What is the best whistle to go for for Irish trad? Clarke, Generation, Cheiftain or something else entirely. I'm just beginning on the whistle but i do play music professionally.
Chieftain makes great whistles but if you're looking to get started with something cheaper, a good Generation is a great way to go. The trick is, it might take trying out a dozen of them to find a good one as their quality is pretty variable. I've used several Feadogs before and have had good luck with them -- they're aesthetically similar to a Generation but with a black mouthpiece instead of a blue one. If you're interested, I've got a link to Feadog in the Resources Page on this site.
Submitted by PTWhistler on Tue, 03/24/2009 - 10:43.
I just bought my first whistle, since i am portuguese, it was hard to find one here, so i didn't even bother and bought online. My choice was a Clarke´s Celtic Thinwhistle. I paid about 11€ with shipping. I'm looking forward to receive it, and to start learning and playing it! Another whistle that i got my eye on was a Dixon included in some kind of "starter's pack" they have.
If anyone can tell me how do they feel about the Celtic one, please do!
Cheers!
Visit thewhistlerbard.blogspot.com and follow the adventures of this newcomer!
I've never played one that goes by this name, but it according to Amazon.com it looks a lot like the Clarke Sweetone, which I did play and which I really liked. It may be that they've just renamed the Sweetone in which case I think you've found yourself a nice whistle.
Submitted by Danny Grant on Wed, 07/22/2009 - 19:53.
I went a bit whistle mad when i first started playing little over a year ago , my first was a Susato low D which is a lovely sounding instrument if only i could grow my fourth finger so it can reach the D note !!! still working on that one hehe , so then i brought my self a Dixon Low D duo off Tony himself at the Lowender Peran celtic festival here in Cornwall England and found it a joy to learn on , then i got myself a Cheiftain Low D V3 tuneable , still trying to do that one justice . i then purchased a Chieftain high D and found it quite dissapointing to tell the truth so i went back to Tony Dixon and got the relatively new solid brass tuneable high D and it knocked spots off the Cheiftain , the Susato Kildare high D SB is also good at around half the price of the brass Dixon . i also got the Dixon G & A in the stainless body and plastic heads which are also good . If only i could find a teacher in the South West of England for a bit of tuition as i have been muddling through on my own , but i'm improving slowly but steadily .
Well, it sounds like you've found some good instruments. If you're having trouble reaching the bottom note on the low whistle you can always play it with your little finger. That's how lots of Uillleann pipe teachers get people ready for the pipes since that's how you have to play the note on the pipe chanter.
Submitted by Danny Grant on Fri, 07/24/2009 - 07:10.
Aye i'll have to give that a go , it's only the Susato low D that has the awkward finger spread the Cheiftain and the Dixon are more finger friendly . funnily enough i've just ordered a practice chanter a few days a go , cause i've always fancied a go at piping as i have Scottish blood in me as well as Welsh and Kernewek so a good Celtic mix hehe :)
Submitted by darby0malley on Fri, 12/04/2009 - 12:37.
Couple of years ago I bought a "Waltons Irish Black Whistle" as it was a guinness special edition and therefore neat.
I had trouble with the strength of my breath so its been collecting dust untill now great site
do you know much about Waltons? is it a quality whistle?
thanks, Darby
Waltons makes a fine beginners instrument -- similar to Generation they are mass produced and as such there can be some variance between good ones and bad ones, but as long as it's not significantly out of tune with itself it should work fine for learning the fundamentals.
I have played a veriety of the cheeper high whistles. I like the waltons, my first whistle was a walton. Generation feel cheaper to me and less in tune. I really like Feadog, good all around. Susato have a differant tone, being plastic, but I don't dislike that. I own a few of their low whistles also, they are nice especially for the price. I was looking to get something higher quality a few years ago but not really wanting to part with too much cash at the time. I found a D whistle by GFM and got the extra body for the Key of C, they are real nice but a little loud compared to the others I mentioned.
Submitted by the stitch on Tue, 12/29/2009 - 22:33.
im surprised that no one has mentioned the underdog and independent craftman Erik The Flute Maker himself.
ive never played one of his but the dude is sheer awsome. he has tons of character and has dedicated his life to being a craftsman. check out his website www.eriktheflutemaker.com
Submitted by nair.sobral on Wed, 12/30/2009 - 16:38.
Hi there!
I've just purchased a Generation, C tone, whistle. I didn't know that there was a D tone whistle so... now I'm looking for a place where to learn the fingering, and the difference between a D tone and a C tone (I can hear the difference but can't manage between scales...).
is their a difference between the term Sweetone and Celtic whistle both by Clarkes? They look identical but have heard better about the Sweetone and think it is a packaging difference. Brent
Nair.sobral: You're going to have difficulty learning tunes on a C whistle -- only because if you're trying to play by ear and learn tunes that way you're going to be a full step flat all the time. The fingerings still work the same but you'll just be playing a step down. I'd definitely recommend picking up a D whistle as 95% of all Irish traditional music can be played on it, unlike the C whistle.
