The Great Tinwhistle / Recorder Cold War

[ninjaaron]

They aren't the same thing?

So what is the difference?

Marketing

[Walden]

I kind of like the idea of a straight-bore recorder that can be interchanged with a whistle head. Seems like I asked Daniel about it one time.

• I posted this a few years ago (with apologies to Rodgers & Hammerstein).
  
  The recorder and the whistle should be friends,
  The recorder and the whistle should be friends.
  Whistle likes to play a jig,
  Recorder likes a powdered wig,
  But that's no reason why they cain't be friends.
  Fipple flutin' folks should stick together,
  Fipple flutin' friendship is the goal.
  Recorder likes to play things by the letter,
  Whistle likes to play with heart and soul.

[ninjaaron]

• Recorder likes to play things by the letter,
  Whistle likes to play with heart and soul.

That's not going to win you many recorder friends.

[Walden]

That's not going to win you many recorder friends.

Well, I didn't post it to the Recorder List. Of course, I happen to know there are some people who are members of both.

[Rod Sprague]

I cross-fipple all the time, I even have ocarinas and a slide whistle! The best thing to do is realize there are people that don’t like either instrument, so we need to show fipple-flute solidarity. As our critics would say, what is the better instrument? The recorder, they burn longer, especially the big wooden ones!

Rod

[Band Nerd]

I play recorder and whistle, and I think they are both great instruments. Some cheap recorders do sound overwhelmingly horrible, but well made recorders can sound excellent. Same thing with whistles.