RECORDER vs. WHISTLE - which is the best?

I put recorders and whistles to the test! Sound, range, keys, volume, octaves, tuning, price and more...
WARNING: this video features over-generalisations 😜 If you can offer more nuance, I'd love to hear it in the comments!
/// Chapters
00:23 Sound
02:05 Range
02:52 Key signatures
04:22 Chromatic notes
05:52 Sizes
08:01 Transposition/reading
09:38 Volume
10:40 Octaves
11:28 Price
12:58 Tuning
14:40 Stereotypes
16:30 So which to choose?
/// Instruments
In this video I play on:
Whistles in high D and low D by Chieftain
Whistles in G, Eb, D, C and Bb by Generation
Soprano Denner Concert Edition recorder by Mollenhauer
Fourth flute in Bb recorder at 415Hz by Tom de Vries
Garklein recorder in C by Küng
/// Links
Renaissance recorder database adrianbrown.org/surviving-ren...
Video with maker Tom de Vries • What are FOURTH FLUTES...
Video with musician Emily Askew • How to Sound Medieval ...
//////
Website: www.sarahjeffery.com
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Go #teamrecorder

[@lesliefranklin1870]

Next for the algorithm, "Recorder vs Ocarina".

[@communityband1]

Excellent work, Sarah!!! This is by far the best comparison video I've seen, and your title selection is spot on. Only thing I wished could have been included was a little bit of alto/tenor playing to show people the much darker sound. But if anyone is curious how recorder sounds in its bigger forms, please check out her other videos!!

[@lillekorn]

So, one for playing in a hot pub, another for playing in a cold church. Got it!

[@marcelw.5898]

😂😅

[@TJtheBee]

Yes, you’ve got to have one specifically for the hot tub! I mean…hot pub!

[@zoedigby2655]

@@TJtheBee I also read that as hot tub 😂

[@simonholmqvist8017]

(third time's the charm due to youtube not liking links) I went down a googling rabbit hole, and found some really cool whistles. Musiquemorneaux make handmade diatonic whistles out of wood. In addition to that, he also makes chromatic 10 hole whistles with tow thumb holes. I guess you could argue it's a recorder, and it sounds somewhere in between: Video: Musique Morneaux 10 holes Tin Whistle D - モルノー 10ホール ティン・ホイッスル D管, performance at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="245">4:05</a>. Sopilkas are of course also chromatic 10 hole recorders/whistles, with a cylindrical bore. Sound is nice and airy: Video: J. Schmelzer Ciaccona / Bozhena Korchynska&Bernhard Hofstötter

[@ankherin4360]

Interesting! Thank you for your time

[@squeezeboxben]

hi there, whistle player here the lowest low whistles you can just buy that ive seen are low A whistles (a fourth below the low D in the video) but ive also seen low G whistles and the highest ive seen are high Gs (the g above middle c) but noone ever really plays higher than an Eb or lower than a low D. on handmade whistles, i play karavaev whistles but from what ive heard colin goldie makes great handmade whistles.

[@saxrendell]

Completely agree that any music can and should be played on any instrument, particularly if it's just what you've got lying around lmao! I'm in a professional folk band and I play the recorder instead of the whistle usually, I do have a whistle as well I just tend to prefer the sound and chromatic versatility of the recorder!

[@redtumblr3524]

Hey, Sarah! A month or two ago I got a recorder player for my birthday and I have been blessed to find this channel. In less than a week I learned to play the folk music "Off to California" thanks to your tutorial. The notes were relatively easy to play since they were repetitive, but mostly it was because of your inclusivity for us who can't read sheet music since you have so generously included the letters of the notes and the DO RE MI's which made learning faster. I just want to thank you so so much for being such a blessing! And might I add a request for one of your next videos. . . I have been trying to find the letters of the notes for the song, "Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce, and to no avail I could not find one anywhere on the internet. I would greatly appreciate it if you would make a tutorial for this. Nevertheless, I'm still super grateful for this channel and for you. Go team recorder!

[@jamesbrown8766]

Many years ago, before Riverdance existed, my wife and I went to a Chieftains concert with Michael Flatley playing traditional Irish tunes on a soprano recorder. He threw in all the tips and slides and rolls you would normally hear on a whistle. It was fantastic! Just goes to show you’re not limited to one style of music on the recorder (or the whistle either).