JohnNoZ: Feadogs and Generations are very similar, so hopefully you'll have good luck with your new Generations. Like all mass produced whistles you can get really lucky with one and really unlucky with another...that's just the way it goes, for better or worse.
bkasl: Yes, the Sweetone (in my opinion) has a sound much more similar to that of a Generation/Feadog whereas the Celtic whistle is very breathy. I like the Sweetones myself -- I played a few years ago -- but never cared for the traditional style Clarkes.
oi tudo bem tb sou portugues e comprei 2 tin whistles da Clark um original e um victorian tb estou esperando por eles e tenho 1 da generation nao sei se são bons pois não entendo nada disto ando a explorar os tin whistles axo o som maravilhoso
se tiveres msn e quiseres falar sobre o assunto :
joao
Submitted by boghopper on Fri, 04/16/2010 - 09:20.
I posted a question on here over a year ago, asking what whistle to buy. In the end, I bought a Tom Dixon whistle in solid brass and I'm delighted with it. They're not cheap but you get what you pay for. My playing has really advanced since I got it too.
I'm looking forward to receive it, and to start learning and playing it! Another whistle that i got my eye on was a Dixon included in some kind of "starter's pack" they have. Toronto Lofts
I've been playing a Clark Sweetone, and am looking to try a Tony Dixon D whistle. What kind of difference would I find between the sounds of a Dixon brass trad whistle, and the Dixon solid brass whistle? I see that both of those whistles are tunable.
Tutors are often privately hired and paid by the student, the student's family or an agency. Many are used for remedial students or others needing special attention, many provide more advanced material for exceptionally capable and highly motivated students, or in the context of homeschooling. Thanks.
Regards, sat tutoring nyc
Chieftain makes great
Chieftain makes great whistles but if you're looking to get started with something cheaper, a good Generation is a great way to go. The trick is, it might take trying out a dozen of them to find a good one as their quality is pretty variable. I've used several Feadogs before and have had good luck with them -- they're aesthetically similar to a Generation but with a black mouthpiece instead of a blue one. If you're interested, I've got a link to Feadog in the Resources Page on this site.
I just bought my first
I just bought my first whistle, since i am portuguese, it was hard to find one here, so i didn't even bother and bought online. My choice was a Clarke´s Celtic Thinwhistle. I paid about 11€ with shipping. I'm looking forward to receive it, and to start learning and playing it! Another whistle that i got my eye on was a Dixon included in some kind of "starter's pack" they have.
If anyone can tell me how do they feel about the Celtic one, please do!
Cheers!
Visit thewhistlerbard.blogspot.com and follow the adventures of this newcomer!
I've never played one that
I've never played one that goes by this name, but it according to Amazon.com it looks a lot like the Clarke Sweetone, which I did play and which I really liked. It may be that they've just renamed the Sweetone in which case I think you've found yourself a nice whistle.
Good luck with it!
Sean
@ PTWhistler - I think that's
@ PTWhistler - I think that's the Sweetone, nice whistle. I just ordered the original Sweetone myself. Can't wait to try it!
Yeah, i checked it out, it's
Yeah, i checked it out, it's the Sweetone, it just has a celtic ornament and comes in a fancy box with some music sheets.
I'll try it today!
Visit thewhistlerbard.blogspot.com and follow the adventures of this newcomer!
I went a bit whistle mad when
I went a bit whistle mad when i first started playing little over a year ago , my first was a Susato low D which is a lovely sounding instrument if only i could grow my fourth finger so it can reach the D note !!! still working on that one hehe , so then i brought my self a Dixon Low D duo off Tony himself at the Lowender Peran celtic festival here in Cornwall England and found it a joy to learn on , then i got myself a Cheiftain Low D V3 tuneable , still trying to do that one justice . i then purchased a Chieftain high D and found it quite dissapointing to tell the truth so i went back to Tony Dixon and got the relatively new solid brass tuneable high D and it knocked spots off the Cheiftain , the Susato Kildare high D SB is also good at around half the price of the brass Dixon . i also got the Dixon G & A in the stainless body and plastic heads which are also good . If only i could find a teacher in the South West of England for a bit of tuition as i have been muddling through on my own , but i'm improving slowly but steadily .
Well, it sounds like you've
Well, it sounds like you've found some good instruments. If you're having trouble reaching the bottom note on the low whistle you can always play it with your little finger. That's how lots of Uillleann pipe teachers get people ready for the pipes since that's how you have to play the note on the pipe chanter.
Just a thought.
