Flutes etc. Tin whistles - the perfect GAS instrument?

[mizmar]

So, I was casually sussing out tin whistles ('er in doors was musing if Ireland would be a good place to retire to).
Such a cute world, lots of jolly or soulful tunes... And not just Celtic.

... But, at least on the internet, they are obsessed with "kit"! where "kit" means a tube with 6 hols; costing anything from a penny (inflation-adjusted) to £100s or even a grand. (side note. To kit yourself out to be fully chromatic on a penny whistle could be more expensive then a descent sax!). The number of comparison YouTubes or discussions is staggering and, it seams, a half decent situation is to have 5 high D whistles as a starting point... And the difference seems miniscule (over and above in-tune and a bit of volume).

It's ok for me. I'm not really gassy. But

Why's that? Is it because the embouchure can do less work than on a (side or end blown) flute or reed? Or just because there's always some gassy folks and everyone else stays stum?

 

[mizmar]

Full disclosure. I bought a Lír D whistle for North of a ton. About the same cost as my hand made Nays (for which, coincidentally, the "D" (Dukah) is also the basic teaching key - twice as long, though). I reckon that just is the baseline cost of having a pair of professional human musical hands involved in manufacturing. And, for me, when starting, having an instrument that just works takes the machinery out of the learning equation, for the first years.

It is a lovely instrument in the hands. And sounds good enough for me.

Maybe, when I settle in, I'll look at a low D?

 

[Colin the Bear]

I can't get on with whistles. The fingering system feels odd. I'm a boehm system man.
I like my recorders. Much easier.

 

[mizmar]

I like my recorders

Fair enough.
I'm averse to the recorder only because, for me, it's a victim of school memories - like boiled cabbage or stewed tomatoes.

 

[Jules]

Maybe, when I settle in, I'll look at a low D?

Here's some low D action for you- they're lovely pieces of kit

Dulce Leche, by Lawrence, Wilson, Clarke & Gatt

from the album Finis Terre

mrwilsonlawrencescabinetofcuriosities.bandcamp.com

 

[Colin the Bear]

Fair enough.
I'm averse to the recorder only because, for me, it's a victim of school memories - like boiled cabbage or stewed tomatoes.

The plastic school descant has a lot to answer for. The treble and tenor are nicer.
I do like the sound of a low whistle played well. Every folk group should have some.
Along with the Aeolian pipes.

 

[Stephen Howard]

You can spend a hell of a lot on a D whistle - and having played a few top-end models I'd say that it's sometimes justified.
Most of the money goes into the design of the head, but there's a nice feel in the hands to a whistle that's built with a heavier tube.
The sweet spot, for me at least, seems to be standard whistles (like the Feadog) that have been tweaked. Not too pricey, but definitely better than the over-the-counter models. That said, I've heard many a fine player that's happy with just a bog-standard Generation.

At some point I might try building my own whistle body. Not sure I want to get into head building though.

 

[mizmar]

Yeah. I read some about tweaking whistles. Not quite as complicated as setting up a sax; but I guess the tweaker needs to know what they're heading for... As a beginner - without the best ears anyway - I'd rather start with something reliable (high manufacturing tolerance, hand checked)

I do just like picking up the Līr - and it's great.... But I find the 2nd octave of the basic whistle shrill... I read the Howard review of the Howard Low D with interest and intent!

How I Tweak Plastic-Mouthpiece/Cylindrical Shaft Tinwhistles

 

[Ballymenaboy]

The plastic school descant has a lot to answer for. The treble and tenor are nicer.
I do like the sound of a low whistle played well. Every folk group should have some.
Along with the Aeolian pipes.

Bought a low D whistle but my right hand little finger couldn't make the stretch..difficult if you have small hands

 

[mizmar]

Bought a low D whistle but my right hand little finger couldn't make the stretch..difficult if you have small hands

Fwiw the (other) Howard website has some videos demonstrating stuff like using pipers grip for the whistle. But I suppose you know about that.

I'm lucky and have long hands and arms. My longest Nay, 'Ajam/low Bb is 75.5cm long and I can finger pad it.

Resources/Blog - Howard Whistles

www.howardmusic.co.uk

 

[jazzdoh]

I have a Irish low D whistle made by Cillian O'Briain had it several years now never mastered it but it is beautifully made, maybe one day I will try to put more time into it.

 

[mizmar]

I managed to upset a saxophone player 🙁

As part of this festival I volunteer for, there where a couple of folk groups.
Then yesterday I was sitting on a bench, in the sun, waiting to drive people to the airport, with another driver. And he asks if I play folks music.
Without realising that the sax player in one of the groups was sitting behind us, I replied

"not really. But it's easy, all you have to do is blow the right rhythm into a penny whistle, wiggle your fingers and folk music comes out"

Coughing and shuffling from behind

True, though.

 

[Stephen Howard]

"not really. But it's easy, all you have to do is blow the right rhythm into a penny whistle, wiggle your fingers and folk music comes out"

You're sort of right 🙂

If I just play the whistle 'straight' it's no problem at all - but once you put the ornamentations in it all gets a bit tricky!

 

[mizmar]

but once you put the ornamentations in it all gets a bit tricky!

Interestingly, my Nay/Flute teacher explained that he puts ornamentation at the end of his intermediate course, after improvisation. There's some trills and stuff; but, I think, he wants timing a facility over the whole range to be rock solid first. It's a bit weird because ideomatic ornamentation, seems to me, are critical to "authentic" sound.

 

[Stephen Howard]

Interestingly, my Nay/Flute teacher explained that he puts ornamentation at the end of his intermediate course, after improvisation. There's some trills and stuff; but, I think, he wants timing a facility over the whole range to be rock solid first. It's a bit weird because ideomatic ornamentation, seems to me, are critical to "authentic" sound.

I'm inclined to agree. While it's possible to play the whistle without ornamentations (typically on slow tunes), the faster stuff really does benefit from a few twiddly bits - although I tend to think of them in terms of rhythmic accents rather than melodic ones. Sort of keeps the whole thing moving.

 

[mizmar]

Well, on it's way to me, post haste, is a Tony Dixon DX107A - for A maj.

The reasoning is that the amateur choir is including The Wexford Carol for Christmas and it's scored in E. It's not really possible to play in E on any of the whistles I have and E whistles seem rare. It should be possible to run the tune, however, on an A whistle with a just little wrangling for the missing sharp. Fingers crossed 😀, so to speak...