Nice to Meet ya!

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Thu Jan 29, 2004 10:53 pm

Hey ladies and gents.
New here. Bought my whistle on a trip to Ireland last summer and have finally decided to go at it seriously. I've gotten as far as picking it up and blowing some sort of odd screeching sound that can clear out the entire house in 5 seconds flat and can kill in 10.
Hope I can pry some advice out of you folks as I continue to rove the web absorbing everything I can see. I've come to the conclusion that everything looks easy in writing with pretty diagrams, but getting rid of the evil sound takes a bit of practice. I guess I should start by asking if there is anything wrong with a Walton's 'D' tin whistle? This isn't just an instrument that the Irish sell to silly tourists just to laugh at them is it?

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 12:37 am

Nope, Walton's makes a good whistle. I'd suggest going to www.thewhistleshop.com and checking out their tutorial. Also peruse these pages and you'll see lots of advice for beginners. Getting a book/CD package like the Bill Ochs tutorial is a great idea (also available from the Whistle Shop). And welcome!!

Redwolf · Post by **Redwolf** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 12:48 am

Welcome! I have a Walton's that I like very much indeed. I second the recommendation to look at tutorials (I like the Bill Ochs book myself), and to read over this site as well, for recommendations and inspiration.

I can tell you one thing right now...if you're getting a loud screeching noise, you're blowing too hard. It doesn't take much air at all to sound a tin whistle. Try just gently breathing into the instrument. Don't even worry about closing the tone holes at first...just hold it without blocking the holes and breath into it. Gradually blow more firmly until you get a nice, solid, even tone.

When you're ready to start closing the tone holes, make sure they are COMPLETELY closed. Use the flat part of your finger pad, not the tip. Air leaking around your fingers is another common cause of strange, unappealing noises. It's not a matter of gripping it hard, just making sure your fingers are properly aligned so the holes are sealed.

Don't worry...before you know it, you will have the hang of the basics!

Redwolf

Berti66 · Post by **Berti66** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 1:23 am

A warm welcome to this wonderful world of tinwhistlers.
Although I am fairly new to it myself ( green as they come only a few months playing) I have learned so much already on this forum with all the great advice.
Enjoy!
You will soon get the hang of it indeed, just handle the whistle with TLC and it will work out

Greetings
berti

Northern Whistler · Post by **Northern Whistler** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 8:21 am

I bought one of the Guinness Waltons last summer in Ireland. It was playable, but there were a lot of moulding defects on the fipple. There was some flash which required fileing, and the windway had a pull on the end which I had to use a flat piece of wood with sandpaper to smooth it flat. My brother just sent me another one (he didn't know I bought one allready) and it was worse then the first one. I would really suggest buying a tweaked whistle to start with. I got a tweaked Original Clarke from the whistle shop.com and I still like that whistle. Takes a lot of air, but sounds really nice.
I find that a lot of whistles are really crappy as far as moulding quality goes now. I am an injection moulder and would be ashamed to make some of those fipples. You can tell a lot of the tools are wore out and their process seems to fall short on the quality side. Lego should make the fipples for whistles, they have the best quality standards out there, and I am sure there would be more whistlers too as they would not buy something and then get discouraged.

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 10:49 am

Thanks for the welcome!
Yeah I am looking for a good tutorial, I'll take a look on the shop. I have considered getting another whistle, just to compare sounds, figure out how whistles can differ. Sooner or later I might head down to the Ottawa Folk Centre for some lessons, depends how I do on my own. Are there any Ottawans around here?

Northern Whistler · Post by **Northern Whistler** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 11:04 am

http://www.eolas.ca/comhaltas/ is the Ottawa Irish club's site. There is a link there for Music lessons.

"Irish Music Lessons

Fiddle, accordion (button), Anglo concertina, flute, tin whistle, bodhrans. For more information talk to Toni Forsythe at the céilí or call 233-9927"

Father Emmet · Post by **Father Emmet** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 11:21 am

Welcome! The first thing you need is more whistles! (Just kidding.) Stick with it and you will improve in no time (be "brave and undaunted" as it were

)

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 11:51 am

OnTheMoor wrote:Thanks for the welcome!
Yeah I am looking for a good tutorial, I'll take a look on the shop.

Btw, after I posted, I realized I hadn't been clear. The Whistle shop sells several good tutors, but for the beginner they also have an online tutor that will cover some of the basics. Check it out. It's free.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 11:51 am

Some like Waltons and some don't. I've liked the two I've had, a brass D and a Golden Tone. It is as with most mass-produced instruments, quality is variable.

DCrom · Post by **DCrom** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 11:59 am

Walton's whistles are OK - but I think they do better quality control on the Walton's C and Mello D whistles (which use the same head and bore size) than they do on the standard Walton's D (narrower bore).

Mine was almost unplayable until I trimmed all the flash from the head and did the blue-tack tweek. Now it's a decent whistle - not my favorite, but quite playable. But the Mello D and C were both playable without tweeking (and sound better, to my ear).

So check the head, and gently trim away any tag-ends from the casting process; that alone may make a huge improvement in playability.

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Fri Jan 30, 2004 12:22 pm

Halt! Lay the whistle down on the floor and back away with your hands in plain view!

A tin whistle is a cheap musical gateway drug that can lead to the much harder and more expensive drugs such as flutes and even uilleann bagpipes. You have been warned!

Always shake out all the "music juice" onto the bodhran player..

OnTheMoor · Post by **OnTheMoor** » Mon Feb 02, 2004 2:39 pm

Just got my Och's book. Thanks for the adivce folks, it's great. Alot of the web resources skip over some stuff that isn't too obvious for schmucks like me. Thanks again!

vomitbunny · Post by **vomitbunny** » Mon Feb 02, 2004 3:32 pm

Yes more whistles! And remember, the more you order the better the rate per whistle is shipping!
The best cheap whistles I've got right out of the box have been my D sweetone and my oak. The walton mello d wasn't bad either. My generation had to be coaxed into playing sweetly, and I flat out destroyed my feadog trying to tweek it. (it has been reborn as a hoover/feadog). I really like my original clarke too, but it took a lot of bending and prodding befor it behaved.
I had a lil black walton too. Not bad. Not really good. So so. Never could get it to sound sweet. It is fairly accurate though.

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