Tin Whistles

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: GUEST,Suffolk Miracle
Date: 22 Jan 08 - 10:49 AM

Clarke not Sharp. Sorry Cecil.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: GUEST,Suffolk Miracle
Date: 22 Jan 08 - 10:47 AM

People don't seem to be distinguishing what I think are two questions - which whistles are suitable for solos, and which for accompaniment? I mainly do the former, so I'm much less fussy. Generations are fine, but they need warming up first - keep a set down your singlet! The old Sharp tapering ones were brilliant because it was very difficult to accidentally overblow them - mainly because it was almost impossible to play them for more than two minutes unless you had borrowed a pair of lungs from a friendly elephant! Nice tone though.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: GUEST,Vin
Date: 22 Jan 08 - 08:51 AM

I've got a few Generations which are mostly ok - prefer the C. I've had one for years and still go back to it despite the mouthpiece looking a bit worse for wear - it still sounds better to me than one i bought fairly recently. My other fave is a Walton D mellow geen top - nice sound.

For anyone around the area, there's a 'big (& little) Whistle' week-end at the 'Met' in Bury in May - 8th, 9th & 10th. Very successfull last year apparently.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Davie_
Date: 21 Jan 08 - 01:01 PM

I used to play clarke sweet tones, nice whistles and perfect for learners, easy on the pocket as well. If its a bit more upmarket you are after, then the Rose as mentioned above is nice. Personaly I use the Overton, again not cheap, and if required you can purchase the tunable type.
For volume..the Susato is probably the loudest and not too expensive either, goes for around the same price as the Dixon also a nice whistle.
I dont like the chieftan whisles at all.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 21 Jan 08 - 10:15 AM

Spot on PMB, and not a lot of people .................

Ok '60s rock group with a steel pan solo .........

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 21 Jan 08 - 09:27 AM

Trogg Thing, by the Wilds?

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 21 Jan 08 - 05:11 AM

Which famous rock single had an Ocarina solo?

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Bert
Date: 20 Jan 08 - 08:25 PM

...especially youngsters, often tend to blow far too hard, which results in that awful tone....

Heaven forbid that they can make an instrument that you can just blow into and it works.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Slag
Date: 20 Jan 08 - 08:20 PM

Penny whistles 180 pounds! Wow! Fipple flutes! Recorders. Ever try an Ocarina? How about a tinpenny whistle and a framing hammer? Bang!

Honestly, I have seldom encountered whistles in the music stores I frequent here on the West Coast, USA. I will either have to open my eyes more or start investigating this instrument. The things you learn on the 'Cat! Thanks all for the discussion!

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Jack Campin
Date: 20 Jan 08 - 07:29 PM

The difference between a recorder and whistle is the fingerholes, not the bore or the fipple/labium. The Susato "renaissance recorders" are exactly the same mouldings and tubing as their whistles but with the fingerholes in different places. And most of the upmarket whistlemakers now make instruments with conical bore and curved windways which have been borrowed from recorder design - drill the fingerholes in different places and they would *be* recorders.

That is, Foolestroupe's "intensely designed" stuff doesn't make any sense. The elements of the design that make for chromatic fingering and those which make for different tonal characteristics are completely independent of each other.

Recorders are also not necessarily designed for "standard tempering". High-end Baroque ones are often configured to make mean-tone the default, but most recorders are flexible enough in pitch to fit in with a range of tuning systems - even the cheapest plastic school descant will let you play C# lower than Db or G# lower than Ab, as you get in meantone.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 20 Jan 08 - 07:05 PM

Freud, that's all.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Tootler
Date: 20 Jan 08 - 05:06 PM

Whistlepenny wrote:

Whistles vs recorders? No contest! A whistle is lyrical, in the right hands it can sing, slide, soar and tremble - the recorder sounds just (how can I put this politely?) *bland* in comparison.

Bland! rubbish! You have obviously never heard a recorder played by a real expert. A recorder can do all the things you describe for a whistle and more.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 20 Jan 08 - 07:53 AM

"(in)famous as instruments of torture in the hands/mouths of offenders under the age of criminal responsibility..."

There's a very good simple technical reason for this... :-)

With a Recorder - funnily enough, less so for a whistle, probably because a recorder is a more "intensely designed" instrument than the more "natural built" whistle - the fipple is far more sensitive to "overblowing". Beginners, especially youngsters, often tend to blow far too hard, which results in that awful tone. It's a bit akin to a novice violinist pressing too hard on the bow, and getting that horrible scratchy sound. Both cases involve the fact that the more advanced the player, the more they 'relax' and can 'touch the instrument lightly'.

A very good advanced player can often get an acceptable sound out of a "$2 cheapie", and that is much the same for whistles. The reason for THIS is that the more advanced the player, the better their ability to "listen and blow in the notes", as well as that 'touch the instrument lightly' ability. Practice, Practice, Practice!

What did I mean by that "intensely designed" / "natural built" stuff?

Well the whistle is a diatonic instrument, (normally) only producing notes within the (originally just tempered, but nowadays well tempered) 8 note scale. A recorder is designed, like most 'modern' wind instruments to be fully chromatic, producing all 12 pitches in a 'standard tempered' octave.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Leadfingers
Date: 19 Jan 08 - 02:51 PM

Much more fun playing in 'silly' keys on a whistle ! You have to 'make' the note , rather than just remember a silly fingering position !
And I find I can play stuff on a whistle that I could never do justice to on Clarinet or Sax !!

