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I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
I'm looking forward to learn about wind instruments. I currently play the violin quite decently and wanted to try luck with my favorite tunes, and those are tunes that come from flutes, ocarinas, duduks, whistles, etc.
Hello, I'm from Peru, and because I don't posses a credit card a contact of mine does the payment for me and I end up paying $20 more for the product, and that can only done from USA shops. (That means I can't buy anything from Europe or so) The only decent priced thing here are those cheap plastic recorder that we used in school, but I think they suck a lot.
So, what's your opinion? Which one will give me the most rewarding experience? I like to cover any type of song, from popular pop songs to legendary anime songs. If anything, do you know a good online USA shop where I can buy my instruments?
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
Hard to imagine where to begin a response to your post. On the off chance that you are serious though...
Not sure what favorite tunes of yours were composed for "flutes, ocarinas, duduks, whistles, etc.", but I hope you are aware that the central focus of this board is on traditional session music (primarily Irish) and that I would bet that most of us wouldn't know a "legendary anime song" if it up and bit us in the a$$. I know I wouldn't.
That being said I would suggest you get a inexpensive whistle or two and see if you enjoy playing a wind instrument at all. Like everything else in the world, sometimes it looks better from the outside. Of course the whistle is not a really chromatic instrument, so you will only be able to play in a limited number of keys, but you didn't mention whether you planned on playing along with anyone/anything, so I assume that you would be able to transpose any songs to a "whistle friendly" key to play on your own.
There are plenty of online sources for whistles (including e-bay), but I would be shocked if you couldn't find a musical instrument shop in Lima that either had whistles or could order one for you. If you are just looking for a South American manufacturer, and want to make an investment, Gary Somers makes some very attractive flutes and whistles, and he is located in Brazil.
Another option for a local inexpensive wind instrument to wet your feet with would be getting a quena or pinquillo.
If you want to go for a true chromatic instrument for playing the wide variety of types of music you seem interested in I would suggest getting a student grade Boehm flute. I don't know about Peru, but around here you can pick up used ones at great prices since they are always being purchased then discarded by the parent of youngsters who hope their kids will be the next Rampal or Galway.
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
I'm confused. Is it Irish music you want to play or pop and anime? If it's pop and anime I'd recommend getting a basic student model band flute. You can't play chromatic music very well on a whistle or keyless Irish flute and it's hard to find an Irish flute with keys for under US$1000. You should be able to find a band flute in Peru easily enough. If not, there are many used instruments on eBay. The Woodwind and Brasswind also carries them. http://www.wwbw.com/
If it's Irish music you want to play, you need to chose whether you want whistle or flute. Whistle is easier; flute offers a wider variety of sounds but it takes work to develop an embouchure. If you want an inepxensive beginner Irish flute I'd recommend a Hammy Hamilton practice flute. Doc Jones at http://shop.irishflutestore.com/ can get you one from Hammy since you need a USA shop. Irish Flute Store also has a great selection of whistles and new and used Irish flutes. You could also go with a very inexpensive Generation whistle from http://whistleshop.com.
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
I'm sorry guys, I know this is an Irish music discussion forums, I posted this because there's no music forum in my country (i'm being serious), and the closest place where I can find experts in flute/whistles/quenas/etc is 1 hour away in public transport, this country is enormous you know.
And uh, perhaps my pop/anime example wasn't the best and yes, I was referring to the range of the instruments and what kind of different styles of music it can play.
PD: In the whistle shop all I find are Dixon flutes, are they good?
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
In that case I stand by my previous suggestions. Get a couple of inexpensive whistles (Oak, Generation, Feadog, Clark...) in the keys, or complimentary keys (i.e. D whistles playing easily in D and G) for the music you prefer.
If you want to maximize your flexibility for different keys and styles of music, get a student grade band/Boehm flute, not a simple system conical one. You should be able to find a used one in playable condition cheaper than any similar quality conical flute, and they are fully chromatic.
Only Dixon flute I would recommend is their 3-piece conical flute, but if you are dead set on getting a simple system flute there are probably better choices at that price level. Do a search on this site and the Chiff and Fipple site for beginner or starter flute for more info.
