Chiff and Fipple Forums

I recently received two sliver Copland whistles (a high D and high C, left to me by a friend who died not long ago). I have a Copeland brass high D that I rarely play because I just don't like it, but these are lovely whistles. The D is stuck tight, though, and I can't tune it. I've tried the hot wa...

I have a large set of Water Weasels that I purchased from Glenn Schultz (the maker, God rest his soul). He advised cleaning his PVC whistles with a very mild detergent and water.

Back in the 80's someone gave me a cassette copy of Feadoga Stain and I'd never heard anything or anyone like Mary Bergin in my life. Then a couple weeks after that I got one of the last tickets to see the Chieftains at the old Rockefeller's here in Houston. Except for the Mary tape I'd never heard ...

Thanks for the replies - much appreciated. I like your suggestion in particular, Nanohedron. And yes, these were the "little black whistles"). I didn't mention the GREAT whistle gifts I've gotten - a beautiful whistle from Gene Milligan for my birthday (after we'd only met the day before),...

Okay, this has happened to me now three times. My husband sometimes mentions to his clients that I play the whistle and have played it for many years- and he doesn't hesitate to tell them that he thinks I'm quite good and have a fairly extensive/expensive whistle collection (in the early years he ha...

The Killarney is a lovely whistle - mine sounds very close to my Sindt D and I enjoy playing it

JTU - your way of learning isn't abhorrent, it's spot on right. Listening, listening, listening to the music (not necessarily whistle) helps develop a sense of rhythm and cadence for jigs or any other type of tune you wan to learn. I've heard this over and over from the 'rock stars' of Traditional I...

Does your next whistle have to be wood? For a relatively affordable option you might consider a Killarney. I like mine as well as my Sindt brass and Burke aluminum high D's.

Wow - how great that you got to study with Mary. Is it my imagination or does she use the tips of her fingers when playing instead of a piper's-type grip?

Hooligan - lovely that you’ve discovered and appreciate Mary Bergin. I remember the thrill of hearing her for the first time (on cassette tape!) so many years ago - that’s what got me playing the whistle. Both of her whistle albums are available on Spotify if you have that, and you should also check...

I don't often play a C whistle - I have a Burke composite C that I like OK, and still have a couple of Sweetone C's that work quite well. The biggest mistake of my whistle life was trading a Copeland silver C for a folk harp years ago. It had the sweetest sound imaginable. From the discussion here I...

It does sound as though there is an underlying problem - banning seems to me extreme. Try just fingering a tune without making any sound and see what (if any) the response is. No response might be telling. My BW black is the quietest whistle that I own but admittedly expensive. Next would be my Free...

Thanks! I should have mentioned that I was indeed terrified to play with Joanie but it was the chance of a lifetime and she asked me to play with her when she learned it was my birthday (I'd taken classes with her at the O'Flaherty retreat so we were acquainted). Whatever mistakes I undoubtedly made...

I had a Sindt Eb that I bought around 20 years ago, and while John had a waiting list even back then, the Eb was easily obtainable for around 75 dollars (a lot of money for me at the time). I loved it but unfortunately I somehow lost it - can't believe I was that stupid not to take better care ....

I learned mostly on a Sweetone and would recommend as an affordable choice - I've had several (C and D) and they are pretty consistent in sound. Early on I made the mistake of thinking that a better whistle would make me a better player/sound better, and invested in a couple high-end instruments tha...