Learn to Make a Tin Whistle

These directions are for a tin whistle in the key of D. Tin whistles can be made in many keys. Copper, plastics and other materials are used, giving rise to the names, pennywhistle, Irish whistle and copper whistle. There are also several ways to make a tin whistle. The sound for the varied materials is the same, despite the differences. They range in complexity and in the tools needed. These instructions follow the simplest style. The material used in these instructions is plastic, as plastic is the easiest to work with. It should take less than 4 hours to make.

Things You'll Need

• Electronic tuner or an instrument tuned to the same key
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Saw
• SandpaperSharp scissors
• Work gloves
• 1 (12-inch long x 13mm wide) PVC hot water pipe
• 1 (12-inch long x 13mm wide) wooden dowel

Instructions

1. Measure 3 cm from one end of the pipe and mark with a pencil. Cut off at the end mark. Do the same with the dowel. Now cut one end of the 3 cm section at a 45-degree angle. Cut one end of the 3 cm dowel at a 45-degree angle.

2. Sand the ends of the 3 cm pipe section. On the lower side (now shorter than the top) of the section make a cut down the center and sand. Sand the end of the pipe the 3 cm section was cut from. Sand the 3 cm dowel lightly so it fits exactly within the PVC pipe with slight resistance. Keep the dowel completely cylindrical when sanding.

3. On the long length of pipe the 3 cm was cut from, mark an even line down its length. Make sure that the line drawn is centered. On one end of the long pipe, draw two lines 3 cm long and 1 cm parallel to each other on either side of the first line. Cut along the two outside 3 cm lines so that there is a flap. Cut off the connective edge of the flap. Sand edges where the cuts were made.
   At the edge where the flap connected, cut a 30-degree angle to produce a slanted edge. When sanding, do not make the bottom edge sharp. Do not sand enough to make the edge flimsy.

4. Insert the wood piece into the pipe, long side up, 4 to 5 mm from the edge where the flap connected. Place the 3 cm plastic piece over the area where the wood is inserted. Look directly at the mouth of the pipe. A small line of light as thick as a fingernail should be seen coming through. If not, remove the wood and sand the top very lightly. Do not oversand; just 1/10 of a centimeter and the wood could be sanded too far. Test frequently for the slit of light while sanding.

5. Use the top (the mouthpiece end) to measure the hole placements from. Use scissors to poke small test holes along the central line. Start with the bottom hole and tune it first before moving on. The following list gives you the starting points of the holes:

   Top Hole: 42 to 43 percent of the length
   Second Hole: 50 percent to 51 percent of the length
   Third Hole: 58 percent to 59 percent of the length
   Fourth Hole: 67 percent to 68 percent of the length
   Fifth Hole: 72 percent to 75 percent of the length
   Bottom Hole: 83 percent to 84 percent of the length

   The end placement of the holes depends on how it tunes. Tune the pipe using either an electric tuner or another instrument in the same key that is already in tune. Play each note and tune. If the note is flat, increase the size of the hole by opening it on the top instead of bigger all the way around.

Tips & Warnings

• To seal the wood, use cork grease.

Resources

• D Key Fingering Chart