How do people feel about different keys?

chas · Post by **chas** » Thu Oct 17, 2002 7:57 pm

I was just responding to Micah's post asking about C whistles and decided that my remarks would be better in a new topic.

I have yet to meet an inexpensive C whistle that I like. The Clarke comes closest. The only C that I really love is the Thin Weasel, which is about a factor of 50 more than a Gen. I like the Burke Brass, but it doesn't compare with the D of the same vintage.

OTOH, I love E whistles (not E flat). I only own two, Water Weasel and a low-E Burke composite, but I like them better than the equivalents in D or C.

There are those who claim that each key has its own specific feel (I'm not talking about modes here), whence pieces like the Brahms B natural trio, which must be a nightmare for the pianist.

It may be that the keys with a few sharps just resonate with me (which would be strange since I started out on Bb clarinet). OTOH, it may be that there's something about whistles, the tubing normally used, the attention payed to C vs. D, etc., that makes a good C hard to find. (I should point out that the C TW that I love so much has a HUGE bore.)

Any opinions from players or especially makers?

fiddling_tenor · Post by **fiddling_tenor** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 6:44 am

Personally, I prefer one key for both the front and the back doors.

Wandering_Whistler · Post by **Wandering_Whistler** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 9:14 am

I'd never met a C I liked either. I mentioned this in a post a while back. Recently, however, my bodhran player gave/loaned me her old brass generation C. The fipple mold was evidently misaligned when the plastic was poured, as each half of the fipple is a little misaligned with the other. But the sound...(sigh).

It's definitely one of the "good ones", and have been tryin to get her to let me buy it for a couple months now.

lollycross · Post by **lollycross** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 9:32 am

I have an $85 C and I still don't like it either. As the keys go down, I like each whistle a little less. My A I hardly ever play, and certainly not on stage.
Maybe if we spent $300 apiece on them, we would be happy?????
Lolly

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 10:25 am

If I could afford $300 for a Thin Weasel C, I'd be happy -- the one I tried last year gets my vote for best whistle ever. My Water Weasel C (an okay instrument) seems pathetic by comparison. I like my O'Riordan C all right, but it's part of a D/C set and usually I'm using the D body, and don't get around to swapping to C.

On the other hand, I absolutely love my WW Bb, A, and G. (Less than $300 total.) Great sound, great look, comfortable feel. If I could just convince everyone else at the session to switch to Bb...

dlambert · Post by **dlambert** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 10:41 am

I have a Dixon that I like. I also have two Waltons. The brass one is not very good but the nickle one is great. Maybe inconsistency in production. What can you say for $6.

A lot of Micho Russell's stuff is played on a C whistle. Gotta have one to play along. If you get a good C whistle many tunes will sound better IMO.

msheldon · Post by **msheldon** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 11:19 am

Mostly, I find multiple keys necessary for dealing with vocalists. Though sometimes it doesn't help. "Ab Minor???!!!"

The high D is just indispensable. I've got three I play regularly. Each has its good points, and tends to get used for specific types of tunes.

My Generation C is purely for necessity when playing with other vocalists/musicians. New, it was completely unplayable. After a bit of tweaking, so long as I don't push it at all, it's barely acceptable. Personally, I find the key of C to be 'uninspiring' even on very good instruments.

I like my Chieftain Gold A as an alternative for pieces normally played on High-D, where a more "mellow" tone is desired. It's got a great sound.

My Chieftain Gold F is invaluable for accompanying female vocalists, but it's also a wonderfully mellow tone that really sets off certain tunes. Coilsfield House sounds very nice on it (Bb) It's a nice alternative to the Low-D for slow airs.

My Low-D's are my favorites. Haunting, smoky, mellow. Both my Dixon and my Chieftain Gold are very nice, especially for slow airs. If I had to choose only one to keep, it would be one of these.

I've heard Kevin Crawford play a bit of music on his Eb flute, and it sounds wonderful. I'm considering whether to get a low Eb whistle, or just continue learning the flute, and go that route.

OutOfBreath · Post by **OutOfBreath** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 11:19 am

That's interesting, that makes at least three of us now that haven't found a C we really like. I've got a couple of cheapies including a clarke original and I've also got a Burke. All sound pretty weak to my ears.

I've got Burkes in composite and brass ranging from low F all the way up to a high Eb and the brass C is the only one I'm not flat-out tickled with.

And now that I think about it, I'm not really crazy about the key of C on the guitar, either...

That seems mighty strange. Some old music texts describe particular keys as having certain "moods" (not modes) associated with them. I've always assumed that was because of the way the orchestration had to be adapted to play songs in various keys with instruments having overlapping ranges. But maybe not...

John

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 11:58 am

I have a Burke Brass Pro Session C that may be the finest, mellowest whistle I own. It plays like a high whistle in terms of air and fluency, but has the mellowness of the low whistles.

I am sorry for you guys but it sure runs counter to my experience. The C is perfect for folksongs etc and things in A minor.

I actually also have a Susato C that is the only Susato I have ever liked. it still squawks a bit in high register (my beef with all Susatos I have played but never tried very latest models). I used it onstage for Chinese and N. American songs in assemblies and it was a champ.

Of Burke C, I will say that the first one he sent me, i did return because it had wavery lowest three notes but replacement is superb.

weepiper · Post by **weepiper** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 1:20 pm

I have a Chieftain C, it's my only non-D whistle (I have a high and a low D too). I like the sound of it. Whether or not you 'like the key of C', you have to admit playing tunes in G minor is a hell of a lot easier on a C whistle than a D!

mike.r · Post by **mike.r** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 3:11 pm

Charlie,
my C whistle is a Waltons mellow C body minus the varnish coupled with a C Generation fipple.This is my `go for´ whistle at the moment.The Waltons C has better tuning a Gen C.

Mike

Blayne Chastain · Post by **Blayne Chastain** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 11:27 pm

Yep... each note has a different "color" or "feel" I sometimes wonder if C is so bla (not just on whistle mind you) because it is probably over used and our ears are tired of it! I've been playing in Bb a bunch on the piano lately and there's just something about it... Mmmm.... This feel or color is how those with perfect pitch are able to name any note that you play them. Many people believe that you can't learn "perfect pitch" but it isn't true... Some people just naturally have a sense for it. Most of the Japanese students I knew at music school all had perfect pitch because it was part of their musical training growing up. Anyway... bla bla bla...

Bb Mmmm.....

Peace,

Hallatauer · Post by **Hallatauer** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 6:33 am

I have one C, made by Abarkar(?). Workshop instructor said they are made in Pakistan. It is lacquered brass, one piece, straight bore and has a sound that I love. A little airy but not what I would call chiffy. I think I found it on Ebay for like $10. I'll try and record it sometime and put it up as a .wav file

Jim W · Post by **Jim W** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 12:54 pm

The Hoover brass C is likely my favorite whistle, although there are several others that I also like a lot. Very sweet and even. I also agree re: the Susato C; it's between that and the SB Bb as to the "best" Susato, by my ears.
Other keys? F and low D are really nice. Each key does have its own character. And we could get into "just tempered" scales, as well.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 8:05 am

I have three Cs I at least like. A Clarke original which I haven't played in quite a while is a nice whistle. I have an Overton which I like very much—I'd use it whenever I wanted a chiffy sound and it suited the key. Last week I got a Burke which I love. I'm utterly infatuated—it's one of my absolute favourites.

I think that there are good whistles in each key and, if you're lucky, you might just get a great one. I have Overtons from high Eb to low D taking in all the commonly used keys and they are remarkably consistent although I still like some more than others. My Copeland low D is also a very special whistle.