Getting Started with the Tin Whistle

If you're just starting on the tin whistle and playing Irish traditional music specifically, here's a bunch of first steps to get you going.
Beginner exercises: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rIawqoVnjZadhdE
Good beginner tunes
Down by the Sally Gardens: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKS5lYOboLSWaLM
Raglan Road: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJemeXSspLB8gLc
My Gear
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Whistles are made by Gary Humphrey: humphreywhistles.github.io/
Flutes made by Terry McGee (www.mcgee-flutes.com/) and Windward (www.windwardflutes.com/)
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My website for info about lessons and tour dates and stuff: whistletutor.com
BUSINESS INQUIRIES: [e-mail]

[@daxshell242]

As a life long musician, I was actually quite astonished how much air it took to produce a low d. Way more than I have ever needed on any violin I have played in the past

[@sarajensen4076]

😂

[@TheDylonias]

Bahahaha

[@eimead]

Wee trivia: Feadóg (the whistle he discusses) is the Irish word for "whistle". Props for pronouncing it properly.

[@c_farther5208]

The first short in the chair was so funny; loved that humor! I learn so much from this guy, well done.

[@pmchamlee]

Many thanks . . . I'm 77 yrs old and have almost lost my reportedly remarkable tenor voice; however, being of of 'close Irish descent and having been there 15 times, I think I can help keep myself in the close by taking up the tin whistle. I've purchased a Clarke, but have ample funds to buy anything better so I might continue to enjoy my heritage. I am quite musically adroit (perfect play-by-ear) so I look forward to my journey with you. "Good night and blessings to you all"

[@donnawelch9653]

Fantastic,,,,I am giving up bagpipes for a whistle and seems like the Clarke d will be my choice

[@organman77]

Really enjoying all your videos! Have been working on some learning fiddle/violin and whistle while at home more right now.

[@onetouchtwo]

Awesome video! Just what I was looking for.

[@ADayInTheLifeofLori]

So happy I found your channel! Thank you!

[@poncethegayboi]

Subscribed. Great straight to the point information. Thank you

[@MrsDallimore08]

Thankyou. I ordered and I am expecting the delivery of my first whistle. I opted for a Roy Macmanus mopane Wood whistle in D. I shall be watching your videos to help me learn. I am also learning, flute, recorder ( both descant and alto) and ocarina too. Thanks for your videos

[@quikie1984]

This video alone just fixed 1 major issue for me. Now i can actually string a bit of si beag si mor ! I love this!!

[@michaellaber6574]

Im so glad I found this channel because I grew up playing highland pipes and played Scottish tunes on my whistle. But always wanted to learn Irish style of playing but never had the time to find a local player to show me. Finally I found these videos. Thank you!

[@whistletutor]

Cheers, feel free to reach out with any questions!

[@morganadavies8319]

This has helped so much! I have a feadog that is a little squeaky and i was sure it wasn't me! Thank you!😊

[@theraduke325]

This was an amazing tutorial! You covered a lot and touches on a lot of beginner issues! I’ll be following more videos as I am just picking this up! Thank you!

[@whistletutor]

Thanks for the kind words, good luck with it!

[@billparrish4385]

This is fascinating. I've toyed with the idea of learning the tin whistle, so I could play things like Picard's Ressikan theme from Star Trek: The Next Generation, s5 ep25 'The Inner Light'. And perhaps Ashokan Farewell. And there was this one video by Buddy Green and Jeff Taylor, singing and performing the old hymn 'Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing' where the tin whistle was especially lovely.

[@starwolven]

Me too! That is my driving goal, to play Picard's Air - The Inner Light Its a sweet simple tune that really tugs on the heart. So I picked up a feadog in D for cheap. I believe the mouthpiece is not glued to the shaft so it can be tuned and tweaked. Putting tack into the back of the mouth piece and smoothing the blade area of the whistle improves the tone.. A mere 17.99 for fast shipping from Ireland, its a good deal.

[@devlieg72]

An interesting thing about whistle keys. Today the most popular key is D because of Irish music. Years ago beginning in the 1970s Bill Ochs, who wrote one of the most popular tin whistle books in the U.S.for many years, wrote his original book for whistles in the key of C. The Clarke Tin Whistle book. It was often sold in a package with a Clarke C key tin whistle. But Ochs was thinking about solo whistle playing and not with bands....Also. I think it's okay to start with a relatively cheap tin whistle. It's like buying golf clubs when you start. Once you know that the whistle is your problem and not you or your technique, it's time to move up. You can't buy talent, but you can build talent on cheap equipment. The old timers used cheap mass produced whistles and got away with it.

