The tin whistle is a simple flute with six finger holes. While somewhat similar to the recorder, tin whistles are slimmer and, instead of wood, are made of a metal tube that's fitted to a plastic mouthpiece. A sturdy thing, the tin whistle is a key instrument in Celtic music.
Tin Whistles: From Clarke to Generation
Straight-up flutes like the tin whistle have been around for ages. The tin whistle as we know it today originates in Great Britain and Ireland and was first mass-produced in Robert Clarke's factory. Nowadays, there are many other tin whistle makers, like Generation. What's great about the tin whistle is that it's particularly affordable, has a straightforward design and doesn't incorporate any wood, making it more sustainable than something like a recorder. Even if you're by no means a woodwind musician, playing a tin whistle can be a lot of fun since it's easy to pull out clear sound and simple melodies. Just like the ocarina and panpipes, tin whistles are often featured in more ambient music like soundtracks and New Age.
Tin Whistle Keys
Each tin whistle comes in a specific key, the most popular tuning being D which also happens to be the best choice for traditional Irish and Scottish music. The D whistle allows you to play D-major scale (D, E, F#, G, A, B and C#), as well as notes that sit a quarter note higher (G-major), so G, A, B, C, D, E and F#, plus the keys that are made up of the same notes like B-minor and E-minor. Other popular tin whistle keys are C, F, G, Bb and Eb, and just so you know, it actually is possible to use a D whistle to play in the key of C or any other key, but this will require more complex grips. If you're always playing songs in the same key from start to finish, it's much easier to simply pick up the tin whistles in the keys that you need for the music that you play.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tin Whistles
Are tin whistles the same as Irish flutes?
While both have six holes, tin whistles are not the same as Irish flutes. Other names for the tin whistle include penny whistle, flageolet and Irish whistle.
Is playing the tin whistle hard?
The tin whistle is an easy instrument for beginners since it doesn't take much skill to play clear notes and simple melodies.
Are tin whistles proper instruments?
Every musical instrument is a proper instrument, no matter its price.
Which tin whistle is the easiest to play?
Tin whistles come in specific keys but there's no difference in the way each model is played. If you play a lot of tunes in D or G major, be sure to get a D tin whistle so you don't need to learn any complex grips.
