Chiff and Fipple Forums

So my story of how I got here is a little odd. I was looking for a gift for each of 2 white-elephant exchanges we're having in staff christmas parties over the next couple weeks.

I just happened to be watching an orchestral performance of Concerning Hobbits, and I saw this dude playing an instrument I didn't recognize, but looked like some kind of traditional irish flute. I knew nothing about anything.

Someone in the youtube comments mentioned it was a tin whistle. So down the google rabbit hole I went. This was monday.

I now have 3 tin whistles. A Clarke original, a Clarke sweetone, and an Oak.

I only need 2 for the gift exchanges, and I want to keep one for myself. There's a local traditional irish music school that will start classes after the first of the year, and they do have tin whistle classes.

Which one should I keep? Your thoughts?

That's easy: all of 'em.

Play what ever notes you can on each of them until you decide which two sound best to you, go back where you got those two, and get two more for the gift exchanges. Then sign up for that class.

The Clarke Sweetone is an excellent start, but a year from now, you will, should you get bitten, have a score of whistles anyway, after which you will whittle it down the only the essentials

Tunborough wrote:That's easy: all of 'em.

My sentiments exactly. Besides, if you're going to gift them, they're cheap enough that I'd think most folks wouldn't want a used one as a gift, unless it's a discontinued instrument.

However, if someone would like to gift me one of them used Pat O'Riordan whistles, I wouldn't complain....(since they're discontinued)

Best wishes.

Steve

Yeah, if i were a non-whistle player, I'd be especially grossed out by someone giving me their used whistle as a gift. Ick! Buy two new ones for the Christmas gift exchange.

Chifmunk wrote:Yeah, if i were a non-whistle player, I'd be especially grossed out by someone giving me their used whistle as a gift. Ick! Buy two new ones for the Christmas gift exchange.

I didn't see the poster saying s/he was playing them.

That said, the answer to the original post depends on the motivation. If you want to keep the easiest whistle to learn on, I'd suggest the Sweetone. If you want to give away the easiest to learn on, I'd suggest giving away the Sweetone and the Clark.

The Oak is a little touchy for a learner, but it's a really wonderful whistle once you learn breath control. The Clarke Original is pretty much the opposite -- very forgiving, but takes a lot of breath, so can be tough for a beginner who doesn't have (ahem) a lot of hot air.

I would keep the Oak whistle.

update: i gifted the Clarke, which ended up getting picked by someone who was somewhat of a musician, so hopefully he'll enjoy it

I'll be keeping both the sweetone and oak, and regifting what I got from the gift exchange for the next one I'm doing later this week

I'll probably get another clarke to replace the one I gifted. eventually

westonm wrote:update: i gifted the Clarke, which ended up getting picked by someone who was somewhat of a musician, so hopefully he'll enjoy it

I'll be keeping both the sweetone and oak, and regifting what I got from the gift exchange for the next one I'm doing later this week

I'll probably get another clarke to replace the one I gifted. eventually

The Sweetone is my favorite of the cheap pennywhistles, or really of any of the Soprano D whistles I've tried. The first octave (lowest notes) aren't as strong as some, like the Oak, Feadog, or Generation, but the second octave is beautiful and chirpy, rather than harsh and piercing as with most of the other pennywhistles I've tried. Whistles are always a compromise between the two octaves, with some whistles cheating one way or the other, and others more evenly balanced. Most of the cheap whistles cheat heavily toward the first octave, and have a harsh upper octave as a result. For me, I'd take a weak first octave in exchange for a beautiful upper octave, as that is the one that can hurt your ears, or drive your neighbors or family to kill you.

Here's a video of a Clarke Woodstock (identical to the Sweetone) where you can hear the upper octave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PQfml-lUxQ
Here's a Freeman Tweaked Blackbird, same tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErWDGpyBl7A

The Freeman is a very nice whistle, but it's a cylindrical bore, rather than the conical bore of the Sweetone or Clarke Original, so it gives a different sound and feel.

It's almost meaningless to compare the two videos for whistle tone because of the huge acoustical difference of the two settings.
Nice playing btw!

Chifmunk wrote:It's almost meaningless to compare the two videos for whistle tone because of the huge acoustical difference of the two settings.

I've also noticed that in YouTube videos, but attributed it to camera setup. If I made a video of me playing my whistle in my house, it would probably sound horrible!

We should all just play our whistles in cathedrals, when no one's looking. ;-D

because I couldn't resist I further added a Dixon Trad D