Beginners whistle

[HissingSid]

Hi,

I thought I would post something from a beginners point of view about whistle choice. Some of you might know that I've been belly aching about this in the thread "Does a Burke D really sound like this".

I've come to the conclusion that the actual choice of whistle doesn't matter a jot. I was lucky enough to pick up a brand Dixon Trad D on Ebay the other day for $10 (ish). I now have the following D whistles. Generation, Clarke Sweet-tone, Dixon DX001 - Polymer and a Dixon Trad. They all sound a bit different from each other and they each have different air requirements etc.

My breath control and other abilities are at such an early stage in development that the differences just don't matter. I've come to the conclusion that what I've read often on threads on this subject "just buy a D whistle and stick with it" is exactly the right advice. Once you can make it sound brilliant perhaps that is the time to consider "upgrading". The only thing is that I expect changing to a different whistle at that time will be a bit of a wrench as I will have grown to love the characteristics of that whistle and anything else will sound not quite right.

Anyway I thought it might be useful to other beginners to know that this one thinks - don't blame your whistle just stick with it and eventually you will make it sound lovely.

Cheers

HS

PS I'm going to stick with the Dixon Trad and hide the others to remove temptation.

[tucson_whistler]

i don't know... as a beginner i think i got a lot of benefit from trying different whistles--i think it helped me to even understand what breath control meant to try different whistles. for example, the sweetone, with it's conical bore, has a stronger bottom d than my other cheap whistles. i can blow harder on that one and still get the low d, where if i blow that hard on the generation it jumps up to the next octave.

that said, i also think the sweetone sounds like crap. it's the only whistle i have that i don't play on anymore. i love the high, sweet tone of my walton's little black whistle (the Guinness version; i paid more for the sticker and i'd do it again and i wouldn't give up my feadog whistle for anything. i like to play dance songs on the LBW, but after a while i miss my chiff, and it's back to the feadog.

both of which play better because i bought a hoover blacktop that i switch back and forth between my generation, feadog, and LBW.

so i'd say buy as many cheap whistles as you can get your hands on, they only cost $12, and play whichever one you feel like playing.

which didn't help me at all with the goldie when i got it.

...and take all this with a grain of salt, b/c i'm still a terrible whistle player

[Jetboy]

Ditch the Sweetone - if ever a whistle was inappropriately named- and get a Clarke Original.

Breathy maybe but very forgiving, I learned on one and still have it. I frequently use it when learing a new tune

[hoopy mike]

I started on a Sweetone and I'm glad I did. There are several advantages for a beginner over other cheapies. As a beginner, I found it much easier to play in the second octave than a Feadog. The Sweetone is less likely to get damaged than all metal whistles, which is a plus for younger players. My Clarke original has a nicer sound, but the metal blade tends to get knocked very easily, so it often needs pulling out or pushing in a bit. It also leaks around the fipple/plug.

And my Sweetone is in tune, at least it can be played in tune enough. I find it easier to play in tune than a Generation. Having said that, for a serious beginner, I think a Dixon Trad is worth paying the extra money for.

Check out my website for a sample of a Sweetone from a couple of years ago. The playing isn't remarkable, but to me it sounds in tune enough with the other instrumentation on Skye Boat Song.

Actually, check out this website instead:
http://www.tonyhinnigan.com/moviedl.php?group=29
and look for the Hinnigan on High Ds pt1 video.

[jvann]

I started with a Freeman tweaked Sweetone and thought it was an excellent beginner's whistle as the conical shape and small finger holes made it easier for me. My reason for ordering Jerry's version is that I felt like as a beginner I would fare better with a whistle that had been checked out and tuned by someone so that I was starting with a good baseline. When my niece stopped in from college and took an interest in the whistle, I gave her the Sweetone for those same reasons. Like a lot of folks, I love trying different whistles to see how they play and sound, so I went through a few others over a six month period to finally settle on a Dixon Trad. I really like the sound of the Dixon and the fipple feels "just right" to me. Like shoes, I think you need to try on a few to find what fits best.

[tucson_whistler]

i agree, i think the sweetone is easy to learn on for beginners. but again, as soon as i got good enough at breath control to make another whistle work (a feadog, chiffy and nice i switched and never looked back.

but it would be the first whistle i would give to someone trying to learn...

although that's partly because i don't want it anymore.

("jetboy" i ditched the sweetone and got a shaw; i can recommend it for a beginner breathy whistle and i heard it doesn't have some of the problems that clarkes can have; i got mine used for $20--Doc's irish flute store has them

[Pipey]

Good timing for me on this topic. How about for an eight-year old little girl who seems to be a natural on her school recorder so I want to catch her early. I'm happy to spend a few more dollars if it makes a difference but I gather it's not that critical at this point. Obviously small fingers and small lungs. Suggestions? Many thanks.

[hoopy mike]

but it would be the first whistle i would give to someone trying to learn...

And then there's the range of colours. Not an issue for "serious" whistlers, but like the coloured cheap violins, a great way to attract kids to playing an instrument. Whistling Billy is an added attraction.

i ditched the sweetone and got a shaw; i can recommend it for a beginner breathy whistle and i heard it doesn't have some of the problems that clarkes can have; i got mine used for $20--Doc's irish flute store has them

Shaw's are nice, but untuneable and also suceptible to dents and even getting completely squashed.

[GordonH]

I have used the Clarke whistles extensively (especially the C) and I bought a Shaw C which turned out to be:

a) a lot quieter.
b) impossible to play a bottom B on because the hole on the end is smaller than the Clarke.

That said, its a well made whistle. I would not recommend it for beginners.
The Clarke D is easier to blow than the Clarke C and they have smaller holes than the equivalent cylindrical whistles which makes them easier to cover for a beginner.

However, I still like the Meg and the Sweettone for beginners as they are easy to blow and have the small holes.
Failing that the Generation D is a good starter and easily cheaply obtainable (at least here in the UK).

[GordonH]

Colours - very useful if there are three children in the family and you want to give them all whistles (as happened to me at Christmas). Stops the risk of cross infection!