[@whistletutor]

I didn't know that about Ochs' book, that's interesting! And you're right that you can do amazing things with cheap instruments - the only caveat to that is that the old timers (and all of us in our late 30s and older) were able to try out a bunch of those cheap whistles in the store and find the one out of ten that was playable, which unfortunately isn't the case now. You might get lucky, you might not. The other trick is that sometimes it's hard to identify where that point is that you describe: the point at which you have to figure out whether it's the whistle or the player that's the problem. A higher quality instrument will save you that grief.

[@tomsampson8084]

I was friends with many professional Irish musicians in the '70's. From my local friends up to the Chieftains. The D whistle was most common back then and a good one cost about $3.00. I have about 20 whistles from those days. I can't imagine any penny whistle costing $100. I also bought the Clarke book and whistle back then. I threw them both away.

[@donnabyrd6368]

Thank you this was very helpful

[@liesmies6280]

at 0:50 . . . is exactly what i am going through. There are some high notes and i never seem to get them right, though on my other flute i do. So thank u for pointing this out. Im playing on a very cheap tinwistle for a year and its time to step up!!! im gonna search if you have some video done on different brands of flutes and how they sound, i bought myself one with a wooden mouthpiece, a Clark, but thats really not my style . . . so a video on comparing the brands would be mighty awesome !! Thank you.

[@MissionSilo]

I got rod brewers the whistlesmith starter whistle. Its great

[@MiauMichigan]

Thank you for your advice. I'm so happy Sally Gardens is a beginner song. The only instrument I play is the kalimba an Sally Gardens is my favourite song!!!

[@romulosendoromulo]

nice video, man. thanks

[@jafsiamand]

nice i really like your way

[@peterrebhahn1113]

I know this video is old but since it's for beginners and because you spend some time talking about good beginner tunes I thought it might interest you to know that it's the song "Beech Spring" that brought me here. It didn't show up in a search of your back catalog but it seems like a simple tune suitable for a beginner and that's where I'll probably start once I purchase a whistle, which will probably be a $15 Sweetone.

[@SweetArmadillo361]

I'd love to learn that song from SpongeBob that always plays in the Kristy Krab. Got a Sweetone whistle on a whim for 10 bucks.

[@ginamcdonnell3184]

I need this fro school

[@tenebrismedia3318]

3:51 reminds me of the theme from Under The Skin

[@patrickdunavan9113]

Another Irish Tin whistle maker/dealer you might want to consider is McNeela Instruments in Dublin, Ireland. They ship them out pretty quickly as well. Just got their Wild Irish whistle...solid, weighty instrument with a nice sound.

[@whistletutor]

Ahh yes, they're a lovely organization - I've bought a couple instruments from them over the years

[@SuPeRMeGaJoE0]

I just wanted to say that I have been watching off and on for a while, and you look great! I've been tinkering around with a Faedog for a while and am about to get a D whistle from Gary Humphreys. But I'm really rough with whistles (really clumsy). Recommendations for a case for just a whistle or two? Your channel is criminally underviewed, your tutorials and videos are easily some of the highest quality on the platform (even the early ones). Have a good one!

[@whistletutor]

Thanks for the kind words and good luck with the new whistle, I'm sure you'll love it! I'm pretty rough with mine too but I don't usually bother with a case unless I'm on tour - in which case I use an old tube sock. :) I don't mind if they get a bit dinged up, as long as they don't get crushed haha

[@Mr_Bouzouki]

This looks a great channel. One thing that might seem obvious is that south-paws (left-handed people) need to swap hands. Due to tutors / examples on the Internet being played right-handed it's very easy to fall into just copying what is out there. So if you are left-handed, have your left-hand at the bottom and right-hand on top and when you read or hear left-hand think right and vice-versa. This is especially important for the low-whistle due to the larger stretch.

[@bentate6894]

Huh???? I'm a left handed beginner, and I didn't catch that!

[@acomingextinction]

"what's up y'all" *slides out of frame* instasub.

