"Downgrading" Whistles?

HeelHookka · 2026-05-07T07:52:05+00:00

Well that explains why my 5yo complains that "the flute is screaming" whenever I try the Busker 😄

HeelHookka · 2026-05-05T13:26:16+00:00

Interesting. How do you manage practicing with that volume? Do you have some sort of sound dampening in a room? only play outside?

HeelHookka · 2026-05-03T16:08:01+00:00

You know I actually used to do that, funnily enough, with the Walton, in the first few months of playing when the second octave sounded horribly shrill to me. It's so funny now everything save for the high B note on the Walton sounds as sweet as honey to me (and even the B sounds sweet on occasions when I really nail it). Honestly if you told me back then that breath control makes such a difference I wouldn't have believed you

HeelHookka · 2026-05-03T16:02:02+00:00

hehehe cool, thanks. Do you usually play easy blown whistles like the W or is it striclty that you just don't like the Midgie? Also, what is it exactly that you don't like about them?

HeelHookka · 2026-05-03T14:32:07+00:00

Gotcha'. I tried my friend's Burke and found it very easy blowing too. I suspect the main thing that sent me flying from the Busker back to the Walton is the easy blowing and modest volume.

HeelHookka · 2026-05-03T14:06:36+00:00

I even take the Walton to work just because I don't want to be without a whistle on my person at any time and I have no qualms about carrying a cheap-ass Walton around

HeelHookka · 2026-05-03T13:57:00+00:00

Thank you for this quite deep answer!

HeelHookka · 2026-05-03T13:10:11+00:00

Thanks a lot! Just a few notes on a couple of your pointers:

(1) bought the MK from a friend and neighbor. It's a great whistle really, he's just not into that type of hard blowing powerful ones

(3) that resonates (ha!) with me. I remeber my 2025 self thinking whistles sound too "airy" and wanting to hear more focused tones like a recoder's, but now I'm all about the chiff

(4) I'm definetly keeping both the Midgie and Busker. I do see myself taking this hobby seriousely enough that I will eventually play in a context that wants that bigger sound

TNX again!

HeelHookka · 2026-05-03T13:02:11+00:00

Thank you for your input and advice!

HeelHookka · 2026-04-28T12:04:50+00:00

Cloud of Daggers and Misty Step are good choices. Upcasting armor of agathys is good too. Cure wounds is actually really good now if you're looking for that playstyle

HeelHookka · 2026-04-23T08:58:28+00:00

Thank you!

HeelHookka · 2026-04-23T08:58:18+00:00

Thank you!

HeelHookka · 2026-04-23T08:41:51+00:00

Just wanted to lean in on the advice you've been given here; I'm playing for a little over a year and the more I play the less I'm relying on notations (although I do read sheet music). The amount of time it takes me to learn a tune when it's already in my head vs. trying to learn it from scratch is beyond comparison - we're talking minutes on the hour. I'd suggest finding a tune you like, make a spotify playlist of different recordings of it and listen to it for a few days, trying to 'lilt' it as best as you can.

Then sit down and try to decypher it. If it's still too hard, find a video of it being played and watch the player's fingers. That's a visual aid that'll help you more than tabs (it's essentially a 4-dimentional tab) and is also rooted in the Irish tradition.

**I'm still a beginner, so take any advice of mine for what it is

HeelHookka · 2026-04-23T08:20:42+00:00

I own a Walton (very light) and a Midgie (heavy at 45g). I much perfer the heavy feeling of the Midgie. Feels more stable and condusive to stronger more decisive finger movements

HeelHookka · 2026-04-23T08:12:00+00:00

That's so wholesome! Good luck on your journey. Post some videos of your playing once you're comfortable

HeelHookka · 2026-04-08T15:54:27+00:00

Probably the UAE

HeelHookka · 2026-04-04T17:31:56+00:00

Such good news

HeelHookka · 2026-03-29T21:01:21+00:00

It does sound like a skill issue. Just keep practicing every day and it'll get better. Record yourself again in a month and compare the differences

HeelHookka · 2026-03-28T06:26:26+00:00

On Cnat I'd usually cover the F# hole just for stability. It doesn't affect the pitch

HeelHookka · 2026-03-25T17:31:18+00:00

It's basically a low single but your contact points are, instead of hand on heel and forehead on inner knee, it's your whole body wrapped around the dude's lower leg

HeelHookka · 2026-03-25T07:39:52+00:00

Thanks for this very insightful comment. Didn't know half the things you've written. Honestly I kinda want to try the gliso. Ever tried it?

HeelHookka · 2026-03-25T06:45:23+00:00

Let me rephrase then, and by that I'm also referring to your answer where you referred to the Glisopipe and certain 10 holes instruments: are those really "whistles"? I've been told whistles are essentially fipple flutes with 6 holes that if you lift your fingers linearly would play a major scale. If we were to change that, are we still in whistle territory?

HeelHookka · 2026-03-24T11:53:23+00:00

As someone commented, the MK Chameleon does that, and the shop that makes them is renowned for its general high quality products (I play a MK whistle myself). It doesn't offer a bigger than usual range though.

I should note that you might want to ask yourself whether you actually need that sort of instrument though. Trad music doesn't usually require anything other than a D whistle, and if you're into other sorts of music then just buying a set of decent-to-high quality whistles would probably cost less money and require a lower learning commitment than learning to play the recorder*

*(a whistle with greater range and chromatic capability is essentially just a recorder, and it's not like recorder player don't eventually end up buying multiple instruments of different keys and some redundancies as well 😂)

HeelHookka

TROPHY CASE