

Sounds wise.

I’d second (or third…) the idea of a Freeman Mellow Dog. Great value, no bad habits.

Regular D whistles are normally thought of as the most versatile and easiest to learn, but I can’t think of a good reason not to try a Bb or mezzo A whistle, for a mellower sound without the challenges of a really big whistle. Well, you can’t easily play along with tutorial CD’s, so have a D whistle, too.

17

Thanks for the tips I’ve gotten so far!
I think tomorrow I’ll try making an order, if I can decide by then, I’m terrible when it comes to desicions! And have a look at the only local musicstore.

Any tips for good, well-describing tutorials, books and cd’s too?

18

I think this is one of the better bits of advice I’ve read on the forum. You’ll more likely become a better player having more good music to listen to than having many different whistles, as tempting as it is to buy them.

Another thing I regretted is getting many different whistle tutors because after a while you’ll find that you’ll only end up using 1 or 2 most of the time and they’ll lose their usefulness within a year if you’re dilligent. Moreover there are many free online resources that is in many ways more useful than what has been published I think - to date I have not read an explanation of how to do basic rolls that rivals the simplicity and clarity as that on Brother Steve’s website. Whistlethis.com also provides a platform where your playing can be critiqued for improvement.

19

A fairly cheap one… like a Jerry Freeman Tweeked Mellow Dog… and then the rest on CDs. :smiley:

20

Hello Malin…
Welcome to the wonder of the whistle! And, you’ll quickly find out that when beginning this quest there are MANY WAYS!
Those of us who have gone through the whistle initiation stages each have a unique story.
Like you, I was drawn to the whistle because of hearing the beautiful tones of the Low Whistle. That was years ago, when it wasn’t so easy to find Low Whistles. But I did find one, a Low F Chieftain…which was the largest whistle I dared to try! I also bought a cheap high D whistle at that time…since the high D seemed to be the very heart of Irish Whistling.
I also thought it would be easier to learn on the high D, as it was smaller and initially easier to handle. But, I quickly discovered that by using the piper’s grip, the Low F was playable! YES! And, since I didn’t care for the ear-piercing tones of the high whistle, I learned to play on the Low F.
So, my actual experience allows me to say to you that you CAN start your whistling “career” on a lower keyed whistle. If you have the desire, you can do it! This isn’t an endorsement of any particular brand, by the way. Just a personal testimony and encouragement. I’ve gone on to play the lowest-keyed whistles I can handle…and my original love affair with that wonderful haunting, earthy, mellow sound LIVES ON. Good Luck!