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
I linked The Whistle Shop because they have a wide selection of inexpensive, decent whistles that you can order with a credit card. I really love my little Walton's "Little Black D" and as Lattcino suggests, you might get Clark, Oak, Generation, or Feadog whistles in various keys to play around with.
I really do think you should consider a Boehm system flute (band flute, silver flute, classical flute... lots of names for it) if you want to play a broad range of musical styles. It's going to be a lot more economical and flexible than an Irish flute. Irish flutes have large holes so cross-fingerings to play accidentals don't work very well. They are basically 19th century classical flutes stripped of their keywork for economy. Irish players like them because they give better volume and a fuller sound than baroque flutes and still have open holes for slides and finger articulations. Irish players on keyless flutes can play some accidentals by half-holing but it's not easy to do cleanly and you can't get every note on every flute. Irish music generally does not demand much outside of notes on a D or G scale that a keyless flute plays easily.
If you do want a flute specific to Irish music (or don't mind playing only on D and G scales) I stand by my suggestion that you work with http://irishflutestore.com if you need a US vendor that accepts credit cards. If you call or email Doc Jones about a flute and let him know what you have to spend, he can probably help you choose something suitable. We can also make suggestions if you have a price range in mind.
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
Thanks a lot for the feedback, everyone!
So, is THAT much of a difference of musical styles between Irish flutes and Classical flutes? Because I'm not much of a fan of keyed flutes (my cousin plays one), and I've been looking for them around shopping sites and they seem quite expensive, starting from $300 and onwards, whereas the Irish flutes in some shops start at no more than $70.
I mostly enjoy playing in high pitches, most of the low pitched songs I can do in my violin, so that's no problem.
Again, thanks a lot for everything people, you're such nice people :D
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
My suggestion is a polymer (plastic) flute made by Dave Copley. They run about $400, but you will get a very, very good flute at less than half what it would cost in wood. Those $70 "irish" flutes aren't worth it - you will want to upgrade quickly (or get frustrated) if you get one.
Or you could get an Oak whistle for not much and get just as much of a real instrument as you would by spending hundreds on a flute. Whistles are amazing . . . from a good player, whistles are capable of extremely sophisticated and satusfying music.
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
I play the violin and whistles. I have tried lots of different makes of whistles but the one I love best is my Tweaked Mellow Dog which comes in a combination C & G set. It has a lovely sound & is more stable right across the range. I would recommend it to anyone for Irish music. Enjoy!
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
I've seen cane/bamboo flutes from Peru and Bolivia which would work OK for Irish music: transverse flutes, six holes, in the key of D, which give a D Major scale
xxx xxx D
xxx xxo E
and so forth. With these you can play in the traditional Irish style.
I have a Quenacho or Kenakena from Bolivia which is in the key of D and has the same fingering and works OK for Irish music, except that it has a thumbhole.
For Irish whistles, you can get a decent Feadog, Generation, Oak, or whatever D whistle for around 10 dollars.
They're more expensive, but I played a couple Tony Dixon D whistles that have a metal body and plastic top and I liked how they played. I have a conical all-plastic Tony Dixon Low D whistle that plays nicely and is a great value. (Though I like my MK Low D better.)
For "real" Irish flutes it's hard to beat, for value, Casey Burns' boxwood flutes.
I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
I'm looking forward to learn about wind instruments. I currently play the violin quite decently and wanted to try luck with my favorite tunes, and those are tunes that come from flutes, ocarinas, duduks, whistles, etc.
Hello, I'm from Peru, and because I don't posses a credit card a contact of mine does the payment for me and I end up paying $20 more for the product, and that can only done from USA shops. (That means I can't buy anything from Europe or so) The only decent priced thing here are those cheap plastic recorder that we used in school, but I think they suck a lot.
So, what's your opinion? Which one will give me the most rewarding experience? I like to cover any type of song, from popular pop songs to legendary anime songs. If anything, do you know a good online USA shop where I can buy my instruments?
Thanks a lot :D Sorry for the wall of text.
