Tony Dixon has been making whistles and flutes for over 20 years, and has established a great reputation. His polymer high D whistle is one of his most popular models, and for good reason. As you’ll read below, it’s a great whistle for beginners and experts alike. One thing to keep in mind is that…
The low D whistle has a wonderfully evocative sound, perfect for haunting melodies. It’s one of the most popular instruments in Irish music, and has made its way out of Ireland onto many world music and folk recordings. The best low D whistles can bring tears to even the toughest of eyes. While you can…
The Chieftain Thunderbird is one of the more popular low D whistle models around. It’s designed and built by Phil Hardy, who learned to make low whistles from the inventor of the instrument, Bernard Overton. Hardy has created a fairly loud low D whistle with a fat, reedy tone, hence the “Thunderbird” name. I had…
Sometimes, you need a loud tin whistle. Whether it’s a big, noisy session, an outdoor gig, or a busking session, sometimes the volume of a normal tin whistle just doesn’t cut it. That’s where these whistles come in. They’ve been designed to give you some extra oomph and help you cut through the noise. You’ll…
The Chieftain “mezzo*” high D whistle is one of the more popular tin whistles on the market. It’s made by Phil Hardy, who also makes the “Kerry” brand low whistles. He learned from the great Bernard Overton, and his early designs were very similar to Overton’s own whistles. Nowadays, Chieftain whistle designs are based on…
So, you want to learn the tin whistle. Great choice! It’s a fun instrument, with a lot of expressive possibilities packed in. Tin whistles are relatively inexpensive, and easy to find for sale online or in a shop. No wonder the whistle is one of the first instruments a lot of Irish musicians pick up….
The tin whistle is often one of the first instruments a player picks up on their journey through Irish music. Because of this, many people don’t quite take it as seriously as they should. Listening to these tin whistle players is a perfect cure for any such snobbery! The tin whistle has been played in…
The tin whistle is one of the most fun instruments to play. Small enough to put in your pocket, it has a sweet, chirpy tone that is perfect for a variety of music. Often, it’s the first instrument someone picks up when they start learning Irish music. There are many places to find tin whistles…