I’ve been playing one of the inexpensive penny whistles that I ordered form Dublin. I’ts in the key of high “D”, I think. I would like to get some information about one in the key of low "D’. I love playing the whistle, but I’m not really fond of the high pitch on the upper note. Of course, I’m still a novice one one, and have trouble hitting the very high notes. Or if you have some input about a whistle in another key, I’d welcome that, too. Thanks.
Nan
You should go with a Susato from thewhistleshop.com. They’re inexpensive by low whistle stanards and play well too
Susatos sound like diatonic plastic recorders, though. 
Low D whistles play exactly the same as high D whistles, but the fingering is wider spaced and gives a lot of people problems.
You might try getting a Bb (B-flat) or low G whistle, both of which have a lower, more soothing sound than high D, and both of which are easier to finger than a low D. Bb (B-flat) Generations are probably the cheapest, but they’re not always equal in quality.
At any rate, I do second www.thewhistleshop.com 
Good luck!!!
It’s sensible to work your way down to a low D whistle,
by playing somewhat lower keys first.
A Bb is a good place to start, as Cran says;
also a G, as he also says. These are lovely
keys in their own right, and will avoid
the shrill high notes.
Also if you are going to play a D flute, it’s pitched the
same as a low D whistle. You may have enough on
your hands with the flute. People who play flute
sometimes find that it replaces low D whistles
for them–though not always.
The Whistle Shop is a great place and Thom
a fine guy to ask questions of.
Since you’re here…ya might want to read
http://www.chiffandfipple.com/
There’s “the chiff & fipple whistle guides” down a bit.
I vote for a Whistle in A. I have Bbs and Gs, but I prefer the A. Of course, it could have to do with the Whistle itself. F is another good key. In fact whatever key you get, it will have its good qualitys and its bad. You could get a quieter Whistle, like a Dixon.
Cranberry,
While I was the one who suggested the Susato whistle I totally agree with your recorder comparison. I’m more image concious than I’d like to be and can’t really get past the plastic aspect myself. I have enough people calling my whistles recorders as it is. But I still feel it’s the best low D whistle available for beginners.
I understand that…you can always paint your Susato brown and people will think it’s a wooden recorder, which is a little bit better.
Check out the whistlesmith whistles. I have one of thier low D’s. It is a quiet whistle and a bit breathy but for a first low D would be quite nice and is inexpensive.
You guys are great and so very generous to take the time to answer questions for me. Now suppose you get a whistle or flute in a key other than “D”, where do I find sheet music for that particular key? I know you can transpose music from one key to the other, but my music ability pretty well stops with being able to simply read the music.
Thanks again for all your help.
Nan
As to the sheet music, if you can read music for the high D, use the same music, just play it on the lower whistle. The same tune will come out in a different key, but that won’t really be a problem unless you are playing with other musicians that require music. If you are looking for a lower whistle, I would recommend looking at either a Tony Dixon Low D, or a one of Phil Hardy’s alto whistles. The Dixon low whistle has smaller holes and a pretty easy reach, even if you have small hands. Its also quite cheap. (I think I paid 100 USD for mine.) You get quite a lot of whistle for a fairly small investment. I haven’t played any of Phil Hardy’s whistles yet, but since they are indorsed by so many top players, I don’t think I could go too far wrong recommending them. (If any one disagrees, please say so. I welcome being corrected.) They sound nice too. Good luck.
Daniel Bingamon makes a nice PVC Low D for only $28. I think it’s a
good starter Low D, since the stretch is probably as short as Physics
will allow.
you know, i’d really say that the plastic dixon lowD is better for beginners, the fingering feels more natural, it may not be as loud though, but, and this is just me, I like the sound more, it’s warmer.
I have one, and can say from a beginner’s viewpoint that it is easy to play, not too loud and has a very pleasing not-recorder-like tone.
I agree with Amar on this. I found the Susato low D impossible to play comfortably because of the combination of finger stretch and a large tonehole that was hard to cover. I preferred the Dixon low D’s sound, and it was much more comfortable to play.
Best wishes,
Jerry
I don’t think they sound like recorders at all, but then again, I’m basing this on personal experience, rather than what I’ve read on this board, as I have actually heard one, held one and played one.
I’d have to agree. I’ve heard Andrew McKee of the Brobdingnagian Bards play his cheap brown plastic Yamaha recorder probably a hundred times. I don’t think it sounds anything like any Susato I’ve ever played (I’ve owned three high D’s, two low Ds, one low G, one low F, one VSB A) or heard (I’ve encountered at least 3 other sessioners that play them regularly over the years).
As others have mentioned, I too found the Susato Low D a bit of a challenge due to large tone-holes and reach required. I haven’t played one in years, though, so I’m not sure how difficult it’d be now that I’ve got more experience under my belt. Dixon may be a better choice for a new whistler to transition to.
I would not recommend a Susato low whistle to a beginner. The stretch on that last tone hole is murder. I haven’t played a Susato low D but I do have an A and a Low G and I find that more difficult to play than my Chieftain Low D. The distance between the G and A hole (on my Susato Low G for example) is about 2/3 longer than the distance between any other two tone holes on the whistle. This odd ratio makes it an uncomfortable stretch for me while, on my Chieftain, the distance is actually longer than the Susato but in comparison to the rest of that whistle it’s a more balanced ratio. I hope this makes sense.
I would also side with most that the sound of plastic in no way compares to the sound of metal. I would agree (based on personal experience) that the susatos do sound a little bit like a plastic recorder (which I have also played). The difference though is that the thick walls of the recorder makes a noticeable difference in tone. The sound of the plastic is unmistakeable though. But hey, that is some people’s preference and there’s nothing wrong with that.
A very good beginner low whistle, especially for someone who doesn’t have a lot of whistling experience to begine with. Tone holes are smallish and easy to reach, and it doesn’t take a ton of wind.
The downside to a Dixon low D is that the belltone is pretty weak and breaks upward easily. It’s also pretty quiet.
Yes, that is definitely a problem with this model. I think that it does have a flip side in that this whistle does help develop breath control and lung capacity.
One other comment. I would stay away from the Bingamon PVC practice low D if you are a beginner. Not that it isn’t a good whistle (it has a very unique and beautiful sound), but it takes a very large amount of air, and the tuning, at least on the one I have, required a lot of tinkering before I could play it with other musicians. You might look at some of Daniels’ other low whistle models. I haven’t played any of them, but they look nice. Daniel is a pleasure to work with too. Very nice fellow.