# Posted on April 19th 2011 by mellowBreez
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
Hard to imagine where to begin a response to your post. On the off chance that you are serious though...
Not sure what favorite tunes of yours were composed for "flutes, ocarinas, duduks, whistles, etc.", but I hope you are aware that the central focus of this board is on traditional session music (primarily Irish) and that I would bet that most of us wouldn't know a "legendary anime song" if it up and bit us in the a$$. I know I wouldn't.
That being said I would suggest you get a inexpensive whistle or two and see if you enjoy playing a wind instrument at all. Like everything else in the world, sometimes it looks better from the outside. Of course the whistle is not a really chromatic instrument, so you will only be able to play in a limited number of keys, but you didn't mention whether you planned on playing along with anyone/anything, so I assume that you would be able to transpose any songs to a "whistle friendly" key to play on your own.
There are plenty of online sources for whistles (including e-bay), but I would be shocked if you couldn't find a musical instrument shop in Lima that either had whistles or could order one for you. If you are just looking for a South American manufacturer, and want to make an investment, Gary Somers makes some very attractive flutes and whistles, and he is located in Brazil.
Another option for a local inexpensive wind instrument to wet your feet with would be getting a quena or pinquillo.
Check out the Chiff and Fipple website for info on starter flutes, inexpensive whistles and the like: http://forums.chiffandfipple.com/viewforum.php?f=27
If you want to go for a true chromatic instrument for playing the wide variety of types of music you seem interested in I would suggest getting a student grade Boehm flute. I don't know about Peru, but around here you can pick up used ones at great prices since they are always being purchased then discarded by the parent of youngsters who hope their kids will be the next Rampal or Galway.
Good luck
# Posted on April 19th 2011 by Latticino
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
http://www.whistleanddrum.com/
http://shop.irishflutestore.com/
http://larkinthemorning.com/
# Posted on April 19th 2011 by pipersgrip
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
I'm confused. Is it Irish music you want to play or pop and anime? If it's pop and anime I'd recommend getting a basic student model band flute. You can't play chromatic music very well on a whistle or keyless Irish flute and it's hard to find an Irish flute with keys for under US$1000. You should be able to find a band flute in Peru easily enough. If not, there are many used instruments on eBay. The Woodwind and Brasswind also carries them. http://www.wwbw.com/
If it's Irish music you want to play, you need to chose whether you want whistle or flute. Whistle is easier; flute offers a wider variety of sounds but it takes work to develop an embouchure. If you want an inepxensive beginner Irish flute I'd recommend a Hammy Hamilton practice flute. Doc Jones at http://shop.irishflutestore.com/ can get you one from Hammy since you need a USA shop. Irish Flute Store also has a great selection of whistles and new and used Irish flutes. You could also go with a very inexpensive Generation whistle from http://whistleshop.com.
# Posted on April 19th 2011 by ElaineT
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
Sorry, bad link. Whistle shop should be http://www.thewhistleshop.com/
# Posted on April 19th 2011 by ElaineT
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
I'm sorry guys, I know this is an Irish music discussion forums, I posted this because there's no music forum in my country (i'm being serious), and the closest place where I can find experts in flute/whistles/quenas/etc is 1 hour away in public transport, this country is enormous you know.
And uh, perhaps my pop/anime example wasn't the best and yes, I was referring to the range of the instruments and what kind of different styles of music it can play.
PD: In the whistle shop all I find are Dixon flutes, are they good?
# Posted on April 19th 2011 by mellowBreez
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
In that case I stand by my previous suggestions. Get a couple of inexpensive whistles (Oak, Generation, Feadog, Clark...) in the keys, or complimentary keys (i.e. D whistles playing easily in D and G) for the music you prefer.
If you want to maximize your flexibility for different keys and styles of music, get a student grade band/Boehm flute, not a simple system conical one. You should be able to find a used one in playable condition cheaper than any similar quality conical flute, and they are fully chromatic.
Only Dixon flute I would recommend is their 3-piece conical flute, but if you are dead set on getting a simple system flute there are probably better choices at that price level. Do a search on this site and the Chiff and Fipple site for beginner or starter flute for more info.
