Total Newbie

[aikoheiwa]

Hi there!

I'm new to tin whistle. I've been doing with my kids as part of our curriculum (I homeschool), but I've been interested in expanding my knowledge and skill. I've looked at a few tutorials, and I know practise is very important. Since the tin whistle I had was very sharp (and cheap), I invested a little money in to a Clarke whistle (30 bucks). The feel of it is so different that I'm finding it difficult to regulate my air. With the other whistle, I felt like I barely had to blow whereas with this one I feel like I use more air. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Alos, links to good (and free!) tutorials are always appreciated.

Amanda

[brewerpaul]

Is that the regular all metal Clarke, or the plastic topped Sweetone?
The regular one does indeed take a lot of air. You can help this by carefully pressing down on the top of the windway to make the air channel thinner. The metal is soft enough that you can probably do this with your thumbs. Do it a tiny bit, then test playing the whistle. Repeat as necessary. If you get it right, the Clarke is a really nice, traditional whistle.

[ytliek]

Welcome to the whistle forum. I was a "total newbie" at one time and now newbie-ish.

There are any number of whistle tutorials available so you might try finding one that fits your playing interest. I'd suggest Brother Steve's or Ryan Duns.

http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/b ... index.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0Xf1Um ... AF&index=1


Enjoy your whistling, practice is the only way to get where you want to be playing.

[joeryan]

Hey --

I also started playing the whistle as part of an effort to teach it to my kids. It's been lot's of fun.

We cycled through a number of cheap whistles at the beginning: Feadogs, Clark originals, Clark Sweet Tones et al. In the end, I found the Sweet Tone to be the best starter for both the kids and me. I love the sound of the Clark originals, but they require a ton of breath. (And yes, that can be alleviated by flattening the windway.) But I found Sweet Tone was easy to play out of the box.

I'd also highly recommend Ryan Dunn's tutorials.

Best,

Joe

[sbfluter]

If your first whistle was too sharp it may be possible to lengthen the whistle and bring it down a little. Either by pulling the plastic fipple out a little or by rubber-banding a small piece of paper that wraps around the end or even a little of both. If the fipple doesn't pull out you may be able to free it by soaking it a cup of warm water.

[aikoheiwa]

brewerpaul, it was the metal one and I was able to flatten it. The difference is HUGE. Thank you!

ytliek, thank you for the links!

Joe, thanks for the recommendations.

sbfluter, thanks for that tip, I'll give it a try! I still have it, didn't want to get rid of it. If I can get it in tune, I'll let one of the kids have it as an extra whistle.

[Lanselle]

I would highly recommend the online lessons by Kirsten Allstaff on the Online Academy of Irish Music:
http://www.oaim.ie
The first lessons are free and then the tuition is 20 €/month.
Pedagogy is excellent, lessons are very progressive, you can learn at your own pace and contact the tutor as often as needed.
Nice to have such a high-level professor at your own home.
Have fun.

[s1m0n]

I thought that my Clarke whistle took an inordinate amount of air right up until I got my first flute, and then found that filling any whistle became the easiest thing in the world. Compared to any other wind instrument, whistles are easy. Yes, conical Clarkes take more air than tubular whistles, but in the greater scheme of things the difference is tiny. Unless you're asthmatic or your breathing is compromised in some other way, two or three weeks of persistence will carry you through the difficulty you're having and then you'll never have to think of it again. If you like the sound of your Clarke whistle - there's much to like - my best advice is to keep at it. It'll stop being a problem in short order.