Low (Tenor) and Alto Whistles

The low whistle is basically a very large penny whistle; it is also called a tenor  whistle. You may have seen it played in the Riverdance band. It has a wonderful, haunting sound in the low register, quite flute-like.  The standard low whistle is the low/tenor D, as most Irish music is in this key.

Whistles in other keys are available, but because of the laws of physics these whistles vary considerably in length in the different keys. A low C is even longer than the low D, while a low E is shorter. We often get asked about a shorter low D whistle, as this would be easier to hold. The problem is that there is no such thing. For a shorter D whistle, you play the penny whistle, which is one octave higher than the low whistle, and is therefore half as long.

The G whistle listed further down on this page is an alto whistle; it is longer than a high D or C whistle and shorter than a low D or C whistle.

D is the most popular key in the Irish music world, and a player of Irish music should first buy an instrument in D. However, in the world at large, the most popular key is C. For this reason, many players eventually get both C and D whistles as well as perhaps others.

You are probably better to be proficient on the standard penny whistle before you attempt the low whistle. Because of this instrument's size, it is more difficult than a penny whistle to play well. Although it's easy to blow into and make a good sound, the holes are fairly large and far apart; this requires adjustments in the way it is held, and in the position of the fingers.

However any adult, regardless of the size of your hands, can play a low whistle; it's all in the way you adjust your finger/hand/arm position. You have to angle your hands differently than for a penny whistle; you basically point your fingers downward toward the floor, keeping your arm and wrist in a straight line; this allows you to spread your fingers for the holes. You also keep your fingers straight and let them hang out over the instrument in much the same way that bagpipers do (this is important!). You do NOT put the tips of your fingers on the holes. It takes a lot of practice to get this position right, because it's quite different from the penny whistle position.

Sometimes these whistles are sent back by customers who claim that their hands are too small. If you have never tried a low whistle, or if you are buying one of these as a surprise gift for someone who has never actually tried a low whistle, please consider that this may not work out unless the person you are buying this whistle for is quite flexible in their thinking, and/or you know an experienced player of low whistle who can demonstrate the correct position. It's unlikely that you/he/she will simply pick this whistle up and play away; this takes perseverance, and the muscles that let your fingers stretch apart need a little practice, too.

We have a playing manual for the low whistle (see below); we have regular penny whistle books etc. on the penny whistle page.

Although a lot of these whistles are tunable, some are not. Why, you ask, would anyone pay good money for a nontunable instrument? The answer would seem to be that these metal and plastic whistles are pretty well impervious to climate, and therefore will always be in perfect pitch. (You get your band to tune to you.)

Music books etc. for all Irish instruments

Tony Dixon Low Whistle

The heads of plastic Tony Dixon low whistles are precision machine turned from solid black polymer material (not cast or extruded);  these whistles sound quite good, believe it or not.  Both experienced musicians and beginners will find that these whistles work for them.

These Tony Dixon whistles now arrive in a sort of square plastic tube (except the duos). These plastic tubes can work as a case, except that they should never be closed up after playing until the instrument has dried out thoroughly (otherwise germs will multiply inside). For this reason, a cloth case is better, as it is not airtight.

Tony Dixon has now started to produce metal instruments as well as the original plastic. These have a plastic head and metal body. A metal body gives a brighter tone than the more mellow plastic.

TDLW1. Two-piece low/tenor whistle in key of D. 22 1/4" long. $88

TDLW2. Two-piece low whistle in key of C. 25" long. $93. Our note: This is not a whistle for beginners, nor for whistle players who have not played low whistles before. This is a very large whistle, with large holes quite far apart. We recommend that your first low whistle be a D.

TDLW3. One whistle head, plus both D and C bodies. $136

TDLW4A. (Not shown) This is a combination set of plastic flute and whistle. You get three pieces: a main body piece with six holes, a flute head and a whistle head as well. The flute and whistle heads are interchangeable, which means that you get both a flute and a tenor whistle in this set. Key of D. $106.
TDLW4B. Same as above, but key of C. $110

Separate pieces: Individual pieces of the above Tony Dixon instruments can be bought separately (eg, if you bought a whistle and want to add the flute head). All black plastic low D and C Tony Dixon pieces fit each other at any given time. However, over the years, Dixon has made some minor design changes, and it is possible that the current pieces may not fit or be in tune with old ones.
TDWH. Whistle head only. $43
TDFH. Flute head only. $19
TDBD. Low D body only. $45
TDBC. Low C body only. $49

TDLW5.   This is a tunable low D whistle with aluminum body and plastic head. $125

Tony Dixon Alto G Whistle

TDTWG. Alto whistle in key of G. This tunable whistle is 16 1/2" long, shorter than the low D and C and longer than the penny whistles (high D and C). Made of black plastic, the same as the other whistles above. $51

Our Budget Low Whistle

We have this whistle currently in brass-plated finish only. See BLW2 below.

BLW1. (Shown above) This one-piece low D whistle is made of nickel-plated metal, 22" long. Good tone. $53.

BLW2. Same as the whistle above, except brass plated. This has a nice golden color. $53

Low Whistle Cases

These also fit Irish flutes.

(Not shown) LW1. Long flat black fabric case, no handles. For D flute (not long enough for a C). Made by Tony Dixon. $9

LWC2. (Shown at left.) Padded Tony Dixon double/double flute or low whistle case. This means that it takes two D or C flutes or low whistles; plus it has two short compartments for extra flute/whistle heads or D/C soprano whistles (these sit on top of the long compartments and are not very visible in the photo). Overall length is 27"; length of short compartments is 13 1/2". Shoulder strap. $30

For other cases that fit low whistles, see our page of practice chanter cases.

Low Whistle Manual with CD

LWB. This book/CD is a must have for every low whistle player! Written by Steafan Hannigan and David Ledsam, the book promises "all you need to know about how to play the low whistle featuring ornamentation, history and fantastic tunes." The chapters cover the following topics: getting started (this is quite extensive, including some pages on how to hold this whistle), playing and controlling notes, first tunes, ornamentation and roles, common mistakes, low whistle history and transposition. There are tunes throughout to play, photos, drawings, and some cartoons to lighten things up. The CD plays marked tracks of the exercises and tunes from the first half of the book. 114pp. Book/CD set. Out of stock.

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