Should a flute player double on penny whistle?

[Clover]

Are you a better player if you learn the high D whistle along with the low D side blown?

[Feadoggie]

Are you a better player if you learn the high D whistle along with the low D side blown?

Generalizations like that are pretty meaningless. There is no harm, no disadvantage to playing both. Whether it makes you a better player depends on how "you" play each instrument. They have much in common but they are different animals as well. I play both but I also play a dozen other instruments besides. In some players that can't help but make you a "jack of all master on none" type of player. But in others it broadens their musical knowledge and helps them become better players/musicians than they might be otherwise. It's all up to you.

The flute is well worth dedicating oneself to for a long time.

Feadoggie

[an seanduine]

Not that I'm so wonderful at either but my first reaction was think ya can stop me?

Bob

[Akiba]

Nope, don't do it. Stay away from the whistle.

[benhall.1]

I found that, once I took up the flute, I more or less stopped practising the whistle. The reason for that was simply that the flute takes so much time and effort.

On the flip side, I've found that, although I never practice whistle any more, I'm a much better whistler than I used to be, and this appears to be just because of the flute practice.

[emmdee]

Jack Coen certainly advised against it.

m.d.

[Ronnie]

Hammy isn't in favour too. I tend to play it sometimes at home but indeed the flute is hard enough to keep me busy with ......

[JohnB]

Like Benhall I started on whistle before the flute and also don't practise the whistle, but my playing has improved with my flute playing.
I find a whistle handy if i've got a few spare minutes rather than get the flute out as there's always several lying around. I take one along to sessions in case there's a flute problem or my embouchure gets tired - I can't see that it affects my flute playing and there are plenty of good flute players who play whistle.

[I.D.10-t]

I wonder what specific reasons Hammy and Jack Coen had against the idea.

[chas]

I play the whistle in the car. I suppose I could keep a polymer flute in the car, but I'm a lot more comfortable with a $10 foot-long whistle than I would be with a few hundred dollar 2-foot-long flute. I do it pretty much to keep tunes in my head.

[Steve Bliven]

Like Chas, I use a whistle to learn tunes and play when time or location doesn't lend to playing a flute.

Best wishes.

Steve

[Akiba]

Though I meant my earlier post in jest, it's true that I avoid the whistle now though I wish I could play it more. I find it so difficult and challenging to keep up a good flute embouchure/sound/technique and whistle detracts from that. If at a session, I switch to whistle for a set, it takes me a while to re-find my flute chops. Others seem to have more talent/flexibility and go between the two. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them.

[Gordon]

I wonder what specific reasons Hammy and Jack Coen had against the idea.

I didn't get the feeling Jack was so much against it, but he did tell me once that too much time spent on the whistle instead of flute adversely affected one's embouchure. Passing comment, really, so I was surprised to hear that he'd said the same elsewhere, and am not sure it was a truly deep conviction. As far as I know, Jack played whistle, too, but concentrated - and loved - flute far more. There certainly are enough great players out there who play both, and well.

In terms of the OP's original question, I don't see there's any particular advantage or reason to double on whistle while learning flute, although it's possible to concentrate more on finger work first, without worrying about embouchure at all. Personally, my ears have trouble handling high whistles, so I avoid the things in any case.

[MTGuru]

I didn't get the feeling Jack was so much against it, but he did tell me once that too much time spent on the whistle instead of flute adversely affected one's embouchure.

I would think that's simply because too much time spent away from the flute doing anything else might adversely affect one's embouchure through lack of constant conditioning, and not because the simpler physical demands of whistle embouchure might transfer negatively to flute. Different mouth muscle habits, sure. But that's true of speaking, eating and kissing too. And I don't think anyone would argue that staying dumb, emaciated and lovelorn is necessary to play the flute.

If anything, I'd think that it's interference between the different breath and articulation habits which are a greater risk. Going the other way, from my perspective as a whistler, I can often tell if a player is primarily a fluter transferring their flute habits rather than approaching the whistle on its own terms.

[LorenzoFlute]

Personally I never practice the tin whistle, as the flute is more demanding and its practice will improve your whistling as well. I tend to play the tin whistle when my lips are tired at session, or when I have a gig for a change of sound.

I can often tell if a player is primarily a fluter transferring their flute habits rather than approaching the whistle on its own terms.

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