Whistle Keys
- Danner
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Whistle Keys
I would like to think about getting a descent whistle in another key. I just kind of want to play something different. I have a few high ds and low D. (I don't count my Gen Bb that is nearly unplayable despite tweaking.) I thought I would see what other people have to say. (I didn't include some of the rare keys and I combined super low and super high. Elaborate if there's no choice for what you like.)
"'Tis deeds, not blood, which determine the worth of a being." -Dennis L. McKiernan
- Danner
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I seriously think that McKiernan is the best author ever. The thing is, if they made his books into movies now, the general public would see his work as copies of Tolkein's, and they would not appreciate the morals in his works.
Sorry for the OT. :roll:
Sorry for the OT. :roll:
"'Tis deeds, not blood, which determine the worth of a being." -Dennis L. McKiernan
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My Real Fav is a Db Whistle
I love whistles in Db. The note Db has a remarkably complex sound (if you have perfect pitch, which I sort of do). It's the most complete sound of any note. And, as someone who played early music where A=415 hz, I find it impossible to believe that traditional music was actually played in D. I think it might well have been played in Db, what with the lower pitch of that time. Both my Db whistles (a Sindt and a Humprey) are exceptionally beautiful sounding.
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My Real Fav is a Db Whistle
I love whistles in Db. The note Db has a remarkably complex sound (if you have perfect pitch, which I sort of do). It's the most complete sound of any note. And, as someone who played early music where A=415 hz, I find it impossible to believe that traditional music was actually played in D. I think it might well have been played in Db, what with the lower pitch of that time. Both my Db whistles (a Sindt and a Humprey) are exceptionally beautiful sounding.
- kevin m.
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Very interesting choice of note(and reasoning to go with it) Emrys.
I ordered a C whistle with supplementary Db tube from John Sindt some time ago- Db to allow me to play along with Seamus Ennis' recordings of his Coyne set,but of course it will be interesting for Baroque stuff!
Apart from D,I most often play Bb,followed by Eb-as a former Sax player they're the Jazz keys!
I ordered a C whistle with supplementary Db tube from John Sindt some time ago- Db to allow me to play along with Seamus Ennis' recordings of his Coyne set,but of course it will be interesting for Baroque stuff!
Apart from D,I most often play Bb,followed by Eb-as a former Sax player they're the Jazz keys!
"I blame it on those Lead Fipples y'know."
- scotta
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In the *high* range, C is my favorite. You can still use your finger tips like on a high D, but upper register notes are never shrill and therefore is much more friendly to others in the house. I have a Greenwood C that is phenomenal.
In the *low* range, I like my Cheiftain F. The reach is far enough that I must use piper's fingering, but the stretch is not quite as tough as a low D. It also is nice for playing along with CDs like Lunasa, Flook, McGoldrick, etc. who record a lot on low F whistles.
In the *low* range, I like my Cheiftain F. The reach is far enough that I must use piper's fingering, but the stretch is not quite as tough as a low D. It also is nice for playing along with CDs like Lunasa, Flook, McGoldrick, etc. who record a lot on low F whistles.
Scott
- RonKiley
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I favor the Humphrey Eb. It is a fantastic whistle. It has that beautiful bright complex sound that I want in a whistle. The Humphrey D is the same. I play it a lot.
I also like Gen Eb in Brass or Nickel. Mine are not tweaked other than to remove lose plastic in the windway.
Ron
I also like Gen Eb in Brass or Nickel. Mine are not tweaked other than to remove lose plastic in the windway.
Ron
I've never met a whistle I didn't want.
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Very interesting, hearing folks' comments about whistle keys. To me, there are two issues going on. One is pretty obvious and the other one is much more subtle. The obvious one is the size of the whistle. Bb whistles absolutely don't fit my hand, especially my Copeland Bb. High F whistles are too small to be really comfortable either. Low D and below HURT. That's the obvious stuff. The subtle stuff is my fascination with the different sound quality of different notes--the perfect pitch stuff I mentioned above. Since each whistle is tuned to a basic tonic key or bell note it stands to reason that (for example) a B whistle has a vastly different resonance than a Bb whistle. Anyone else tuned into this? If so, I'd be really interested in hearing what you noticed. As I said above, I'm talking about an inner sound. It's very subtle, most easily described as being a combination of vowel sounds. For instance, the note F is an "ah" sound. The note F# is an "a" (short a as in apple) sound. If you've got perfect pitch I'd be really curious to know what you can hear, when you hear a certain note.
- PhilO
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Definitely Low G both because of the low whistle sound combined with ease of play at this key and because two of the best whistles I've ever played have been Low G - Copeland and O'Riordan Traveler.
Philo
Philo
"This is this; this ain't something else. This is this." - Robert DeNiro, "The Deer Hunter," 1978.
- StewySmoot
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Re: My Real Fav is a Db Whistle
Is there something unique about the harmonics of D flat?Emrys wrote:I love whistles in Db. The note Db has a remarkably complex sound (if you have perfect pitch, which I sort of do). It's the most complete sound of any note. And, as someone who played early music where A=415 hz, I find it impossible to believe that traditional music was actually played in D. I think it might well have been played in Db, what with the lower pitch of that time. Both my Db whistles (a Sindt and a Humprey) are exceptionally beautiful sounding.
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