Flute or Low D Whistle

[tombom11]

To celebrate my 50th birthday I get to buy myself a new instrument. I was ready to get my first Low D whistle, but thought maybe I should consider a flute instead. I'm a professional oboist and recorder player and have been playing irish whistles for several years now just for fun. Of all the instruments I play, I've never played the flute.

I don't want to open a can of worms and ask which is better - they're just different. I would though appreciate anyone's thoughts on the differences. I have lots of whistles, cheap and expensive, in many different keys, just not low D. I couldn't find any earlier topics through the search function and there aren't any flute players in any of my local sessions to ask.

Tom

[Doug_Tipple]

I think that you might find the flute more interesting and challenging than either the whistle or the recorder. As a professional woodwind player, you should have few problems learning to play the flute.

[chas]

Needless to say (but I will anyway), you'll pick up the low whistle much more quickly than the flute.

The flute is a whole 'nother can of worms. It will take lots of patience and practice, but then if you play oboe, you've got those. You'll need to learn the appropriate embouchure, develop the necessary muscles, and all that. I have no idea whether that will mess with your oboe embouchure.

But after all that, it's a very rewarding instrument. The main difference between the flute and whistle is that you are the main ingredient in the sound of the flute. Once you're proficient, you can get many different sounds out of the flute. If you want a pure sound, you can make it, if you want it dirty, loud, quiet, it's all in the flute waiting for you to coax the sound out of it. No need for the Susato for the pure sound, Hoover for the quiet, Overton for the reedy and Copeland for flutey.

[Akiba]

Flute might take quite a bit more work for you to get up to speed since the embouchure on flute, particularly for a strong "Irish" sound, is demanding. I think it comes down to how you want to sound: if you're really attracted to and like the Irish flute sound over the whistle sound, than go for the flute. If you don't have a preference, probably best to stick with the whistle. Also depends on how serious you want to be about Irish music. If you're just doing it for kicks for fun, again probably the whistle is the best choice. The flute can offer more colors/timbres, more dynamics, can be developed more into your own unique voice while the whistle has a very limited spectrum in terms of tone and dynamics and sounds basically the same, tonally, for all players. Not to say there aren't great whistle players or that whistle isn't a great instrument. But most of the great players will play a bit of whistle but end up on flute most of the time (very flute-centric statement, but I think it has some merit).

Actually, what you should do is take up the uilleann pipes--skip over those other wimpy wind instruments--since you're already used to the wonders of working with double reeds.

[tombom11]

[The flute can offer more colors/timbres, more dynamics, can be developed more into your own unique voice while the whistle has a very limited spectrum in terms of tone and dynamics]

Great point. I really love the whistle sound (at least the high and mid-range one's I play). But the lack of flexibility bothers me a bit.

[Actually, what you should do is take up the uilleann pipes--skip over those other wimpy wind instruments--since you're already used to the wonders of working with double reeds]

Truer than you know. The pipes were actually my first attempt. Just last week I met with a uilleann piper and he graciously spent the entire evening working with me. I did okay, but unfortunately I have enough trouble keeping up with my oboe and baroque oboe reeds already. Plus, my dear wife and family already told me they couldn't handle listening to me practice long tones on the pipes for hours on end! So far, they've tolerated me repeating and memorizing tunes on my whistles. I think learning a new embouchure on the flute would keep me safer.

[jim stone]

Played both. Flute is the more expressive and interesting instrument. It will take some patience
but, given your background, I sure would recommend flute.

[chansherly212]

Ditto the above, i feel flute is definitely more challenging than low D, capable of a lot more tone colours, being an oboe player, lung capacity shouldn't be an issue (not that it really is in the first place, given the proper embouchure). starting investment would be higher for flute i think, but well worth the reward of playing such an expressive instrument.

[Anyanka]

As above. I play whistles and a keyless D-flute; the flute has now made the low D whistle completely obsolete, as it can do everything the whistle can do, but much better. It is harder to play, but much more beautiful.

[Steve Bliven]

Having posted this on the Flute Forum, you may get you a different response than if you had posted on the Whistle Forum (even though several responders have admitted to playing both....) Folks here may be a bit "flute-centric" (to use Akiba's phrase).

Best wishes.

Steve

[jim stone]

Well, I think it's worth considering that there are a large number of major ITM artists who are fluters, chiefly, and
few who play low D whistle, chiefly. That's not meant to be a compelling proof but I think it speaks to the
capacities of the respective instruments.

[Steve Bliven]

Well, I think it's worth considering that there are a large number of major ITM artists who are fluters, chiefly, and
few who play low D whistle, chiefly. That's not meant to be a compelling proof but I think it speaks to the
capacities of the respective instruments.

(Just to niggle a bit—) It may also speak to the fact that the Low D whistle is some 30-40 years old and the flute has a rather longer lineage. If someone were to graph the numbers of new comers to Low D whistles and the new comers to flute, which would have the steeper slope?

Should also add, that there are a number of pipers who play Low D whistles but seemingly fewer that play flute.

Best wishes.

Steve

[I.D.10-t]

Don't know of many keyed whistles, depending on what you want to do with it, flutes have additional avenues to explore as far as keyed/keyless.

[Cubitt]

Having posted this on the Flute Forum, you may get you a different response than if you had posted on the Whistle Forum (even though several responders have admitted to playing both....) Folks here may be a bit "flute-centric" (to use Akiba's phrase).

Best wishes.

Steve

A good point, but I will also point out that, whereas most who play flute also play whistle, a member who goes only to the whistle forum likely does not play flute.

I've tried the low whistle and find that the tone holes require that you finger like a piper (between first and second joint of the finger). If this is standard, the OP might want to consider that in making a choice. If I am wrong, someone please correct me.

[crookedtune]

Because I'm able to, and want to, I own both. If I had to give up one or the other, it would be the low whistle. And I've got a lovely MK --- one of the best low D's available.

Both are lovely instruments, but I find the flute much more rewarding, and spend much more time with it than the low D.

[Rob Sharer]

Because I'm able to, and want to, I own both. If I had to give up one or the other, it would be the low whistle. And I've got a lovely MK --- one of the best low D's available.

Both are lovely instruments, but I find the flute much more rewarding, and spend much more time with it than the low D.

Good on yer!




Rob