[@debthompson4498]

Comparing and contrasting the two instruments was really helpful in gaining an understanding of why the instruments make the sound they do.

[@MrPedalpaddle]

Congratulations to the Team Recorder Party, electing a recorder player Prime Minister of the United Kingdom!

[@mrsrev62]

😊

[@Anubis81]

I bought a C whistle and it was a bit confusing with the different fingerings (for example fingers 1, 2 and 3 play an F not a G). But a D whistle is much more intuitive for a recorder player. So i think it's easier to start with a D whistle.

[@odoakervonthuringen2990]

You don't have to learn different fingerings. Use a different tuned Whistles depending which key you play...

[@Chrisamic]

@@odoakervonthuringen2990 Anubis means that the fingering for the D whistle is exactly the same notes as a C recorder if you ignore the right pinky. A whistle player can easily play a C recorder with no tuition, but only in D, if that makes any sense.

[@alexstucky]

​@@odoakervonthuringen2990 D whistle is actually the recommend choice for beginners. There's a lot more beginner material in D, and so is a lot of the Irish tunes I find. I do agree on the more intuitive fingering though!

[@Machodave2020]

Very honest to using the algorithm as a tool to spread music knowledge.

[@SO-ym3zs]

I'd say it's better not to stoop to playing the algorithm game in the first place. I've seen a number of smart, quality channels lower themselves with clickbait titles or thumbnails and then try to excuse themselves by essentially saying, "Well, that's how KZbin works." If taking part in something encourages you to play games or compromise standards, then maybe some reevaluation is in order. Success should be measured in terms of quality and integrity, not how well you can work the algorithm on a social media platform to grab people's attention.

[@CharlotteLWilliams]

My favorite type of video. In January 2023, I thought I'd give myself a year to be able to pick up any key whistle or recorder & play sheet music with the proper fingering. It was a little naive, but I have D, A, & G whistle fingering fairly well down, with very slow b flat & c. Doing ok with alto recorder, ok with tenor, & pretty good with soprano I do wonder about that moment of insanity thinking this would be fun. I think it may take another 5 years to reach my goal

[@hj-ko4cp]

This Whistle thing sounds like the cross between the recorder and the flute.

[@oceanelf2512]

It's about time KZbin recommended another video from you. :) Time to sit back, relax, and enjoy. :)

[@AMPProf]

Yep.. Too many junk food dance cat chip bag food video shorts

[@mantistoboggan2676]

Love the freezeframe at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="478">7:58</a> lol

[@lanadewilde9791]

Thank you!

[@HaileISela]

hej Sarah, a fellow whistler here... my favorite handmade whistles are my swedish spelpipor, namely my härjedalspipa and åspipa by Gunnar Stenmark and a low d from my dear friend Max Brumberg who's also known for his overtone instruments like fujaras. all of those are actually wooden whistles, so sixhole like the tin whistles and a lot more woody and breathy still. i have a couple nice whistles, too and a chinese dizi and indian bansuri, both being sixhole bamboo flutes... and just one little note on the keys, you surely are aware of this, but it's worth mentioning: besides the basic major key, one can as easily play the adjacent minor key with the second note being the root note (so e minor on a D whistle etc.) and at least another great major key around the half way point of the scale, so G major on a D whistle and so forth. some tunes also feel best in the adjacent minor key one up from that, but in my case, with what i tend to play, that's much rarer. in any case, my deepest love is for my pipes though, both french and swedish. they both have half-closed fingering which is where i really feel home.

[@seanhewitt2521]

Well done!

[@mdsimisn]

That Bb recorder 😻

[@nigelhaywood9753]

Honesty is a great virtue! 🙂 Thanks for another fascinating and comprehensive video.

[@jimsanderson9020]

Wonderful, thank you

[@grendlsma]

Thanks for this. I play whistle in a celtic group, and the harpist asked the difference between a recorder and an whistle. Now I have a video to point her to......

[@farm7379]

Sarah: "dichotomy between clasical and folk music..." Me: only playing recorder to replace vocals in modern songs

[@TJtheBee]

I was considering between the whistle and recorder for a bit - ended up going for recorder, most because I wanted that range. This is an excellent comparison video!

