| Well, time for the first actual post. The appetizer's | | | | some other culture does, you can probably still start |
| finished, so let's move on to the meat. And today, | | | | playing a whistle for that reason anyway. Odds are |
| that meat will take the form of a bit of history. | | | | they have an equivalent, and the Irish tin whistle will |
| Everyone likes history, right? Right...? If not, there's | | | | be cheaper than that equivalent if anyone's selling |
| still bound to be some general Irish tin whistle | | | | one. |
| information in there, and hopefully a few amusing | | | | At any rate, the modern form of whistle we have |
| digressions, so don't let the "h" word scare you | | | | today emerged from those roots in Manchester, |
| away. | | | | England, when a man named Robert Clarke began |
| The Irish tin whistle is essentially a simple system | | | | mass-producing his version of the whistle in the |
| woodwind instrument that uses a fipple to produce | | | | 1840s. This was essentially the model that the other |
| sound. Without the jargon, that means you blow into | | | | modern styles of the whistle descended from, and |
| it like a recorder and not like a flute to make sound, | | | | where the whistle picked up two of its main names: |
| and there are only open holes along the body, | | | | the tin whistle, because they were usually made out |
| instead of the fancy system of buttons and levers | | | | of brass or tin, and the penny whistle, because they |
| you find on more classical instruments. This has the | | | | were so cheap to make that during the 19th century, |
| practical effect of being very straightforward to play; | | | | you could buy one for the price of a British penny. |
| the fewer fingers you have covering holes, the | | | | In the 1900s, plastics were developed and largely |
| higher the note, you always lift your fingers off from | | | | replaced the metal fipples that had been used in the |
| the bottom to the top, and you blow harder to play | | | | past (though of course you can still find plenty of |
| higher. That's about it. (Thankfully. I tried picking up | | | | whistles with metal fipples these days). In the |
| my old concert flute a few months ago, and felt like | | | | intervening period, the whistle became widespread in |
| my grandparents must feel in front of a computer. | | | | use and welcomed into folk music, especially |
| "What does this button do?" "It's making a bad noise, | | | | European and specifically Celtic folk music, where it |
| what's wrong with it?") | | | | found a place about as common as the harmonica in |
| These types of instruments have been in use longer | | | | American music. Today, many musical groups still |
| than recorded history. Just about every civilization | | | | feature the Irish tin whistle, from traditional bands, to |
| made some version of them. They've found versions | | | | ballad groups like the Dubliners, and even bands that |
| made by Neanderthals. Really, if the Irish cultural | | | | play more modern types of music with a Celtic twist, |
| aspect of the tin whistle doesn't appeal to you, but | | | | like Flogging Molly or the Dropkick Murphys. |
