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The most popular Products mentioned in /r/tinwhistle:
The most popular Services mentioned in /r/tinwhistle:
MuseScore
Audacity
EasyABC
Autodesk Tinkercad
The most popular Android Apps mentioned in /r/tinwhistle:
Tuner - DaTuner (Lite!)
Vocal Pitch Monitor
The most popular reviews in /r/tinwhistle:
I don't care for the Feadog...but opinions are subjective. The Feadog has that traditional sound, which can be a bit scratchy/harsh to my ears.
I'll agree that everything on your list above is pretty easy to play for the beginner. I'm a huge fan of the Dixon DX-Trad model, and it's only $28 on today's Amazon prices.
https://www.amazon.com/Dixon-Trad-D-Whistle-Nickel/dp/B001KZTSB6
It looks about right. The metal flap all of the way down is normal. As for it being bent, I can’t tell from here, but even if the body was bent, it should still play about the same unless the geometry is severely altered. The head of the whistle is where tiny changes can make a big impact on sound quality.
The number one source of screech in tin whistles is that the user needs to practice more. Breath Control takes a long time to master. That being said, buying a cheap tin whistle is a crap shoot. Even with the same make and model, quality varies widely. If you would like to purchase a good whistle that you can count on, fairly cheaply, I recommend either one of the following:
Dixon Trad whistle in D. These are available from many sources, but here is an Amazon link. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KZTSB6
Jerry Freeman Tweaked whistle, any model should be good, but you would be well served by the Mellow Dog. https://www.ebay.com/itm/281488231346
Are you iphone or Android?
Just download an App for your phone...
I use one called DaTuner Lite but there are loads out there. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bork.dsp.datuna&hl=en_GB
hope this helps
$11 for 2. Sword holders amazon .com/dp/B098Q94WH8 (I have 2 reddit accts..a throwaway and a main, and it wasn't showing up for the throwaway either...so I had to remove the live link)
There are 2 sets on my wall...so $22 for 2 of them.
Thank you! I will look into that one now. I had also found these two, but didn't know if they were actually any good?
Traditional Clarke Celtic Tin Whistle:
https://www.amazon.se/-/en/dp/B0002I8Y6W/ref=sr\_1\_4?crid=19C1163BMVTZ4&keywords=clarke+sweetone&qid=1646242865&sprefix=clarke+sweetone%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-4
Clarke Original D Whistle Black:
https://www.amazon.se/Clarke-Original-D-Whistle-svart/dp/B000VPLIDC/ref=asc\_df\_B000VPLIDC/?tag=shpngadsglede-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=476526434059&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=376483312279326755&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&...
These are what they usually look like these days
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VPLIDC
Though you can pay extra to get an unpainted version (what a racket! pay more for less work at the factory lol)
One of my favorite features of the whistle is it’s compactness, lightness, and portability. I don’t think I’ve ever felt the need to make the thing more compact myself - but to answer the question, I keep my whistles in a whistle case that I got from TJ Maxx though you could probably find them in most stores. And best part, more often than not you can find a BOGO deal on them. Here’s one I found on Amazon that’s similar:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UBEG17Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_AD2HV2WFNGFZABWFW0ZF
Thx to the comments from u/CamStLouis and u/u38cg2, I made a new design more suitable for 3d printer. (Link to download files at Tinkercad).
It splits the whistle in 4 parts, the mouthpiece, the fipple block, the lip/labium and the body.
These can all be oriented for best print quality and easily be sanded afterwards. On assembly, they can all be adjusted to tune the whistle. It is also faster to try variants like wider window, smaller airway etc. Useful for me to learn better how thin whistles works.
On this design low-D is not so easily overblown anymore. The sound is however a bit breathier. I will probably use this to enhance the original design in the future.
You might try musescore.org. it's a community of people who upload music. There probably isn't much that's specifically for whistle, but you could look at flute and violin parts.
Just out of curiosity, why don't you make them anymore?
By the way, if you ever want to process audio, the program Audacity is pretty nice and completely free: http://www.audacityteam.org/
Whenever I record stuff, I run it through normalize (normalizes the volume) and noise removal. Usually also a bit of reverb can help too unless you're recording in a room with good acoustics.