[@marcelw.5898]

why not both? practice a while with the recorder, then buy an D-Whistle and play a bit of a hobbit theme...😅

[@TJtheBee]

@@marcelw.5898 You are well-intentioned, but I already have a recorder and a bunch of ocarinas! I don't need more instruments! XD

[@marcelw.5898]

@@TJtheBee 😅🤔

[@ninjaaron]

"don't need more instruments." Let me stop you right there. You always need more instruments.

[@TJtheBee]

@@ninjaaron Well, yes, but FIRST I need a plastic soprano ocarina, and a double ocarina, AND a ceramic bass ocarina, AND a native flute…and THEN a whistle. Y’know?

[@flight007keith2]

You have made the recorder and awesome instrument to learn to play.

[@fenham]

I picked up a whistle in the 70s while I’d played a recorder at school, as you once did. I enjoyed playing along to folk and early music purely for personal pleasure. My biggest influences at the time were David Munrow, Gryphon and Alan Stivell. Love this channel ❤️❤️❤️

[@stephenmatcham]

Further to my previous comment, range is determined by voicing and bore to length ratio, this applies to both whistles and recorders. A narrow bore whistle with less breathy voicing will have a full 2 octaves range and possibly more.

[@FrankLynchBkln]

So glad you quickly switched to "it depends" because I thought "which is the best" was the wrong question. They do different things! I don't want my guitar to be a tzouras and I don't want my tzouras to be a guitar.

[@deep6393]

I started my musical journey on tin whistle about 3 months ago and was having such a blast, but decided to switch to the recorder a month later just cause I really wanted a chromatic instrument! I love both of them alot but the recorder was a better fit for me just cause of how I prefer learning music : D I have been learning folk tunes on the recorder cause my favorite thing about tin whistles was lots of folk tunes

[@deep6393]

ALSO, I had a natural tendency to start all my notes on the whistle with tonguing which is a no on whistle but I then learned it's a big yes on recorder xp so that's a huge plus for me cause it's fun going "doo doo dooo, do dooo" xp

[@Team_Recorder]

Oh I love the Butterfly!

[@jacobopstad5483]

I grew up playing a tin whistle my mom bought for me when I was a kid and I loved it because it was simpler to figure out. Now, my son is learning to play and I've really grown to love the recorder because of its versatility

[@Ignacio-mm1pk]

loved the comparison and yes. no genre is better than the other.

[@rinkydinkfretboard8737]

Wow, the starkest contrast (which I wasn’t expecting) was the quality of sound between the plastic and wooden recorder. Maybe I’m just starting to develop my ear for that though, but at first I didn’t pick up on it as much even when I was listening for it to decide what to buy.

[@spriggan3935]

Friend Richard Harvey too is a classical trained musician (and a recorder vrtuoso player) who's really into folk / medieval / renaissance music. And a famed accomplished composer.

[@junka1975]

I like them both. I don't play well but I do have a lot of fun playing them.

[@stix2you]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="468">7:48</a> This made me laugh, love your sense of humor.

[@SO-ym3zs]

I have a bunch of each. Both are great fun. Whistles and recorders are more ideally suited to certain repertoires: Renaissance and Baroque music will usually sound more authentic/appropriate on the recorder, folk music on a whistle. A downside to whistles is that the upper register tends to be super loud and piercing on a typical D whistle, to where it'll hurt your ears, not to mention bother housemates😁 The chromaticism of the recorder might mean a steeper learning curve, but it's way more convenient than trying to half-hole a whistle, and in that sense more versatile. But since you can get good whistles and recorders very cheaply, I'd definitely recommend giving both a go.

[@sisterrosetta57]

Pretty important to point out that a very complex part of playing the whistle is the ornamentation, cuts, rolls etc which is different from playing the recorder. Worth listening to someone like great Mary Bergin.

[@ninjaaron]

You can actually half-hole the highest hole on a whistle to use the upper octave with less breath pressure and at a slightly lower volume. I learned this from a whistle book. Not as reliable as the recorder, but works well enough until you get to the highest notes.

[@ernie5229]

Great video! I wish you would have spent more time on chromatic vs. diatonic as I feel that is the biggest difference between the two. But I really liked how you stressed that they are two different instruments, neither is "better," and to get whichever one you want. Thank you!

[@ronkral8924]

Joseph Morneaux in Connecticut hand makes wooden whistles including several variations of chromatic ones. I enjoy one with extra holes for low C, F and high c. With a little cross fingering every note is possible.

