I am new to the board and I have questions on instructional material.
I know how to read sheet music. I played the flute in marching band and bassoon for Symphonic Winds band. I self-taught myself to play the recorder one summer before I took an Elementary Education Music class at UIC. (Now I mainly use it to tease the dog.) 
My question is, and I should say that I have been looking over the selections at The Whistle Shop, which instructional book/cd will give me the most information without a lot of redundancy?
Thanks!
I’d recommend the Clarke Tinwhistle Tutor by Bill Ochs - you can get it from The Whistle Shop. I chose it myself, nearly a year back, because of the positive feedback from the folks here, and am very happy with my choice.
Starts out at a basic level with a quick introduction to reading music, but works you through to a solid journeyman level. Something like 80+ tunes in the book, and the CD has a track for every one of them - once you get beyond the basics you’ll be learning as much by ear as from the sheet music. Bill’s taught a lot of people, and his experience shows in the book.
DCrom, thank-you for your suggestion. I am looking at purchasing the Oak Classic, key of D and a Clare, two-piece, key of D. What do you play?
Same recommendation as above. Plus, when you get use to the fingerings on whistle, get A Dossan of Heather too.
Carole, I think you’re on the right track.
I have Oaks in both D and C - although the Oak D takes a bit more breath control than some, it’s my favorite inexpensive whistle because of its reliability and sound. I’ve heard that the Clares are good, too, but I don’t own one.
Clarke Sweetone D’s are another good choice - I’m not as fond of their sound, but they are generally in tune and easy to play.
In general, any of the inexpensive whistles can be pretty good - if you get a good one, or can tweek it to be one. Since they are so cheap, many of us here on the board have a wide selection of whistles in various keys, but it’s really not necessary to have a huge collection - you can go a long, long way with one or two good D whistles.
I’m far from the most expert whistler on the board, but I don’t think I’ve said anything too off-track here. Have fun!
Dana
I also agree with Cowtime about A Dossan of Heather - not a tutorial, but a book/CD combination. Though they’re not “session tunes”, I don’t think there’s a clunker in the lot. The CD is wonderful listening, and the tunes are, mostly, easy to pick up once you have the basics under your belt.
When you get the hang of the whistle (or perhaps before, I went through the first tune of one tutor and sort of got the idea. I liked different tunes than what was in the tutor, so I started getting my ears trained to hear the stuff going on and learning the tunes by ear) see Ceolas for all sorts of information and check out the ABC musical language and the software available to take it and to translate it to the dots or play a midi sound file of it.
Get lots of solo tinwhistle CDs and get those ears going..
You can also go directly to Bill’s website:
One of these days, I will have to spring for the most recent edition–larger format and CD instead of Cassette.
Tom D.
Hi Carole,
Welcome to C&F BB. More positive feedback. I just bought this recommended book with CD combination. It’s great! 
As far a whistles, there are several that will work, some will please you some will leave you “flat” and some will steel your heart. At this time I have purchased 7 whistles. Given a second chance, my first pick would be a “Jerry Freeman” Tweaked Shaw D, Generation D, Oak D or a Sweatone D. This would have saved me $$.$$ and anxious moments standing by the mailbox 
On C&F’s home page (further down) there is a great article about Cheap Whistles, Mid Range & Highend Whistles. Read that to help guide you. Also read some of the great reviews these fellow whistlers have posted. They too were in the same position at one time or another. Have you settled on just one purse? You won’t settle on just one whistle either! 
All the above advice is good. Since you read music, though, if you’re working on adding the specific-to-whistle elements…The Essential Guide to Irish Flute and Whistle by Grey Larsen is THE nit-picking-est explanation of ornamentation you’ll ever hope to read. I find it useful as a reference, but it’s enormous, and best digested in bits to my way of thinking. Actually, I’ve gone back to the Ochs book and found it refreshingly breezy…but if you really want to know exactly how to create a roll, eg, Larsen will tell you.
Based upon your level of experience, I would wholeheartedly agree with Emmeline. The Grey Larson tutorial is a quite remarkable piece of work: well worth the investment.
Best, Adrian
Especially on this board which is often drastically slanted towards Irish Trad, its nice to have the Ochs tutorial championed. The tunes he chose are from England, America, Scotland…etc, as well as Irish.
But in response to another thread posted recently, Ochs assumes you have no knowledge of reading music, and does a nice, simple job at explaining it.
I haven’t gotten the Dossan of Heather yet, but its next on my list as soon as I sell another whistle and have some liquid funds. The Grey Larson is a bit much, I think…its more encyclopedic in its approach, and not terribly beginner friendly.
But Ochs wasn’t enough to make me enjoy the whistle. I got the Cotter book, and then another. I think after the third one I finally merged all the suggestions for technique, breathing, tonguing, and got something that vaguely resembles how I play now. THEN I went to Bro Steve’s site, and did a bit more adjusting. Got some lessons and changed even more.
I suppose what I’m trying to say (long ways round, I know) is that you start by just getting a tutorial…ANY tutorial. Then if you’re still interested, maybe get another. Consider it a version of WhOA.
I’d add to stay away from the McCullough book until after the Och’s book. I find it a bit hard for beginner whistle players–even ones who are already musicians
After spending one day with the Ochs book I can only say I wish I had bought it a year ago. I am needing to relearn some things that I learned wrong such as fingering for D’. It would have been much easier to learn it correctly the first time. The hard part is trying to unlearn some of the tunes that I have been playing wrong. I think this is a great book to start with. the tunes seem to be selected to slowly move you up in complexity and speed. BTW the new Oak has a very weak bell note. Is there any easy way to strengthen it or do I need to play it for a while until I learn its moods?
Ron