Alternate names: tin whistle, pennywhistle, Irish whistle or, in Irish Gaelic, feadóg stáin
In terms of construction the whistle is one of the simplest and cheapest mass-produced instruments in world music. It's also very easy to play but, like most instruments, requires great skill to play it well.
The whistle belongs to the same family as the recorder. Unlike the recorder it has simpler fingering and plays easily in only one key (the recorder is fully chromatic). Tin whistles can be purchased for most common keys although skilled players can use a technique called ‘half-holing’ to play notes from outside its native key.
The instrument is popular in many traditions but is probably best known for its role in Irish music. The simple fingering makes it easy to perform the complex ornamentation of Irish dance music. In particular the ‘slide’ (or portamento to use the technical term) is an ornament that sounds particularly good on the whistle.
One variation that has become popular in the last decade is the low whistle — longer, thicker and plays an octave lower.
Whistle players featured in The Pure Drop:
