Recorders Vs. Tin Whistles (penny Whistles) – Part Two

Which should you buy – a recorder or a tin whistle? Before you buy your instrument you should read this. We looked at the advantages of recorders in Part 1. Do tin whistles stand a chance against these widely known instruments? Let us see now where tin whistles have the upper hand. Tin whistles are smaller than recorders. They are not as bulky so some may find they are easier to maneuver than recorders. Others may find that the opposite is true. However, that does not mean that the notes are smaller or even nearer to each other. In fact, note for note, tin whistles’ notes are slightly further apart than recorders but this is not very noticeable. Being twice as small, tin whistles can fit in your pants pocket with much more comfort to the musician and without any observable bulkiness shown in the clothes. Tin whistles tuned in D have no C note. That can be a disadvantage as we have seen in a previous article. But what tin whistles lose in range they make up for in ease of playing. The C note in the recorder is split into two small notes to help you play the C note’s corresponding sharps and flats. Even the D note is split into two notes. This may pose a challenge for beginners and lead to more squeakiness in playing. In the tin whistle, usually the mouthpiece is glued to the body of the instrument. There is usually no adjusting. With recorders, there are three parts that must be joined together. Any air space between joints can throw off all the notes. Over time, due to constant adjusting, the joints can become slack and move about when playing causing you to make mistakes or squeak. This is especially true of the end-joints of the recorder which must be twisted to the right so that your fingers can more readily play the C note. If your recorder’s joints have become slack you need to line up the joints accurately before playing and they can still shift while playing. Recorders can also come with very stiff joints. When you twist the joints you need to do so accurately or they will not line up and they will be hard to twist again. If you can manage to pull the joints apart you would need to lubricate the joints. I must admit that I have only had that problem with the treble recorder which is twice as long as the descant recorder. For Part One see: http://expertscolumn.com/content/recorders-vs-tin-whistles-penny-whistles-part-one.