[@josephwisniewski3673]

Recorders are tapered bore, whistles are straight bore, except when they aren’t. One of my favorite whistles is a tapered bore Clark. Susato has multiple lines of straight bore recorders. Oh, and one of my recorders has a physically straight glass bore, but it's acoustically tapered by a Sander’s spike. Pay attention to the size of the holes and the mean diameter to length ratio: those are the key variables that affect range.

[@ckostyn]

Very nice video - and good idea to work with the YT algorithm! Personally I love Wild Irish whistles the most, and Burkes have a great reputation. Carbony makes great Low whistles for small hands (made from carbon fiber) that start at $600 US.

[@boulylemoutonraye]

Very good video ! Don't forget you can have wood whistle 😉 i play both... and i'm agree with you. It depend the tune you want to play

[@mixedstaples8030]

Also! John from Takahe Flutes in New Zealand makes handmade whistles! I have his low D and it's a joy to play

[@ZvikaDror]

Such a lovely video ! BTW - There are wooden Whistles for mellower tone, also ABS Whistles are not bad at all for taking along a trip, and also loud ! Playing the same tunes on both instruments is always great fun, like a challenge, and it is quite natural to switch tunes from D whistle to Soprano, Low D to Tenor, G whistle to Sopranino (I still need to get low G whistle to match the Alto).

[@Sylkis89]

It's funny how the recorder sounds more like actual whistling with your mouth than whistle

[@sparfalexandra8331]

Just bought my first tin whistle this weekend! 😅😊

[@Atomic-Lola]

I’d love recommendations on which medieval songs to play on whistle! Loved the video! I’ve got both recorders and whistles, but I mostly play my Carbony Low D because I love the sound.

[@stephenmatcham]

I'd like to point out that there are cylindrical bore recorders that have 2 octaves + range. The Hopf metal soprano from the 1960s for example.

[@marcusmicksch]

Before I switched over to the recorder, I started on a conical Clarke D whistle and soon after discovered the handmade Dave Shaw whistles, which are also conical. I find the conical whistles sound more sweet and mellow, closer to a recorder. If I remember correctly that was the goal of Robert Clarke in the 19th century to make affordable "recorder-like" instruments which happened to become an instrument class of it's own.

[@Nettkin]

Thanks for this great video Sarah, I've always been interested in the whistle. Could we please have a video on how to manage auditory/ ear fatigue as a musician?

[@stephielulu9096]

I've seen a low Bb whistle & they're huge!!

[@marcelw.5898]

i play on irish folk sessions every sunday with a bunch of of whistles AND my Tenor recorder. What to pick depends on what feeling i want to play. Every instrument has it own voice (like people in a choir)

[@christophertsiliacos8958]

There's nothing to decide. It's a no brainer for me. Being a multi-instrumentalist (brass, woodwind, strings and percussion), I enjoy playing both equally. 😊👍🎶 BTW: I play the tin whistle in two complete octaves. 😉

[@mixedstaples8030]

There's a few makers who make a low A whistle, lowest note is a third above the lowest note of the bass recorder. They're expensive and weird, but fairly common among whistle pros who do studio work. Some individual makers have made individual larger instruments, but A seems to be the depth that commercial manufacturers are willing to go

[@hywong8449]

I have a low A from Tony Dixon, which I like a lot. He makes whistles out of black plastic. I think they are reasonably priced. Should be cheaper than than the aluminium type from Overton/Goldie/Chieftains/Kerry. Then you have the cheap Susatos that come in almost every key. Very loud and in pitch. Pretty good for playing in a band with amplified instruments. I would consider Dixon and Susato as fairly commercial manufacturers. They would make whistles as low as low D, at least.

[@organist1982]

I have some tapered whistles by Clarke as well as a tapered Shaw low-D whistle, and I can definitely get 3rd-octave notes out of them!

[@robinparkes9]

One of the very best crossover musicians is Eimear McGeown who plays both classical and traditional Irish music. She won the young musician award at the 2006 Clandeboye Festival run each year by Barry Douglas. I go to a concert of traditional Irish music by Eimear at the Clandeboye Festival every August. She is a flautist.

[@PlanetImo]

I think my whistle is hand made? It’s a Bleazy. I adore it. I think they retail at about £200 these days. He has a website so you can look it up.

[@molybdnum]

I have a PVC low Eb whistle! Since they're cylindrical there are a lot of craft-made aluminum/brass/carbon ones out there.

[@Team_Recorder]

Oooh!

