The apito, or samba whistle, is used in samba rhythms and other Brazilian music styles. The apito differs from a regular 1-tone in that it can create three tones. Besides the basic tone, two extra tones can be produced by pressing your fingers down on the two side holes. The apito plays an important role; with the apito, the band and section leaders can create various signals that they can then use to organize the bateria.
Next to three-tone apitos, we also have 1-tone whistles, which are useful in large samba schools when a sharper, louder tone is needed.
