How to Hold the Penny Whistle
The penny whistle, also known as the tin whistle, is an easy instrument to pick up, but it takes years to master. Far from being a child's toy, this relatively simple and basic instrument is capable of producing quick, intricate tunes and mournful, haunting airs in the right hands. Most penny whistles are in the key of D, with their lowest note being the D directly above middle C. Low whistles are generally an octave lower and significantly larger in size. With a little more effort, you can find whistles of myriad other keys below, above and between these two. Regardless of the key, you hold all penny whistles the same way.
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Instructions
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Pick up the whistle in both hands. Your left hand should be nearer the top of the whistle than your right hand, assuming you are right-handed. If you are left-handed and wish to play the whistle accordingly -- which is not the case for all left-handed players -- reverse these instructions.
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Cover the three holes nearest the top of the whistle with the index, middle and ring fingers of your left hand. Cover the three holes nearest the bottom of the whistle with the index, middle and ring fingers of your right hand. From top to bottom, your fingers on the holes should be left index, left middle, left ring, right index, right middle and right ring. Place your thumbs on the back of the whistle to hold it securely. Place your bottom pinky on the whistle just below the lowest hole.
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Adjust your fingers slightly to ensure that you are covering the holes with only the pads -- not the tips -- of your fingers. This will help you achieve an airtight seal, leading to pure, controlled notes rather than distorted, screechy sounds.
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Place the very tip of the penny whistle into your mouth. You do not need to fit the entire head of the whistle into your mouth; only the very tip needs to be between your lips. Do not bite on the whistle, or even allow it to come into contact with your teeth. Your lips, your thumbs and your bottom pinky should hold the whistle securely in place, leaving your fingers free to play.
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Tips & Warnings
The top of the whistle refers to the end with the mouthpiece, while the bottom refers to the opposite end.
Finger lengths in relation to one another can vary dramatically from person to person. If you cannot comfortably keep all of your finger pads on the holes, try using the finger pads of your shorter fingers and the middle section of your longer fingers. Alternatively, you may use the middle sections of all of your fingers instead of the pads. Some find this less common hold offers more control.
If your bottom pinky does not reach the whistle comfortably, do not try to force it to stay on the whistle. Your other fingers will stabilize the whistle most of the time, and you can simply put your bottom pinky onto the whistle to stabilize it when you are playing a note that requires you to remove your fingers from all of the holes on the whistle.
