The tin whistle, also known as a pennywhistle, Irish whistle, or simply old whistle, is an instrument featuring a plastic or wooden whistle attached to a metal tube. It is a fairly easy instrument to play and the fingerings resemble those of the saxophone, clarinet and flute. The tin whistle is great for learning to play an instrument and for having fun!
Steps
Step 1. You can purchase a tin whistle from an instrument shop or online
They are found in all keys, the most common being the key of D and allows you to play in D and G major. The other most common key is C, which allows you to play in the key of C and F major. The lowest note you can make by covering all the holes with your fingers is called the tonic. In a D tin whistle the root is D.
- The tone of the tin whistle largely depends on the manufacturer. The ones made by Clarke tend to have a softer and mellow sound, while the Generation ones have more volume and a high pitched sound. Cheaper flutes, such as those made by Cooperman Fife and Drum (which also make high-quality instruments), may have a lighter sound and may be more difficult to play in the high (second octave) registers. Often it is enough to put a piece of tape at the height of the whistle (just below the mouthpiece) to tighten it and thus improve the tone and playability of the instrument.
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Image The flutes are tuned in different tones and octaves. The bass or concert flutes are longer and produce a sound one octave lower (in rare cases two octaves). Instruments of this type typically consist of a metal or plastic tube and with a tunable head. The term soprano whistle sometimes refers to instruments tuned to higher octaves to distinguish them from lower pitched ones.
Step 2. Hold the flute correctly
The flute should face down at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. Put your dominant hand at the end of the tube and the other at the beginning. The little finger is not used except to support the instrument when playing certain notes or when playing larger (and bass) tin whistles. The thumbs are used to support the flute from below. Cover the six holes with your fingertips. Place the mouthpiece between your lips, not between your teeth.
Step 3. Learn the position of the fingers
The normal range of a whistle is two octaves. For one in D it means from the second D above middle C to the fourth D above middle C. (It is also possible to get louder sounds by blowing harder, but in most cases you will get loud, out-of-tune sounds.) Moving up a note in the whistle you lift a finger. Read the tablature below for the whistle in D. The white holes indicate it is uncovered, black indicates covered, and the plus sign under the fingering indicates the highest octave.
Step 4. Play the notes of the lower octave
Keep the flute with all holes covered. (No need to press hard, just make sure they are completely closed.) Blow steadily while holding your mouth as if to say "tuuuu". This will give you the root (a D in a whistle in D). Blowing too soft will result in a note that is too light or no sound. Blowing too hard will result in a ringing or high octave sound. By blowing with the right force and consistency you will have a constant sound. Now remove your fingers progressively, one at a time, starting from the last hole at the bottom and going up until you play the note without any closed holes (C #). You may need the little finger of your dominant hand to hold the flute when there are no holes covered.
Step 5. Play the notes of the high octave
Cover all the holes again and blow harder to get a higher sound. If you have trouble reaching the note, uncover the first hole slightly (the one closest to the mouth) and try again. This will help you with all the notes of the high octave. As before, uncover all the holes until you reach the highest note (C #). You will need to blow harder to reach the higher notes, but blowing too hard will result in a jarring or out of tune sound.
Step 6. Make music
And if you still don't know how to do it, learn how to read a score.
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Image A whistle in D If you have transcribed music for an instrument (violin, flute, piano) you can play it as long as it is in the right key. A musician usually plays the whistle only in the key of the root and possibly the key of the fourth (for example the G in a whistle in D), but in general it is possible to play in any situation even if it becomes progressively more difficult as you go. move away from the tonic of the instrument following the circle of fifths. This is why a D whistle is suitable for playing both G and A, and a C whistle for playing F and G.
To play a natural C in a whistle in D or a B flat in one in C you can half cover the top hole of the flute or cover the two holes below the top one. (The latter is better for playing faster.)
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Click on the images below to see some examples.
Brother Jacques in RE 
London Bridge Is Falling Down in RE
Step 7. Practice
It is good to try not only to get clean and constant notes, but also to take care of the embellishments:
- Cuts - Just before you play a note, make a higher one. Remove a finger for a moment to reach the high note. It should be so short that it does not allow the listener to distinguish its height.
- Strikes - Like a cut, only it produces a low note instead of a high one.
- Slide - Slowly slide a finger out of the hole so you can easily get to the next note.
- Vibrato - can be obtained by slightly varying the breath. By blowing harder you get higher notes, softly you get lower notes. Using the diaphragm you can get the vibrato effect. Don't blow too hard. The vibrato effect can also be obtained by opening and closing the second hole starting from the mouthpiece. For example, on the A note, play a normal A and swing your finger at the first hole at the first finger of the dominant hand.
Advice
- If saliva builds up in the whistle (normal after playing for a while) you will hear a strange, metallic sound instead of the normal tone. To remove saliva, just cover the opening of the whistle with your finger and blow as if you were playing. (Covering the opening of the whistle mutes the flute. Don't do this if you don't have to.) Make sure you blow away from things and people, you don't want to cover them with your saliva!
- The main key is the seventh before the root. Most tin whistles can be played using the little finger of the lower hand to partially cover the opening at the bottom of the flute while keeping the other holes covered as is usually done to achieve the root.
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Octopus Tin Whistle 1094 The tin whistle is fun to play with others. Try playing it with someone else's hand like in the picture. Also try playing two notes on two flutes at the same time. To do this you will need to have two flutes in your mouth (or three) covering as many holes as possible and playing. You may be able to play a chord if someone helps you!
Warnings
- If you share the tin whistle with someone else, clean the whistle with disinfectant before passing it on.
- Use some kind of swab to clean the flute after playing or it may become unsanitary. A piccolo pad, found at instrument stores, will work for you. Alternatively, you can use a piece of fabric (even from an old t-shirt) and a bar. Those for flute and piccolo look like long needles that can therefore be used as pads.