:) I didn't know much about sheet music when I started either.
https://www.amazon.com/Bill-Ochs-Tin-Whistle-Handbook/dp/1513463292
This book will teach you how to play the whistle AND read sheet music at the same time. It's what I used to get started 25+ years ago.
Recorder players use something called AntiCondens or Duponol. It's basically Sodium Laurel Sulfate (which is a surfactant found in all kinds of things, including toothpaste). It makes water sheet off. You can get an 8oz bottle at amazon (when they're back in stock and such) here https://www.amazon.com/Sodium-Lauryl-Sulfate-8-4floz-250ml/dp/B012HKW3OQ/
I've got a 2oz bottle (that I bought as AntiCondens from a folk music store) that's lasted me like 10 years. So 8oz will last you forever.
Just clean the windway, fill the windway with it, drain it out, and let dry.
Precious little, sadly. Almost everything written regarding the whistle is a tutorial, including the Bergin & Larson works mentioned already.
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The only work I'm aware of that comes anywhere close to what you're looking for is Norman Dannat's <em>History of the Tin Whistle</em>. Sadly, it's not a comprehensive work: it details only the history of the Clarke Co. and makes no mention whatsoever of any other makers and pretends like no other kinds of tin whistles even exist. It also doesn't have very many pictures of old Clarke instruments, and I know for a fact Norman had a wonderful picture of old Clarke whistles! I have the book, and it's a good read, but isn't quite what the title proclaims of it!
I bought a little fife on Amazon to try out on the cheap before buying an actual flute, to see if I could at least make noise. This is the fife: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SCZRX8 and this is the flute I ended up getting: https://mcneelamusic.com/the-cygnet-rosewood-flute-with-foam-lined-box/
They're both nice (I think, I'm new to this) but the fife is in C, which I didn't realize when I ordered. If you want to order from McNeela then I recommend getting on their mailing list and waiting for a sale; I paid €199 for the flute on sale. Can't go wrong with a <$20 fife to play around on though.
Is this your whistle? The description says "1 piece ABS construction," but the features claim "2 piece matt black ABS body." Can you confirm that it is tunable? I am looking for a less harsh replacement for my (modified) Generation. Thanks!
I have a few Low D's. For the price you would be hard pressed to do better than the Dixons, either in ABS, or metal. If you plan to play with other people, make sure to get a tunable version.
I don't know your price range, but I would totally recommend Phil Hardy if you're looking at investing in a higher end. I own a low F whistle made by him and LOVE IT. I plan on getting a G, and a high D from him too. Best whistle I've ever owned, there is a noticeable difference in quality and clarity of tone. Plus Phil's a great guy to work with. I got mine from his site. http://www.kerrywhistles.com/
If you're looking at cheaper whistles, this is one of the best I've found of this price range:
It's a C whistle, Walton's. Super cheap. This is my 2nd favorite whistle I own (the Phil Hardy being my fav)
edit:
I just realized I'm dumb. For some reason I was thinking you were having the issue on a Feadog. The Clarke Meg that you already have is basically the same as the Clarke Celtic that I recommended so you can disregard that.
Well, I've only been working on learning the whistle for about 6 months here so you should take any advice from me with a considerable helping of salt. I could try to listen to a recording, but I'm not sure how much help I could provide.
If you get another whistle and experience the same problem then I think you can likely rule out the possibility of it resulting from a physical defect in the whistle. The most probable cause for notes not sounding cleanly is blowing too hard/soft or not covering the holes completely.
I've actually never played a plain Feadog whistle, but I have a tweaked one. Of all my whistles, this is the one that requires the most breath control: it's quite difficult to play without accidentally pushing into the second octave. I have also read that Feadog whistles tend to be fairly finicky.
Is the Mellow Dog out of your price range? It really is one of the easiest whistles to play and quite forgiving of fingering and breath control errors. It is also of a high enough quality that you won't necessarily need to upgrade to a better whistle as your skill level increases.
The whistle I started learning on is the Clarke Celtic. It doesn't sound as nice as the Mellow Dog but it is pretty easy to play both for fingering and breath. That one is only $10.50 with free shipping if you have Amazon Prime. The only thing I didn't like about the Clarke Celtic is that it has a ridge on the bottom (since it's made from a cone of sheet metal) which can be painful if you deathgrip the whistle. Since you shouldn't deathgrip the whistle, the solution is to hold it more gently. Easier said than done. :)