Editing Tin whistle (section)

=== Whistle keys ===
The whistle is [[musical tuning|tuned]] [[diatonic]]ally, which allows it to be used to easily play music in every standard mode. The whistle is identified by its lowest note, which is the [[Tonic (music)|tonic]] of the [[Major scale|major key]]. This method of determining the key of the instrument is different from the method used to determine the key of a [[Chromatic scale|chromatic]] instrument, which is based on the relationship between notes on a score and sounded pitch.<ref name="CFDeciphersKeys">Wisely</ref>

Whistles are available in all 12 chromatic keys; however, the most common whistles are pitched in D, followed by whistles in C and F, G, and then B{{music|flat}} and E{{music|flat}}, with other keys being somewhat rarer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.burkewhistles.com/Whistles-By-Key_c_16.html|title=Whistles By Key|website=Burkewhistles.com|access-date=12 January 2021}}</ref> The D whistle can easily play notes in the keys of D and G major. Since the D major key is lower these whistles are identified as ''D whistles''. The next most common whistle tuning is a ''C whistle'', which can easily play notes in the keys of C and F major. The D whistle is by far the most common choice for Irish and Scottish music.

Although the whistle is essentially a [[diatonic]] instrument, it is possible to get notes outside the principal major key of the whistle, either by ''half-holing'' (partially covering the highest open finger hole) or by ''cross-fingering'' (covering some holes while leaving some higher ones open). However, half-holing is somewhat more difficult to do correctly, and whistles are available in all keys, so for other keys a whistler will typically use a different whistle instead, reserving half-holing for [[Accidental (music)|accidentals]]. Some whistle designs allow a single mouthpiece to be used on differently keyed bodies.

==== Low whistle ====
{{Main|Low whistle}}
During the 1960s revival of traditional Irish music, the low whistle was "recreated" by Bernard Overton at the request of [[Finbar Furey]].<ref name="LowWhistleBook">Hannigan and Ledsam</ref>

There are larger whistles which, by virtue of being longer and wider, 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, sometimes with a tuning-slide head, and are almost always referred to as ''low whistles'' but sometimes called ''concert whistles''. The low whistle operates on identical principles to the standard whistles, but musicians in the tradition may consider it a separate instrument.

The term ''soprano whistle'' is sometimes used for higher-pitched whistles when it is necessary to distinguish them from low whistles.