# Posted on April 19th 2011 by Latticino
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
I linked The Whistle Shop because they have a wide selection of inexpensive, decent whistles that you can order with a credit card. I really love my little Walton's "Little Black D" and as Lattcino suggests, you might get Clark, Oak, Generation, or Feadog whistles in various keys to play around with.
I really do think you should consider a Boehm system flute (band flute, silver flute, classical flute... lots of names for it) if you want to play a broad range of musical styles. It's going to be a lot more economical and flexible than an Irish flute. Irish flutes have large holes so cross-fingerings to play accidentals don't work very well. They are basically 19th century classical flutes stripped of their keywork for economy. Irish players like them because they give better volume and a fuller sound than baroque flutes and still have open holes for slides and finger articulations. Irish players on keyless flutes can play some accidentals by half-holing but it's not easy to do cleanly and you can't get every note on every flute. Irish music generally does not demand much outside of notes on a D or G scale that a keyless flute plays easily.
If you do want a flute specific to Irish music (or don't mind playing only on D and G scales) I stand by my suggestion that you work with http://irishflutestore.com if you need a US vendor that accepts credit cards. If you call or email Doc Jones about a flute and let him know what you have to spend, he can probably help you choose something suitable. We can also make suggestions if you have a price range in mind.
Chiff and Fipple http://forums.chiffandfipple.com/viewforum.php?f=27 is also a good place for used Irish flutes if your contact can use PayPal.
# Posted on April 20th 2011 by ElaineT
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
Thanks a lot for the feedback, everyone!
So, is THAT much of a difference of musical styles between Irish flutes and Classical flutes? Because I'm not much of a fan of keyed flutes (my cousin plays one), and I've been looking for them around shopping sites and they seem quite expensive, starting from $300 and onwards, whereas the Irish flutes in some shops start at no more than $70.
I mostly enjoy playing in high pitches, most of the low pitched songs I can do in my violin, so that's no problem.
Again, thanks a lot for everything people, you're such nice people :D
# Posted on April 20th 2011 by mellowBreez
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
My suggestion is a polymer (plastic) flute made by Dave Copley. They run about $400, but you will get a very, very good flute at less than half what it would cost in wood. Those $70 "irish" flutes aren't worth it - you will want to upgrade quickly (or get frustrated) if you get one.
Or you could get an Oak whistle for not much and get just as much of a real instrument as you would by spending hundreds on a flute. Whistles are amazing . . . from a good player, whistles are capable of extremely sophisticated and satusfying music.
# Posted on April 20th 2011 by wormdiet
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
Okay, as it seems that money will be a problem, I've decided to go for tin whistles.
I'll be getting either a Tony Dixon Trad in D, or a Mellow Dog (or Blackbird?) from Jerry Freeman.
Thanks a lot wormdiet.
# Posted on April 20th 2011 by mellowBreez
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
I play the violin and whistles. I have tried lots of different makes of whistles but the one I love best is my Tweaked Mellow Dog which comes in a combination C & G set. It has a lovely sound & is more stable right across the range. I would recommend it to anyone for Irish music. Enjoy!
# Posted on April 20th 2011 by Sky fiddler
Re: I want to learn whistle/flute and planning to buy one of those
I've seen cane/bamboo flutes from Peru and Bolivia which would work OK for Irish music: transverse flutes, six holes, in the key of D, which give a D Major scale
xxx xxx D
xxx xxo E
and so forth. With these you can play in the traditional Irish style.
I have a Quenacho or Kenakena from Bolivia which is in the key of D and has the same fingering and works OK for Irish music, except that it has a thumbhole.
For Irish whistles, you can get a decent Feadog, Generation, Oak, or whatever D whistle for around 10 dollars.
They're more expensive, but I played a couple Tony Dixon D whistles that have a metal body and plastic top and I liked how they played. I have a conical all-plastic Tony Dixon Low D whistle that plays nicely and is a great value. (Though I like my MK Low D better.)
For "real" Irish flutes it's hard to beat, for value, Casey Burns' boxwood flutes.
# Posted on April 22nd 2011 by Richard D Cook