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Whistlepenny
Date: 19 Jan 08 - 02:31 PM

Whistles vs recorders? No contest! A whistle is lyrical, in the right hands it can sing, slide, soar and tremble - the recorder sounds just (how can I put this politely?) *bland* in comparison.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 19 Jan 08 - 11:07 AM

I clear whistle played well brings joy not generally associated with the recorder, I think.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Ernest
Date: 19 Jan 08 - 10:21 AM

Recorders on the other hand are (in)famous as instruments of torture in the hands/mouths of offenders under the age of criminal responsibility...

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 19 Jan 08 - 10:12 AM

I have never played a whistle that was a satisfactory instrument.

The whistle was the instrument of the poor - cheap to make but hard to play. They worked culturally because people listened to someone's tune and overlooked the squeaks, as if saying, 'We know what you were trying to play.'

If you want a real instrument of that type, get a recorder.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 19 Jan 08 - 06:53 AM

"I have threatened the whistle for some years now. I have a number and they all have little problems of their own."

Don't worry - it's usually just the nut at the blowing end that's the cause of all the trouble! Keep changing that till you get a good one!

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Stu
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 09:23 AM

"How long will it be before I play well enough to justify a £180 whistle?"

A good point and I'm in the same boat, but I was lucky enough to save up some 40th birthday money and get the whistle. I play it out but am still only starting, but once I heard the Rose that was that.

My £18 Dixon is OK though.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: GUEST,Dáithí
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 05:48 AM

i have a Clarks, tweaked by Jerry Freeman, which keeps the slightly breathy sound associated with conical whistles..but it's a bit quiet for sessions (fine for amplified performance though).
It's great right through the range, and doesn't suck the breath out of you like the regular ones.Cost me £23 from Big whistles in Accrington, lancs.
My usual whistle though, which I use in performance and at sessions, is a Susato (plastic). Never had a problem, and it's tunable. Costs about £20 these days, I think.

Adh mór!
Dáithí

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 05:08 AM

How long will it be before I play well enough to justify a £180 whistle?

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Stu
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 05:00 AM

Look no further than a Fred Rose, based in Nelson, Lancashire, just a hop up the M60/66 from Chorlton. This might be an overstatement, but Fred seems to be fast becoming the Stefan Sobell of whistle makers.

His whistles are all high D's made from Blackwood and Delrin. The delrin whistles are superb, each one created and voiced individually and probably the best plastic whistle I've played (though admittedly that's, er, two), but the wooden whistles are on another level.

The blackwood is sourced from a village in Tanzania where it is harvested sustainably by a local family - true frairtrade wood. The mouthpiece and trim is silver and plays like a dream - the whistle seems to want to be played. I got mine in November and love it - I had a Bleazey before but struggled with it (especially in the second register) but no such issues with the Rose.

On top of all this, Fred is a loverly bloke and a true craftsman. A visit to his workshop is a delight, and the quality of his workmanship second to none. They are costly - but I can't see me ever wanting another whistle, as nothing I've heard comes close to a Rose.

P.S. I have to declare a slight interest here - Fred is a good friend of a good friend of mine (!) and it was him who put me in touch with Fred originally. The URL is http://www.fredrose.co.uk.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 04:39 AM

Found the URL again... the whistle was the soprano D acetal...
Silkstone Whistles

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 18 Jan 08 - 04:13 AM

I bought two green Gens recently, both perfect. Maybe the quality control has picked up a bit. At the 2006 Audlem BPAHGD someone showed me a wonderful whistle, economical on breath, loud but not too much, well in tune, made by a bloke in South Yorkshire... Barnsley or Penistone or Oughtibridge I think. Unfortunately it cost a small fortune (£180 IIRC) and I lost the URL quickly.

I think many people's problems stem from breath control and style, particularly heavily tongued styles. If you soften from the classical-stlye t-t-t to brushing the tongue gently forward across the hard palate, not even closing, you can get good articulation (a sort of hl-hl-hl) without the heavy attack that most whistles don't seem to take well to. Still better use fingered grace notes to articulate, like Scotch pipers have to.

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 06:43 PM

Is sharing whistles still aloud (?)

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Leadfingers
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 03:36 PM

As Breath control is probably THE most important thing with getting the 'right' sound , you HAVE to try Them ! I wont part with a penny until the PROMISE to excahnge , IF the whistle doesnt work !
I once went through a shops entire stock of Generations and told them that ALL of them were faulty and should be returned

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 03:05 PM

Do they have machines for blowing in to them?

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Leadfingers
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 03:01 PM

I WONT buy a whistle unless I can try it , or they promise to replace it if its unsatisfactory ! A GOOD Generation is a perfectly good whistle while a BAD one is not worth its scrap value !
I know they are a lot pricier , but give Tony Dixon Whistles a try !
Never sure wether they're the best of the reasonably priced or the cheapest of the 'good' ones !

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: Whistlepenny
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 02:48 PM

I prefer the Clarke Sweetone - easy on the pocket and they are usually true all the way up (I think I've only ever had one duff one, that leaked spit through the seam at the back after a long set - nice!!). And they come in lots of nice colours.

Claire
x

Subject: RE: Tin Whistles
From: skipy
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 02:44 PM

Never mind the Whistles, it's the bell in my head!
Skipy in a white wine sauce.

Subject: Tin Whistles
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 17 Jan 08 - 02:42 PM

I have threatened the whistle for some years now. I have a number and they all have little problems of their own. Some have trouble with the top of the scale and some the bottom. Some overblow to the octave reasonably well and some throw in 5ths and so on.

I have a James Galway, a Feaoog, a silver Shaw and a couple of Generations, so to speak, each in D. No seem to work as they should.

is this just cheap product variation and failure, do I need to boil them in pig's blood or something or is it me and practice?

should I go up market and buy something much better?

Cheers

Les
honest i won't play it near you.