[@EricKaufman-yc2yv]

Thanks for the wonderful videos. Trumpet player here. Is there a different sound from different tube materials? I’m shopping for my first and see different woods, brass, aluminum, silver plated. On trumpets, you can produce a different ring from the type of metal your trumpet is made from and for different purposes like jazz, symphony, or marching band. I didn’t know if it made a difference on a tin whistle.

[@JewelBlueIbanez]

D whistles also have the same basic fingering as the oboe and saxophone.

[@Murkydip]

🦋

[@heatherjones5983]

I bought a Clarke Sweetone about a month ago. Any tips about embouchure?

[@kenhassman4322]

Hello, I'm a 74 year old senior citizen in love with Celtic music and would like to learn the tin whistle and then move on to the flute (as per your recommendation). You recommend a D Humphrey whistle and I see there is a Trad High D (Narrow Bore), Session High D and Wide Bore High D - which of those do you recommend. Thank you! Ken

[@jikkepk8018]

I second getting a halfway decent whistle to start off. One reason I didn't play my first whistle for ~10 years was bc it was a terrible, cheap one. I like my Dixon whistle and my Jerry Freeman tweaked whistle, which are both very affordable.

[@whistletutor]

Indeed, I should have mentioned Freeman's stuff, I've played a few of his and they're lovely.

[@nairsheasterling9457]

Freeman's are phenominal!

[@lukepcreaney]

So if you want to learn the wooden flute best to start learning the tin whistle?

[@pwrmx24]

Does it matter which hand is at the top? For some reason we started off with the right hand on the top three holes. Now will have to switch...

[@lyncharose7912]

Hi! Thank you so much 😍 I was wondering what do you think of Tony Dixon DX005D Traditional Brass Pro D Whistle to start with?

[@dannybailey666]

I bought the nickel one. The official website says the brass version has a sweeter tone than the nickel. They're well manufactured and a bit more expensive than the other basic brands. They don't require much air I've found, and the holes are nicely placed.

[@dannybailey666]

I bought a feadog. The shipping took so long I went to a music shop and bought a tony dixon traditional d.

[@tycehomestead7302]

I just discovered this instrument and I'm hoping I can at least learn to play Danny boy, probably not the right song but it's one that's stuck in my head since I took choir in high school and that was 15 years ago. I'm planning on buying the cheaper one in D just to see if I'll stick with it and if I do then I'll invest in the more expensive ones. Hopefully I won't get those old "recorder" type feels from it. Those things were too screechy for me

[@ShaneMcFerran_]

I'm thinking of getting a keyed flute, what do you recommend for a first keyed flute, how many keys should I get, thanks

[@whistletutor]

Great question. My first keyed one was an 8-key German one from around the 1880s and calling it "playable" would be a bit generous. I got a 4 key (Eb, short F, G#, Bb) custom made by Terry McGee and I loved it but wanted a larger holed, Pratten-style which I bought a a 6-key (same as earlier plus a long F and C-natural) and that's the one I play now. The 4 key system I got would make the flute fully chromatic so that's technically all you need, but the extra keys are nice for certain circumstances.

[@ShaneMcFerran_]

@@whistletutor thanks

[@soslothful]

Hi Sean, Are you familiar with Susato's Dulce Duo double whistle? A tutorial on this whistle would be quite interesting.

[@whistletutor]

Haha no, I've enough trouble with one whistle to start messing about trying to play two at once

[@sherrycarpenter3530]

Hi, I looked up Gary Humphrey's Tin D Whistles and saw 3 different kind. *Stealth III Whistles**Journeyman III Whistles* *Stealth III Silver Whistles* Not sure which to order! Any advice?

[@whistletutor]

Hi Sherry - I've been playing the Stealth whistles and they're great, though I imagine the others are lovely as well. Honestly I'm not sure my ear would be good enough to tell the difference haha

[@chrisdaglis320]

I enjoy your videos! I'm looking at the Humphrey high D whistles and wondered which model you favor? I see STEALTH, JOURNEYMAN, COPYCAT, traditional bore, wide bore, brass, silver, etc... what do you play that sounds so great on your videos? Thanks

[@whistletutor]

Thanks for the kind words! Mine is pretty old but I think it's closest to what he now calls the Stealth/trad variety

[@shaunlaverty3752]

love the stand you have for your whistles. can I ask where u got it?

