To preface my question, I have been playing the UP for about 6 months now and same with the pennywhistle. I saw Paddy Keenan last month and fell in love with the sound of the low D whistle. Christmas is coming up and a low D whistle is on my wish list. I am looking for some help finding a low D whistle that is not expensive, but has a good sound and is right for a newbie. The UP forum really helped me alot finding my pipes and I was hoping for the same type of help here. I tried to find a sticky that related to this topic, but was unable.
If anyone would be kind enough to help, I would appreciate it. I would also like to know if there was any type of instructional booklet with CD/DVD out there that was worthwhile for the beginner.
Hello. I believe alot of this will reflect on your hand size. If you have smaller hands you may wish to look for a low whistle with an easier finger reach. Some low whistles have wider hole placements than others, and if you are fighting to finger the whistle, it can lead to injury. The piper’s grip is very helpful in regards to this. Then again, I know nothing about UP and you may already be accustomed to larger finger reaches already. In such case, never mind .
Thanks for the response. I guess you could say that I have medium size hands. I have played guitar for 30 years, so my fingers are somewhat used to stretching. Although, I would have to look at certain whistles before I decide. I know with the UP that there are only a certain amount or reputable makers out there and then there are the Pakistani pipes. Is there the same thing with the whistles? Or are most inexpensive brands worthwhile. I bought a cheap pennywhistle and it does fine. Is it the same with the low D?
That’s a question that is very debatable at the currect moment . Cheapies can go a long way and then again not. If you get a good cheapie that you really like, great. Bad thing is that it can go the other way in that you get a cheapie that is very unplayable. I’m not a low whistle player myself and I really can’t think of many cheapie low D whistles. However, I’m sure you can find some medium priced ones.
I too have played guitar for 30 some odd years and I find that the finger stretching in whistle playing (in regards to wide finger stretches I have to refer to my tenor recorder experience which is very similar to the low D whistle) is a totally different ball park. I have larger hands and can stretch up to 5 and 6 frets at times, and still get hand cramps when I play some of my larger tenor recorders.
I believe you hit it spot on when you said you will need to try them out to get a good fit for your hands.
I’d second the suggestion on the Dixon, although I wouldn’t favour the Shaw. The Dixon aluminium tunable is a decent stetch, but not difficult to adapt to and you should be able to throw out a half-decent tune after a couple of weeks.
I find the thing that attracts me to Dixons is their reliability. They are well made, no pretence to be the “best on the market”, pleasing tones, good second octave that is clear and not too “breathy”… oh, and the bonus is they aren’t terribly expensive.
If there is a store need you, look them up. Alternatively, talk to other whistlers in your area and see what they use.
I don’t actually own a low d (except for my homeade one) because I’ve been overwhelmed with choice! Been watching the boards since I joined though and this is what my take is on them… The Dixon is brought up a lot for being a nice whistle and not too pricey - that is what I will probably get. Shaw not so well thought of. Most lows are pretty well accepted for sounding good but I have been warned against the generics and whistlesmith on ebay. I have small hands and
(19cm/ 7.5in pinky to thumb outstretched)but I can play low d if I use my pinkies. I would imagine you could get by with piper’s grip.
There you have it, do with it what you will!
I:)
Ah, finally, a measurement. And that’s not really small! The key measurement is between your 1st and 3rd fingers, and you’ve probably got ~10 cm. With that, you can manage just about any low D with piper’s grip, no pinkie needed. And piper’s grip is not just getting by; it’s the right approach for the bottom hand.
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