Cheers,
Sean
Aye i'll have to give that a
Aye i'll have to give that a go , it's only the Susato low D that has the awkward finger spread the Cheiftain and the Dixon are more finger friendly . funnily enough i've just ordered a practice chanter a few days a go , cause i've always fancied a go at piping as i have Scottish blood in me as well as Welsh and Kernewek so a good Celtic mix hehe :)
Couple of years ago I bought
Couple of years ago I bought a "Waltons Irish Black Whistle" as it was a guinness special edition and therefore neat.
I had trouble with the strength of my breath so its been collecting dust untill now great site
do you know much about Waltons? is it a quality whistle?
thanks, Darby
Waltons makes a fine
Waltons makes a fine beginners instrument -- similar to Generation they are mass produced and as such there can be some variance between good ones and bad ones, but as long as it's not significantly out of tune with itself it should work fine for learning the fundamentals.
Is the Tin Whistle Clare key
Is the Tin Whistle Clare key of D Brass any good?
I just had ordered one before I found your web site.
thanks
Ralph
I have played a veriety of
I have played a veriety of the cheeper high whistles. I like the waltons, my first whistle was a walton. Generation feel cheaper to me and less in tune. I really like Feadog, good all around. Susato have a differant tone, being plastic, but I don't dislike that. I own a few of their low whistles also, they are nice especially for the price. I was looking to get something higher quality a few years ago but not really wanting to part with too much cash at the time. I found a D whistle by GFM and got the extra body for the Key of C, they are real nice but a little loud compared to the others I mentioned.
im surprised that no one has
im surprised that no one has mentioned the underdog and independent craftman Erik The Flute Maker himself.
ive never played one of his but the dude is sheer awsome. he has tons of character and has dedicated his life to being a craftsman. check out his website www.eriktheflutemaker.com
Hi there! I've just
Hi there!
I've just purchased a Generation, C tone, whistle. I didn't know that there was a D tone whistle so... now I'm looking for a place where to learn the fingering, and the difference between a D tone and a C tone (I can hear the difference but can't manage between scales...).
Thank you very much.
I had a Feadog and an
I had a Feadog and an Sweetone, but gave them to my mom and sister. They were both good whistles, as much as I can judge as a beginner.
I just ordered two Generation brass whistles, but would have ordered Feadog, if I had read this forum, first.
is their a difference between
is their a difference between the term Sweetone and Celtic whistle both by Clarkes? They look identical but have heard better about the Sweetone and think it is a packaging difference. Brent
Nair.sobral: You're going to
Nair.sobral: You're going to have difficulty learning tunes on a C whistle -- only because if you're trying to play by ear and learn tunes that way you're going to be a full step flat all the time. The fingerings still work the same but you'll just be playing a step down. I'd definitely recommend picking up a D whistle as 95% of all Irish traditional music can be played on it, unlike the C whistle.
JohnNoZ: Feadogs and Generations are very similar, so hopefully you'll have good luck with your new Generations. Like all mass produced whistles you can get really lucky with one and really unlucky with another...that's just the way it goes, for better or worse.
bkasl: Yes, the Sweetone (in my opinion) has a sound much more similar to that of a Generation/Feadog whereas the Celtic whistle is very breathy. I like the Sweetones myself -- I played a few years ago -- but never cared for the traditional style Clarkes.
oi tudo bem tb sou portugues
oi tudo bem tb sou portugues e comprei 2 tin whistles da Clark um original e um victorian tb estou esperando por eles e tenho 1 da generation nao sei se são bons pois não entendo nada disto ando a explorar os tin whistles axo o som maravilhoso
se tiveres msn e quiseres falar sobre o assunto :
joao
I posted a question on here
I posted a question on here over a year ago, asking what whistle to buy. In the end, I bought a Tom Dixon whistle in solid brass and I'm delighted with it. They're not cheap but you get what you pay for. My playing has really advanced since I got it too.
Whistling in the dark in Denmark
Fantastic! A good instrument
Fantastic! A good instrument can go a long way to improving your playing, so that's good to hear!
I'm looking forward to
I'm looking forward to receive it, and to start learning and playing it! Another whistle that i got my eye on was a Dixon included in some kind of "starter's pack" they have.
Toronto Lofts
I've been playing a Clark
I've been playing a Clark Sweetone, and am looking to try a Tony Dixon D whistle. What kind of difference would I find between the sounds of a Dixon brass trad whistle, and the Dixon solid brass whistle? I see that both of those whistles are tunable.
Tutors are often privately
Tutors are often privately hired and paid by the student, the student's family or an agency. Many are used for remedial students or others needing special attention, many provide more advanced material for exceptionally capable and highly motivated students, or in the context of homeschooling. Thanks.
Regards,
sat tutoring nyc