Loren wrote:
Serious suggestion: Consider switching to the flute, the high notes are much more pleasant. I quit playing whistle for the most part years ago because the whistle’s high notes are just too shrill for my ears. It’s painful. Flute, no problem at all in that respect, much more pleasing tone over all in fact.
Oh yeah, and unlike the whistle, which basically only works when played at one set volume, the flute can be played somewhat quietly if needs be.
That's a good suggestion.
Whistles have a fixed tone-production mechanism and the maker has to choose what he/she feels is the best balance between power in the low notes and sweetness in the high notes.
I've played a ton of Low Whistles and the diagnostic notes are usually E in the low octave and B in the 2nd octave. A whistle can have a generally strong low range but have a weak E, and a whistle can have a generally sweet 2nd octave but have a loud shouty B.
I think getting a good balance between the octaves is more difficult on Low Whistles than on high ones. Different makers have varying degrees of success.
The best-balanced Low D I've played was probably the Lofgren, which had a very strong Bottom D and low range in general yet a smooth sweet high range including High B.
There's always going to be a volume differential between the most-quiet low-octave notes (usually E and F#) and the loudest 2nd-octave notes (A and especially B). This really becomes apparent at a session. As I've mentioned I was at a session where it was just me on Low D Whistle and four guys on flute. On the low passages you couldn't hear me at all, while on the high passages I was louder than all four flutes together!
Flutes are superior in every way, really. Your embouchure tailors itself to the various notes and you can get huge booming low notes and sweet quiet high notes, if you want. You can play any note at any volume you want, while on whistle each note only is in tune at one level of blowing, and the volume level of each note can't be varied unless you blow the note sharp or flat.
Anyhow on whistle, especially Low D whistles, you often have that shouty High B and all you can do is
1) make sure all the holes are open, with no fingers even shading them (except of course the top hole!)
2) support the note well, from the diaphragm as mentioned above. When High B is even slightly underblown it can sound harsh.
3) arrange the tune to minimize the number and length of High B's. Cathall McConnell speaks to this issue, I can't remember his specific quote (he was talking about flute-playing as I recall).