[@MrsDallimore08]

Shaun Laverty hi it looks like a Her uses triple stand usuLly used for flutes, clarinet and piccolo. I have one they are great. Most good reputable music stores will sell them.

[@shaunlaverty3752]

@@MrsDallimore08 thanks for that. will check it out

[@balb2095]

Hi, I just started with a C tin whistle but you and the most beginners video recommend D whistle. Is it a big difficulty for me or it is not problem? Thanks for your answer. :)

[@soslothful]

Hi Sean - Have you had a chance to play any of the really high end whistles? I get notifications from one retailer offering whistles at over $1,200, eight time more than Gary's whistles! Does such a whistle have eight time better tone quality, response and such?

[@whistletutor]

I've played a few O'Riordans, Abells, and I even owned a Copeland for a while - but I sold it when I found Gary's stuff since I didn't see/hear a difference. Those other ones are fantastic for sure, but not worth the tremendous price difference, imo.

[@soslothful]

@@whistletutor Yes, O'Riodan was one on offer. This gave me an idea for a video for you. Without showing or telling the viewer what sort of whistle you are playing, e.g. brass, al, synthetic, wood, play the same tune on each sort of whistle. Then in the comments see how many viewers can discern what whistle is being played. Or the same with low and high end whistles of the same material.

[@tomaselke3670]

I have a Walton's D whistle. The notes go flat in the upper register unless I pull my tongue to the back of my mouth to compensate. Is that normal - or does that go away if you buy a more expensive whistle?

[@whistletutor]

Intonation issues are unfortunately more common with mass produced whistles than with handmade ones, for sure. That said you've already found a way to compensate which is also pretty common - and you'll find all sorts of vagaries even between handmade whistles; some need a bit more air here or there sometimes.

[@ribos2762]

my whistle is very quiet, if I blow hard it jumps up an octave

[@shursh9090]

I'm a bit worried when you said that it's good to start with d whistle coz I've purchased a b flat generation whistle. Is there any difference with b flat and d whistle when learning?

[@jikkepk8018]

You can play the same tunes on both whistles (same number of holes, so no problem) but on the Bb whistle they will be in a different key than if you played them on a D whistle. If you play on your own, any tunes will sound just fine. However, most recordings and most other players will be in a key you can play on a D whistle. So if you listen to a recording and try to learn a tune from that, you probably won't be able to play the same notes they're playing. If that's something you want to do, a D whistle would be a good addition.

[@gerardmanvussa5159]

you can also change the pitch of your recording with this... 29a.ch/timestretch/ useful to change the tempo as well...

[@jacobburch5457]

With the Humphreys should I go with the session high D or low D for traditional Irish tunes?

[@whistletutor]

Definitely start with the high D - low D whistles are lovely but you don't see them too often at sessions, at least not for fast tunes.

[@ConnorLowWhistle]

The music im after playing is low d any recommendations for a low d whistle ?

[@whistletutor]

I don't play low D a ton but the one I've got I love - it's made by Cillian O'Brien though I've heard good things about Tony Dixon's low whistles as well.

[@cheriebrown5415]

My 6yo old continues to express a strong interest in learning how to play the tin whistle... Given age, would you recommend starting? Any at home resources/books your suggest, as well as your videos? Additional considerations? Thanks in advance!

[@whistletutor]

Oh definitely! If the finger spacing is an issue you can always start your child out on a higher pitched (smaller) whistle like an Eb or F - otherwise, start out with the basic scales and some simple tunes and off you go! I have a hard time recommending books as so much of this music is done by ear, but if it helps I've heard great things about Grey Larson's book. All the best!

[@cheriebrown5415]

Great! Thank you very much!

[@cheriebrown5415]

Given age (6yo), do you recommend the same tin whistle as you would otherwise (Gary Humphrey high D whistle)?

