I dabble a bit in the whistle from time to time. I use a KIllarney D whistle that usually just keep in my fiddle case and take it out every so often and play it when no one is listening because in all honesty in piss poor at it. its still fun to mess around with though.
The Killarneys are good value, I actually recorded a Killarney vs Sindt video many years ago but never edited it or released it. Might have to do that again some day
Thankyou Jason, really appreciate you sharing those tips. Even as a beginner hobby player in my retirement just playing for fun it's still nice to know this info. I've liked and subscribed, many thanks, Mike👍
Do you remember which you played during the heat-up-the-fipple section? Was that a red/brass one? It had lots of character! Fun video 😃 Back when people carried matches, a friend had another tip for a quiet whistle: slide a paper match in the airway. Peel the head off first, of course.
Hi Jason, really nice video. On my personal experience I noticed a clean mirror shape of the inner bore creates a lot of high unpleasent overtones out of a clean new whistle. I believe that's why an old used whistle with a dirty bore sounds way better. What I used to do with a brand new whistle is making the bore a bit dirty oiling it a bit (even frying oil) and then poor a bit of fine ashes or any very fine powder inside.. Do you find it crazy? :D It can be washed out easily if that doesn't sound right or maybe just improve the sound waiting for natural oxydation.. :)
LOL! That's how I feel about a lot of my more recent instruments! The pro's say, "Don't buy that cheap instrument, you'll lose interest!" And I think, "With my level of skill, I won't know the difference!" As long as it's good enough to produce sounds that are relatively in tune, the rest is just practice. You'll know when to get a better instrument, when your playing gets so good that you begin to notice the defects in the instrument that are holding you back.
I don't like whistles that have a natural C tending towards sharp and I almost always intervene to correct this off-key note that most whistles have. The Lir Whistle in D and the Wild in D fortunately have an excellent natural C and I didn't intervene, while the Killarney in D has a very high natural C and I intervened in this one and now I'll explain how I did it: I used transparent nail polish for nails, and with a toothpick I applied a little at the top of the first hole, let the nail polish dry and test if the note is good, if it is not apply another layer, normally they require 2 to 4 applications; If you weren't precise or it doesn't work, you can always easily remove the nail polish. I was saying that it is better to apply the nail polish in the upper part of the hole because the effect is felt more and the hole closes less, because a hole that is too closed also gives a worse sound. in many cheaper whistles such as Generation, Feadog, Oak, Waltons, I have performed this operation, but you must not exaggerate in resizing the diameter of the first hole which together with the fourth hole is the smallest, because you risk worsening the sound of this note. I hope I was clear.
I love your tips. I have nine whistles, all sorts of keys, and some much more expensive than others. I do love my high D and my low D made by Alba (Scotland, very expensive), but I know that a much mellower tone is not always desired in an Irish session. I have a pretty poor sounding C and high D and will use your tips. I like the idea of the electric tape around the joint. But you lost me with the cellotape on the finger holes. How would one play a C natural? A lot of individual note tuning can be achieved with breath support...
Thanks for the message! I only use the tape to tune the occasional sour note. The fingering remains the same, the tape only covers a small part of the hole (usually the top) which can make the note flatter. It’s great when playing with another instrument and you need things to be spot on in tune. I agree about the breath to change the pitch too but sometimes I find it’s not really practical at speed. A low whistle is a bit easier as you need to push harder but on a standard whistle the range is much smaller and tape just makes things more reliable. Hope this helps!
I guess it’s hard to mass manufacture a whistle and get it perfect each time. Generation did have a much better design, but that’s for a future video 😉
Cillian O Briain, in Kerry, is doctoring tinwhistles to put them in tune. They are very good. He works on mouth piece as well as the main metal bore. 35 euro. Well worth it. His e flat is made from D bore which is great, less shrill than normal E flat. Thanks for toothpaste tip. All whistles will benefit. Brilliant
Never heard of the tooth paste trick before. Must give it a try. And oh, a whistle next to a Sabbath mug, that's a cool combo. Cheers from heavy-rock-bassist-turned-whistler-and-zouk-player.
