Advice needed on low whistle - Key and MK or Dixon

[pancelticpiper]

Perhaps to add to your quandry, here's a couple Low D demonstration videos I did:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkL06uOtZQc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD7G2C8yH0Q

The new-model Reyburn Low Ds are very very good and belong in the same conversation with Goldie and MK, in my opinion.

Richard

[cunparis]

Perhaps to add to your quandry, here's a couple Low D demonstration videos I did:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkL06uOtZQc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD7G2C8yH0Q

The new-model Reyburn Low Ds are very very good and belong in the same conversation with Goldie and MK, in my opinion.

Richard

Hi Richard,

I had seen the second video already and I just watched the first one. Very nice comparisons. They actually all sound very similar to my inexperienced ears. They all sound very nice and I'm sure any of these would be fine for me.

Misha had a satin green available so I made a quick decision and ordered it. I hope to receive it soon, the wait is killing me.

[Chino]

The new-model Reyburn Low Ds are very very good and belong in the same conversation with Goldie and MK, in my opinion.
Richard

That's true. I own a Low E/Eb set recently made by Ronaldo Reyburn, and the low E in particular is really great, so I'm sure the low D is a winner. Ronaldo is a great maker and a very nice guy, a pleasure to deal with.

[cunparis]

I received the MK Low D in Satin Green today, exactly 1 week after I paid for it. That's pretty quick delivery to France. When I first opened it I thought it was a black one. I took it to the window to see it in better light. The green looks darker than the photo on the website. It's a very dark green. I like the looks of a lighter color on the website and I guess it'd look like that in very bright light. If one liked black then the green would be a good choice as it's very close.

This is not a very good picture but it should give people an idea of what it looks like:



I underestimated the size & finger stretch and it's very challenging to play it. I have to keep practicing the piper's grip. I wonder if playing an F would have made transitioning to the D easier? I'm not sure. My first reaction was "I should have gotten an F first". But after playing it for an hour I can play a few slow tunes (with mistakes of course) so I think I will be able to do it.

So far I think it sounds great. Previously my lowest whistle was a Guido Alto G (PVC). So this one is bigger & much heavier. I'd love to get a Guido Low D just to compare the sound but I don't want to start the whistle acquisition disorder.

So i have my work cut out for me to learn to play it.

[voggy_dog]

I underestimated the size & finger stretch and it's very challenging to play it. I have to keep practicing the piper's grip. I wonder if playing an F would have made transitioning to the D easier? I'm not sure. My first reaction was "I should have gotten an F first". But after playing it for an hour I can play a few slow tunes (with mistakes of course) so I think I will be able to do it.

I'm running into the same problem. I don't think there is any practical way to use a "fingertip" grip on the low "D" whistle, but the pipers grip takes some getting used to. I've been at it for a few weeks, and it is becoming smoother now.

Just keep working on it. Nothing worthwhile is easy.

[AvienMael]

Actually, I think it's a gorgeous shade of green! I can see how it might be mistaken for black, but the visual tone is much warmer than a black would ever be... the word sensual comes to mind...

As for piper's grip, one's posture can sometimes make all the difference. If you are sitting while you practice on it, try standing and see if there is any improvement. MTGuru has posted some very excellent advice with regard to piper's grip and proper hand and finger positioning that will likely alleviate a lot of the struggle you may be having. A quick search and reading through some of that advice may make a world of difference for you.

[cunparis]

I thought I'd update this thread. I've been playing my MK Low D almost daily. It's coming along very well. The piper's grip is getting comfortable and I miss notes less and less. I've even started playing fast tunes with it. What's really cool is when I put it down and pick up a high D - it seems like a toy and I can play it very fast and easy.

I haven't had any clogging issues. i did notice more water in the fipple but I think that was my fault and now that I try to swallow my saliva before playing a tune it's much better.

Overall the whistle plays beautifully. I was a bit intimidated but except for the grip, it doesn't seem any harder to play than my Guido G. I do have to blow harder than I do on the smaller whistles but not as much as I thought and not so much that I run out of breath.

I almost got a Low F to make the transition easier but I'm glad I didn't. The F would have been fine except for one thing: When I play along with mp3's it's much easier to be in the key of D. Otherwise I'd have to use Transcribe for each tune change the key to F. So having a D makes this a bit quicker & easier.

For the color - I think polished green is prettier than the satin but I think the price on the satin is a good compromise for me. The texture of the satin has a very nice feel to it. It's not slippery at all.

My next whistle will probably be a G. I'm debating between an MK & a Colin Goldie. It's a tough decision but I will wait a while as the Low D is keeping me busy. I would like a nice G because I can play it without piper's grip so it'll be useful for playing the fast jigs & reels.

I hope these thoughts will help someone else who's contemplating a Low D.

[arthury]

[THREAD REVIVAL - MOD]

I know this was an old thread ... sounds like my journey as well ... great journey, though.

Still marveling at how smoothly Eric Rigler did this piece: he's a smooth operator.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y3vmS1ob6w

[pancelticpiper]

Yes there's no flies on him. It's all about good breath control. (Keep in mind that his sound is processed there, with who knows what compression and reverb etc.)

Probably a Colin Goldie?

I'm also in the camp who have switched from MKs to Goldies.

I've put a large number of Low Ds through their paces, testing various performance aspects.

There's no such thing as the Perfect Low D. If there is, I've not tried it!

Because a Low D is a bundle of compromises. You champion one performance aspect at the expense of another.

I now play a Goldie Low D because it represents the best collection of compromises I've found. It's super air-efficient and has perfect tuning. These are the most important factors to me. The Bottom D isn't the strongest, the 2nd octave isn't the sweetest, but as I said it's all about compromise.