The tone of the tin whistle is largely determined by its manufacturing. Clarke style rolled metal whistles tend to have a smooth soft sound, while Generation style cylindrical instruments tend to have louder or shrill whistle sounds. Inexpensive rolled metal whistles, such as those from Cooperman Fife and Drum (which also produces high-end instruments) may be very airy in sound, and may be difficult to play in the upper register (second octave). Often placing a piece of tape over one edge of the fipple slot (just below the mouthpiece) to narrow the fipple will improve the instrument’s tone and playability significantly. Low whistles, or concert whistles, are longer and wider and produce tones an octave (or in rare cases two octaves) lower. Whistles in this category are likely to be made of metal or plastic tubing, with a tuning-slide head. The term soprano whistle is sometimes used for the higher-pitched whistles when it is necessary to distinguish them from low whistles.
If you have music transposed for a concert pitch instrument (violin, flute, piano) you can play this if it is in the right key. A player will usually play a whistle only in its tonic key and possibly in the key beginning on the fourth (e. g. G on a D whistle), but nearly any key is possible, becoming progressively more difficult to keep in tune as the player moves away from the whistle’s tonic, according to the circle of fifths. Thus a D whistle is fairly apt for playing both G and A, and a C instrument can be used fairly easily for F and G. To play a C natural on a D whistle or a B flat on a C whistle you can either half cover the top hole of the whistle[4] X Research source or cover the two holes below the top hole. (The latter is more practical for faster playing. )
Cuts - Just before you play a note, play a higher note for an instant. Snap one of your fingers off a hole momentarily to hit the next higher note. It should be so short that the listener can’t determine the pitch. Strikes - This is like a cut, except you go one note lower instead of higher. Sliding up a note - Slide your finger slowly off a hole so that you ease into the next note. It should only take about half a second. Vibrato can be achieved by varying the air speed slightly. Faster air means a higher tone, and slower air means a lower one, so by pulsing the air using your diaphragm, one can achieve vibrato. Don’t blow too hard, or the instrument will play the next partial. Vibrato can also be achieved by opening and closing the second open hole counting down from the mouthpiece. For example, on the note A, play a normal A and wiggle your finger over the hole at the first finger of your dominant hand.
