: Tin Whistle as a second instrument, easy to play single notes? I play piano and want to learn a more mobile instrument as well and thought about the Tin Whistle. I have no problem with learning the fingerings and I don't

Vote Up Vote Down   0 Reactions

Login to give Reaction!

There are three main causes of nasty tone on a tin whistle, or indeed a recorder;

Blowing too hard or not hard enough
Not completely sealing the holes you are covering
The quality of the instrument

And I'd suggest that you spend a decent time making sure it's not the first two before you assume it's the third.

If it's a recorder you're playing I'd concentrate on your left thumb position, because that's crucial to the whole affair.

Get comfortable playing notes in the lower octave before you venture up into the upper octave; there are lots of decent books available to teach yourself whistle or recorder, and even if you only use the first few pages it'll be worth getting hold of one of them.

And as has already been said, recorder and tin whistle are similar but different instruments, and have their own techniques and tricks.

Vote Up Vote Down   0 Reactions

Login to give Reaction!

With whistles like tin whistles and recorders, the most important thing that determines tone quality is the instrument quality. The sound is formed by the shape of the fipple (mouthpiece) and how the air flows over the ledge making the actual sound. And cheap recorders are often used by children in schools, so the most important factors are cost and durability, not sound quality. The musician has relatively little control over the sound when compared to horizontally held flutes with embouchure holes that you blow over.

If you like the sound of a recorder or pennywhistle in general, I'd suggest trying higher end recorders and whistles before you give up on them. It might be worth trying an alto or tenor recorder, which are lower pitched than the smaller soprano. If you like the pennywhistle, there's also the low D whistle, an octave below.

For flutes with nice tones, I'm a big fan of the horizontal flutes, but they definitely have a steeper learning curve for beginners to get that nice tone. You could also try a melodica, which would take advantage of your existing keyboard skills.