[@whistletutor]

@@cheriebrown5415 I can't recommend Gary's whistles enough, they're brilliant though really anything in that category would probably work great. I'd shy away from the Sindt clones such as Killarney due to the strange balance that they offer, though others like Lir are balanced very similarly to Humphrey whistles (which, in turn, are balanced much like the stereotypical mass-produced Generation/Feadog instruments.) If you think your child will be even marginally serious about the whistle I'd always recommend getting something good and reliable (like a Humphrey, certainly) as that way if there are any mistakes that come out during playing they'll know that it's the player's fault and not the whistle's. That sounds kinda harsh but it's a really good thing, as there's nothing more frustrating to a beginning player than having to fight an unruly instrument while also grappling with everything that goes along with learning the music properly. If you've got a good instrument, you know that any strange sounds are your own fault and thus, something to improve upon! Cheers!

[@FiddlingwithmyWhistle]

Great video... I would love a Gary Humphrey whistle... but if you read his web site, he does not accept PayPal.... "what's with that?" I think you said he was slowing down... that might be part of it... who knows :)

[@whistletutor]

He's always just done money orders as far as I know.

[@FiddlingwithmyWhistle]

@@whistletutor Yeah.. I did just look again, and he does Western Union. Still not easy for us over here :(

[@LessThree]

The link to the Gary Humphrey whistles is dead. Any other place to purchase one of those? Or do you have any other recommendations? Thanks!

[@whistletutor]

Good catch - updated!

[@LessThree]

@@whistletutor thank you!

[@LessThree]

@@whistletutor I ordered one! He's got quite a backlog but said mine will be shipping in March. In the meantime I also recently purchased an AerFlo tin whistle from McNeela (super fast shipping to the US!), and it's sounding great for now :)

[@xynomor_the_therian]

when i was 7 my school gave everyone generation whistles and we never learned how to play it and after a long time i still dont know how to play it

[@dsellmann1811]

Can you help me with Ready to run by Dixie chicks?

[@whistletutor]

I'm afraid I don't know that one!

[@catherinemartina6469]

What about Clarke? What’s your thought?

[@whistletutor]

I've got lots of thoughts! :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/emiacqqmZ9t_iNk

[@urusledge]

I heard some fella named Al play it

[@thisone9]

Which model Humphrey whistle?

[@whistletutor]

My D whistle is a session variety - I'm not sure I've ever tried any of the other options in the higher keys. I imagine there are subtle differences but I don't know if my ear could pick up on them. They're all going to sound great!

[@thisone9]

@@whistletutor They have Stealth and a Journeyman model. The Journeyman has a thicker tube. All are sliver now.

[@whistletutor]

@@thisone9 Ahh right it's the stealth that I've got in D

[@vickig8612]

You didn't mention Clarke. Is that a good whistle to start with?

[@Michajeru]

I have a Clarke Celtic and I think it has a beautiful sound. I recently bought a Killarney which is much more expensive and I quite like it but I don't really think it is any better than the Clarke.

[@whistletutor]

The Clarke SweetTone was one of my first whistles and I always did like those but it's been years since I've played one. The original Clarkes always sounded too breathy for me, but that's just a matter of preference.

[@lyncharose7912]

Hi! Thank you so much 😍 I was wondering what do you think of Tony Dixon DX005D Traditional Brass Pro D Whistle to start with?

[@bookishwriter9460]

Why is there a metric shit ton of identical cups in the background?

[@RickWolfff]

My first song will be the theme from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "The Inner Light." kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqqzdHaOp9qefpI

[@user-zc9bw9zw5g]

I'm pissing meself laughing cause your right I'm Irish and went to them Mankey music schools Irish cahlocic girls school fair play to you give us a ging of what you can do❤😊😊 diggley I a diggley do 😂😂😂😂 but your good but please give us a listen to 👍🙏😊

[@imuhawshool717]

Captain picard brought me here.

[@joelmulder]

So, who else is here because they wanna play The Inner Light?

[@whistletutor]

Haha it's on the list, maybe one of these days :)

[@maymay7454]

I've never played tin flute, but why did the major scale you played sound so terribly out of tune?

[@whistletutor]

I've never played tin flute either but you might want to grab a tuner cause your ears are evidently off=-kilter :) can't always trust em

[@harrybond007]

Lost me when he started talking about a D scale, not for beginners, need to find another video

[@whistletutor]

Ohh mate yeah, if the D scale is a struggle this is definitely not the right video

[@Mulberry2000]

I really do not agree in spending $100 on instrument you may not like or continue to play. This is bad advise. I have bought guitars for £85 in 2008 and it was and still is fanatic a Yamaha C40.