Have the notes down on a penny whistle . but having trouble with the size. The small body is very hard to grip .. think my hands would find it easier to hold a whistle of the Low D size.
I am also interested in the sounds I hear on the Low D. but am concerned about the “long stretch” being a problem. After looking at some of the sites the chieftan looked good. Said it had been redesigned to bring the little finger closer.
I would appreciate ur opinions on Low Ds .. not interested in spending a lot right now but want a clean clear sound (low air noise) and a small reach .. if possible.
Hi…there are of course many high D whistles about which are larger bore than the standard Gen/Feadog/Oak etc. Perhaps a Burke or similar might suit? I find it awkward to adjust back to narrow bore as I tend to play wood or a Silkstone or Burke in high whistles.
Re Low D’s, if you like the sound then there are plenty to choose from. A search under “short reach low”(search for all terms or whatever) will throw up some threads for starters. Some have easy reach but huge holes which is an issue for some, and piper’s grip extends your reach further although I have to say I don’t use it on my Copeland, Kerry Pro, nor my Howard and my hands aren’t that long fingered…
However don’t rule out say an A whistle which will do the same job as a High D (except the very top notes), extends the range down a bit and is a good sized whistle.
The Walton’s Mello D has a larger body than most “standard” D whistles.
Or for a bit more money ($15-$35, depending on model), the Dixon D whistles or the Serpent Polly D, or the Syn D are all bigger around than the cheaper whistles. Better quality, too..
I’ll 2nd or 3rd the suggestion of trying an A whistle. It’s a useful key to have for tunes in D that go below the bottom D note of a regular D whistle and will give you some idea of the stretch of a lower keyed whistle.
If you are concerned about finger spread and don’t have a bunch of money to lay down you should take a look at the Jubilee Practice whistles in low D. This whistle has got to have the absolute best finger spread of the low D’s out there. At least the ones that I have. The hole sizes are fairlly reasonable except the E hole (bottom) is quite small. Makes it tought to half hole. There is also a fairly large breath requirement. A couple of reviews have been posted the last couple of days, check them out too. For $18 plus shipping what do you have to lose???
Here are my low D’s in the order of shortest to longest finger spread: Jubilee, Bleazey, Overton, Howard, Kerry, Susato, Weston.
If you really like the sound of the low whistle, I would’nt worry too much about the stretch. I’m a five foot tall female with very small hands and I play low whistles - piper’s grip. I did find the transition from high whistle to low to be a challenge. I practiced in front of a mirror for several days, learning to cover the holes, but now I can manage even dance tunes without a problem. I started out on an inexpensive Susato model ($50.00)because, like you, I was not sure my hands would be large enough. I then upgraded to an Overton and eventually a Copeland and found that these high quality whistles were much more comfortable to play and were very rewarding in terms of response and tone. I’m gonna bet that the stretch will not be a problem. Go for it, say I.
I’ve got to agree with whistlegal on this one. My first low whistle was a Kerry in D which I could play with my fingerpads, but when my wife bought me an Overton (nice girl) I was in a bit of a mess because I could not reach. It took a while to learn the pipers grip, but now that I’ve got it (after a fasion!) I use it on my all my low whistles even if I don’t ‘need’ to. I find it gives me much more flexibility and feel when I attempt some of those clever tricks one hears & tries to copy!