The tin whistle, also called the whistle, pennywhistle, or Irish whistle, is a simple six-holed woodwind instrument. The Irish words for the instrument are feadóg ('whistle' or 'flute') or feadóg stáin ('tin whistle'); feadóga stáin is the plural. It can be described as an end blown fipple flute, putting it in the same category as the recorder, Native American flutes, and many other woodwind instruments found in traditional music.
The word "penny whistle" was in use as early as 1730 and the word "tin-whistle" as early as 1825,Oxford English Dictionary online edition but neither word seems to have been common until the 20th century.The words "tin whistle" and "pennywhistle" in any compound form do not generally appear in early 20th century dictionaries, encyclopedias, or thesauri. The first record of tin-plate whistles dates back to 1825 in Britain.Vallely et. al., p. 397
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Irish :: Historical and Ethnic
Instruments :: Early Music
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Chiff and Fipple - A general site by Dale Wisely, the Undisputed King of Internet Tin Whistle Journalism. It contains a very active message board, newsletter archives, a tune of the month, whistle reviews, and information and links for both novice and experienced whistlers. A little confusing to navigate, but it's really worth the effort to explore this site.
Tin Whistle - This article adds notation and whistle tablature to its clearly-written text to explain what exactly musical modes are, which modes you're likely to find in Irish music, and how to play them on D tin whistles.
Brother Steve's Tin-Whistle Pages - While not intended for the absolute beginner, Steve's site is nevertheless one of the best online tin whistle tutorials. Packed with clear examples and insightful instruction, it's clearly the work of someone with a lot of teaching experience. The site is bilingual in English and French.
Ceolas Tin Whistle Guide - Overview of the tin whistle by Gerard Manning. Introduction to the instrument, resources, recordings, and purchasing information. This document is rather old, so purchasing information is well out of date.
Comparison Recordings of Flutes and Whistles - James Peeples presents a number of MP3 files allowing the listener to compare the same tune played on different instruments.
Flutes and Pennywhistles - Lark in the Morning's article on the care and feeding of flutes and pennywhistles.
Meta Description: [ Lark In The Morning An incredible selection of Musical Instruments, Books, Recordings, Videos and Musical Artwork from over 50 cultures. You will find One Of A Kind and Antique Instruments, Concertinas, Accordions, Harps, Dulcimers, Hammered Dulcimers, Hurdy Gurdies, Fretted Instruments, Percussi... ]
How to Play Blues on an Irish Whistle - Simple explanation of fingering the blues scale on a tin whistle. Actual familiarity with the musical genre is left up to the reader.
Learning to Whistle - Useful tips, observations, and experiences gained while learning to play the tin whistle. Updated regularly.
Meta Description: [ Learning to play the tin whistle and Irish music ]
Praise Whistlers Abroad - Community and message board for fellowship of Christian whistle players, offering mp3 files and related links.
Sessioneer - A general site that includes a tin whistle guide, an index of regional session times and locations, a tune archive, and reviews of recordings.
The Flageolet Site - The flageolet site deals with all aspects of the flageolet, an instrument which was the father of the modern tin whistle.
Meta Description: [ A website completely devoted to flageolets. History, pictures, fingering charts, guides and music. ]
The Scottish Whistle - This site includes a large collection of Scottish tunes, an essay on whistling in Scottish music, and information on taking tin whistle classes in Scotland.
Meta Description: [ Resources for people interested in
the whistle and its music ]
The Whistle Annex - Created by a beginning tinwhistler especially for beginning tinwhistlers, with links and guides to many whistling resources.
Tin Whistle - Wikipedia article which gives a good introduction to the history and description of the tin whistle. A useful starting point for someone unfamiliar with the instrument.
Tinwhistle Fingerings Research Center - Includes a detailed fingering chart plus articles on scales and alternate fingerings, and a small but unique collection of tunes.
Meta Description: [ The Internet home of Full Body Burn Productions. ]
Whistle Reviews by the Wandering Whistler - The largest collection of tin whistle reviews by a single reviewer. Each detailed review follows a similar structure and includes audio samples for comparison.
Whistle Tutor - Tin whistle tutorial. Lessons and tips for performers of all levels of ability. [Tutorials use Flash]
Meta Description: [ WhistleTutor.com is an online tin whistle and Irish traditional music tutorial site taking the student from beginner, through intermediate, and on to advanced techniques of playing the tin whistle. ]
Kevin Crawford playing the tin whistle live! |