How many tin whistles?
David Mcwha
I recently started playing a tin whistle that I got in Ireland a number of years
ago as a souvenir. It is in D, and I have discovered that playing in keys other
than D and G major is rather difficult, requiring half-holes to be used.
My question is - to play in other keys do you use a number of different tin
whistles, or should I be concentrating on more precise half-hole fingering? If
more than one tin whistle should be used, which are the most usual combinations
to own?
I really love that tin whistle sound, and having played the recorder and clarinet
find it easier to play by ear and improvise on.
TIA for any help
David McWha
Peter Kwangjun Suk
>TIA for any help
>David McWha
Most Irish music tends to be in keys & modes that look like D, A, & G.
Then you'll have some random stuff in C and B-flat. (Scots bagpipes
are in F or B-flat.) You can get by with a C and a D whistle. A is
only one half-hole on the D whistle, likewise with B-flat on the C.
O'Riordan sells high-end pennywhistles which have two bodies, one in
C, the other D.
If you've absolutely got to have it all, then buy a bunch of Generations.
(Generation E-flats are useful if you want to learn tunes from De Danann
recordings. Their concert pitch is in E-flat.)
My recommendation: get the Generations to cover it all, and spend money
on a couple of good whistles for the more commonly used keys.
--PKS
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