[@Ithirahad]

Range on whistles really depends on the whistle. I 'made' a low G with an old Susato head and a piece of copper plumbing (a perfectly cylindrical bore) with basically random holes drilled in it, and it gets two octaves and a third with intelligible tuning.

[@picardy1907]

Thank you for the interesting (as usual) video. I play both, in several genres (jazz, Baroque, folk, Classical etc) - it depends a lot on the demands of the music and with whom I'm playing as to which type of instrument I play. As for High v Low class music, there are so many 'classical' composers who who have looked to folk music (Sibelius, Dvorak to name but two) for inspiration and material, though I'm not sure the opposite is true, generally speaking,

[@Cysubtor_8vb]

I have a Bass Bb whistle that I believe is handmade or, at least, isn't mass produced. My favorite whistle is a Howard Low D while my goto recorder is an alto Mollenhauer. Still, of the flute variations, I then to play ocarina more.

[@mynvision]

I love these comparison videos! You can stretch the range on the whistle, but it takes a combination of creative fingering; you can also play around with overblowing to get the special harmonics on the whistle. Honestly, if you can get a hold of them, I'd compare plastic recorders with plastic whistles (Yamaha vs Tony Dixon or Susato), and the wood recorders with one of the handmade wood whistles (I can't really recommend one bc I don't know them as well and don't own one). I tend to favor aluminum whistles, but the plastic ones have a nice, softer sound, and you can still manage to get those special harmonics out of some of them. I also obviously like whistles in the keys of D and G because they correspond to the fingering of recorders. :D Of the pro-level whistles that are relatively affordable, I'm fond of MK Pro, Alba and Kerry. They are nice and quite reliable.

[@DynamixWarePro]

The biggest Irish whistle I have seen is an Overton Bass G whistle and that thing is long! It is very low sounding. I have played whistles and recorders for about 28 years and I have a lot of different whistles. I have a Chieftain High C V3 which I have had since the 2000s and it is hard to play higher than a middle F# and it gets loud when I try that so rarely play it. My Chieftain low D V3 plays better. I have played all Generation whistles in brass and nickel except high F and don't like the kind of warbly like sound you can get from them due to the plastic mouthpiece but I like the Generation Bb whistle. My favourite whistles I have are a Clarke gold plated whistle which has the chiff sound Clarke conical bore whistles have. It can play quite quietly and I find it very easily to play, so good for practising on. I have a Susato Mezzo A which I like the sound it has and I like the sound of whistles in the key of A. I also have a Killarney C whistle in brass which tarnished a lot and smells a bit. Plays well but I don't like playing it much due to the tarnish.

[@Dawerun]

Colin Goldie goes down to a Bass G Goldie whistles are beautiful! If you fancy treating yourself i can recommend! Or if you fancy looking into the merits of a wooden whistle I've had a Roy MacMaghnus for a few years now and its become a favourite! A really beautiful instrument.

[@Mullewarp]

If you're searching for a crossover between classical and (irish) folk music look up O'stavaganza. It is a mix of classical music (Vivaldi) and Irish Folk where irish folk instruments (Uilleann Pipe for example) replace classical instruments in Vivaldi pieces and classical instruments play folk music. Another recommendation would be Jordi Savall: The Celtic Viol. He plays irish and Scottish folk on Viola da Gamba on this CD.

[@pampoovey6722]

Cheap whistles sound horrid imo. Whereas a cheap recorder can make some pretty sounds. Both pro ones sound beautiful though, especially the whistle. The overtones make it so nice for certain kinds of music.

[@DSteinman]

D whistles are also good in the key of G, theres an easy fingering for C natural on them!

[@rebeccamennecke5507]

Marek Bzowski in Poland makes tunable wooden whistles, I've been eyeing those for quite some time, but still too many recorders on my wish list ;-)

[@cjanquart]

I think my problem was starting to play a low whistle in D but I really like the Chieftain (hey there it is at the <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="440">7:20</a> mark!).

