Hi guys!

I've just buy a tin whistle, it's "The original clarke penny whistle" in D. I have problem to play the low note ( D, E, F ). The note be out of tune immediatly, but with another tin whistle ( a waltons ) i play them perfectly. I'm new of wind strument, i play guitar... and i'm searching some suggestions!

Thanks!

Hi and welcome,

Try playing the higher notes first and work on your breath control before trying the lower notes. Blowing too hard is a common problem when learning how to play.

As Mike said. Btw, it's F# and not F..
My Clarke is reasonably well in tune. But it must be played softly.

I just checked the first octave with a tuner, and I can in fact play it exactly in tune according to the tuner.. I just have to hold back and blow a little bit carefully for E and push a little bit harder on F#. A must also be pushed a little bit, while G is neutral. On my Waltons F# must also be pushed, too much as it turns out.. it starts shrieking before it reaches F# according to the tuner (equal temp. tuning). So maybe I will have to compromise a bit and tune the Waltons sharper.. or maybe not. It goes flatter and flatter all the way up and that can't be saved I think.

(After more testing) The Clarke, and the Clarke Meg (using much the same blowing technique as with the trad. Clarke), plus the Feadog, are all easy to play in tune in the first octave, with just some breath control. The Gen. D has a tricky F# (NB, I'm new on whistle, although I've played the recorder). The Waltons goes flatter all the way up and I won't try to play it with other instruments. It's not so bad that it can't be played just by itself though - depending on one's ears I guess. (I too play guitar and that's different - when chords are played everything must be exceedingly in tune or it sounds horrible).

(EDIT: I found that I can just half-hole the Gen. a tiny bit and the F# will be OK. And even the Waltons can be made to work with other instruments if I just half-hole some of the notes.. not too tricky really. For slow stuff anyway.. which is for the most part all I can play so far. The Gen. will be OK for just about everything I think, it feels easy to half-hole-adjust that F#. Or maybe I can improve my breathing technique. Anyway, I guess the shorter / faster a note is played the less it matters if there's no time to adjust..)

(Update: I forgot to say that my Waltons is the little black, i.e. the aluminium, not the brass variant.)

-Tor

Ok, thanks for reply!

Yes is F#, i've assumed that the # was in the key of the instrument ! So, i'll work on my breath, i was afraid that the instrument was the problem!!!

I've found with the several Clarke originals that I've owned, that the windway is too tall for the whistle to respond the way that I want it to. I carefully push the top of the windway down toward the wooden plug, just a bit at a time, until I like the sound and playability.

If you are brand-new to the whistle, however, you might want to develop your technique before pre-emptively mashing the windway in. I have had numerous whistles that I didn't like when I first got them, and when I went back and played them a year or two later, the whistle was much better. I think it is the same principle of physics that makes my clothes shrink while they hang in the closet...

btw, the Clarke original is my favorite factory whistle, when carefully mashed, er, modified.