[@Krisha991]

Workroom of Alexander Karavaev - low and high whistles 😊

[@user-eh8jv2em2o]

Hello Sarah, thanks for the video. I think whistles are inferior for few reasons: - noisy/breathy tone. Recorders are breathy enough, we don't need more - while beginner price is comparable, quality of beginner whistles is very low. First, one of my whistles was badly out of tune. And that's a common complaint, depends on your luck. Second, that plastic attachment is made from a soft material and its shape lacks precision, I had to alter it with a knife to remove production inaccuracies, that improved the tone a bit. At the same time with a cheapest Yamaha plastic recorder you always get consistent tuning and perfect tone. - need for half-holing As for the range, they do produce 2 octaves even those "generations" you have, you just need practice more. You can play most of whistle repertoire on a soprano recorder. Just skip the lowest hole, start with D. Easy.

[@graceyeh1]

HI Sarah, Love this video. Follow you and CutiePie on YT. My daughter plays alto recorder. I am able to introduce classical music from around the world to her by recorder-- and it also trains her music sight reading skills. Also, the wooden recorder is more forgiving for her since she has issues with saliva. For myself, I am a serious whistle player. I love Chinese folk music, which falls on the pentatonic scale. There's usually no need for Chromatic notes and the mezzo/low whistles from Carbony are able to mimic the calming spiritual sounds of the Chinese bamboo flute. Being in California, it is difficult to get a proper bamboo flute, but Carbony is in Oregon, a state away, and their whistles are top notch!

[@thanbo]

Hm. The classical-folk dichotomy describes my Dad's family to a T. Back in the 19th century, there were two brothers, Isaac Fishberg and Boruch Beckerman. They were descendants of a multigenerational musical family in Ukraine. (Chudnov, Berdichev, Rozyshche, Proskurov, Zamosc, etc.). In my Dad's generation, Isaac's children played classical, Baruch's family played klezmer (Jewish folk). Grandpa Harry was Baruch's son , Grandma Becky was Isaac's daughter. Grandpa Harry was equally at hime in either genre. In the States he played in a lot of dance bands, but he also played sax with the New York City Symphony, c. 1916, a predecessor of the Philarmonic. Dad felt he had to choose sides. In college (Juilliard) he played in dance bands in the summers. Once he got into the Chicago Symphony on trumpet, he never looked back.

[@JosMorn1]

That is a very airy/windy whistle. A well-voiced whistle/flageolet has a cleaner sound than the model you are using herein. Also, a good whistle can play almost an entire 3 octaves... Whistles also come in conical bore versions, including historical examples. Recorders use a bore with a more obtuse rate of taper, meant to accentuate the base harmonics of the instrument and so giving it a more "nasal" quality. Flageolets use a more acute rate of taper, thus do not require a "register" hole (that upper thumbhole) to obtain the 2d octave... easier to overblow for the 2d and 3d registers, although "cross fingering" is required for that 3d octave.

[@michaelsommers2356]

Some whistles do have conical bores.

[@farm7379]

I remember Clarke whistle have conical bore with square-ish block

[@gunslingersymphony5015]

The airy overtones are called chiff. It is, in my opinion, necessary for any whistle. I'm not a fan of this trend toward whistles with this warm, recorder-esque sound in recent whistle music. My Clarkes have a conical bore. I've read (but not personally determined) that this simultaneously extends the range and enhances the chiff. I can confirm that my Feadóg is brighter, louder, and has less chiff than my Clarkes.

[@cathy7382]

I always thought the whistle was mainly a folk instrument used by the Irish never knew it could be used for classical

[@leanid2380]

Michael Burke in Illinois makes professional whistles with a bore somewhere between a typical pennywhistle and your Chieftain.

[@nature9010]

i have a low whistle (or i guess it's technically a bass whistle) in A from shearwater , but i feel like carbony probably has made a something even lower since they have those "chimneys" to reduce finger stretch.

[@TenorCantusFirmus]

Now all what we have to do is waiting for TwoSetViolins doing a video: violin vs. tin whistle. Jokes apart, I find the recorder to be a more versatile instrument, and if you have to play folk music it can do the job pretty well. I get the whistle might have a slightly more appropriate sound, but if you are on a budget recorders are the best choice. I also have recently bought a wooden fipple flute at a medieval fair, having roughly a whistle-like construction (large cylindrical bore, six holes with no register hole on the back) and considering modern recorders have likely been developed from instrument like them it still is interesting owning at least one, just to have an idea how things have changed and evolved.

[@CedricCicada]

I once had the chance to talk to a woman who was a professional-caliber player on both recorders and whistles. I asked her what she thought the main differences were. The one thing I remember she said was that it is much easier to bend a note on the whistle.

[@ReubenKagan]

Tim Cranmore makes marvelous whistles, but very rarely , Jon Swayne makes highly regarded whistles, and so Joseph Morneault in US, also Simon Styles, now in Turkey. and those are just wooden whistles, a lot of people all around the globe are making metal ones by hand. the lowest whistle I know is low Bb, but they say there are low A and low G (a fifth below the low D); low C is very common.

[@techeddie9035]

Very well organized and informative! Terrific video, thank you! (Question: is a pipe organ merely a collection of whistles? I realize that the pipes are not all cylindrical, but...)

[@kenjones8083]

Roy McManus makes hand made whistles (wooded and brass)

[@thanbo]

And there are conical whistles, like the Clarke. Clarinets have cylindrical bores, but jump a 12th between low and middle ranges. Saxophones have conical (Sax theoretically designed them "du forme parabolique", but I gather in practice they're just conical) and jump an octave between registers. There must be other things going on with the physics.

[@fossaflute]

Actually, Irish music is very hard ... you should consider accents, and swing, and accomplish all the elements properly and precisely, I mean rolls, slides, crans, etc. You should work hard to sound like an Irish. So, if you already can play the recorder on some level (like me 2.5 years ago) the whistle would be easier to acquire, but with a pile of nuances 😉 and of course I love both of these instruments

[@DrLogical987]

If you want to play the KZbin algorithm again with these two... ... I'm fascinated by idiomatic issues. <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1010">16:50</a>

[@sergiobravo252]

Melodica is even better ! Almost the same size, but so much more possibilities. Basically it is like a mini piano .

[@PLPerry]

There are many, many handmade whistles. Most wooden whistles are handmade. I play on boxwood whistles by Riccardo Vittorelli and Jonathan Swayne and blackwood Roy MacMaghnuis. There was great maker Michael Grinter who made also excellent recorders :)

[@Team_Recorder]

Ohh wonderful! Will have to check these out for sure!

[@PLPerry]

@@Team_Recorderby the way, I play on recorders also. My favourite now for folk music is older Mollenhauer Kynseker soprano and tenor made by Eudaro Valdivia :) They are much more better than current versions :)

[@Fl4ppers]

I've got a couple of penny whistles somewhere, and a piccolo. Can be had for as low as 3 quid... or at least thats what I paid for them. Intended to record with them but never got around to it.

[@garysibio4195]

"There's classical music and popular music. By definition classical music is music that is not popular." - - Dave Barry You mentioned that you didn't know if anyone made handmade whistles. Yes. A lot. You also wondered if anyone made a lower whistle than the Low D. Yes. There's a Low C but that's the lowest I'm aware of.

[@DredgeUp]

Hello, recently purchased an Alto recorder (Yamaha YRA-28B III), do you know of any books detailing finger positioning for notes + some beginner melodies to play? Thanks.

[@SSRT_JubyDuby8742]

I love them both, mediocre at best with each one, but always enjoyable 😊. Like deployed 👍

[@ElsweyrDiego]

when tuning the recorder which is the first note i must priorize to be in tune? because if i tune the low C, some other notes go out of tune (i have to blow very harder / softer to make them in tune). (i'm using a basic baroque yamaha)

[@Team_Recorder]

It’s more about the overall feel that tuning a single note! But as a starting point, choose a solid middle note like A or G on a soprano.

[@ElsweyrDiego]

@@Team_Recorder thanks! a note that is used many times. i think i understand!

[@santigaitero]

Collin Goldie has a low G one and is HUGE!

[@QerstyBass]

I think G may be the lowest i terms of whistle. Gunnar Stenmark has built a low G and he say going any lower would make it unplayable (without keys)

[@Team_Recorder]

Ohhh I gotta see this!

[@dmpenfold4536]

Carbony & Alba do a low bass A.

[@frankieloinandgroin]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="777">12:57</a> I know Humphrey Whistles has been making them for a long time now (his website literally hasn’t changed since 2008 lol), but his whistles don’t seem to go over $215 as far as I’m aware.

[@tonyoliver2750]

Alba Whistles are handmade in Scotland.

[@nekokna]

if you cant choose,ocarinas sound like a mix of the two8depending the model) edits heheehe ocarinas are the guinea pigs,recorders the dogs and whistle the cats,harmonicas strange birds??

[@mr_moss5054]

An anime called "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" actually uses a tin whistle in the soundtrack.