The best gift for a tin whistle player who already plays is not another D whistle like the one they have. Give them a better D, a new key, a low whistle, or more tunes. For the biggest step up, I’d buy the Wild Wooden Whistle in D. For a smaller present, a Wild Irish Whistle in Eb or Bb, or a good session tune book, will get played far more than another cheap D.
Every December I see the same thing. Someone buys a whistle player a whistle, and it’s the same key and the same kind of whistle they already own. It ends up in a drawer. This guide is for someone who already plays. If they’re brand new to music, or you want ideas for every instrument, start with my guide to the best Irish music gifts.
Find out three things before you buy
You don’t need to know much about whistles. You need three answers. Ask them, or ask whoever they play with.
- What key is their main whistle? It’s nearly always D. That’s the standard key, and it’s where most players start.
- Do they already have a low whistle? If not, one makes a great step up, as long as their hands can manage the stretch.
- Where do they play? At a session, in a class, at home, or along with a singer.
If you can’t find out, assume they own one D whistle and nothing else. Every pick below works on that guess.
The upgrade: Wild Wooden Whistle in D
This is the one I’d buy for a player who has been on the same metal or plastic whistle for years. We made it with Tommy Martin, and it doesn’t play like an ordinary D.
The body is wood, with a conical bore that’s slightly wider at the top. The tone holes have gently undulating bevels between them. Those bevels keep the two octaves in tune together, and they let your fingers slide between holes in the chanter style of the uilleann pipes. We also changed the fipple so it sits closer to a C whistle, which helps it reach the high notes. It’s 11.8 inches long and weighs 96 grams.
You can choose African Blackwood or Rosewood. The olive wood version was sold out when I checked (0 available). If you’re stuck, here’s what I say on the product page: “If you’re looking for the most focused and powerful tone, I recommend the Blackwood. It gives you strong projection, clear note definition, and a sound that stays controlled right across the range.”
When I checked, the page also listed a free whistle case and two months of John O’Brien’s Ultimate Tin Whistle course with it. Offers change, so check before you order.
See the Wild Wooden Whistle in D
A second key: Wild Irish Whistle in Eb, Bb, C or A
A new key is the gift most players never buy for themselves. It’s also the cheapest way to make their tunes sound new again. There’s nothing to relearn. A tune learned on a D whistle uses the same fingers on any other key.
Here’s how I’d choose the key.
- Eb for a session player. Eb is a very common session key, and it’s great to have in your back pocket.
- Bb for a player who plays at home for the sound. It’s lower and mellower than a D. When I checked, the page listed a free padded soft case with it.
- A for a warmer, lower voice without a big stretch. You get a rich, warm tone from A and Bb, with far less reach than a low D.
- C for a player who plays along with a singer. A different key often suits a voice better than D.
If you want to go all in, the Wild Irish Whistles Full Set gives them D, C, A, Bb and Eb. The shop lists it as Buy 4, Get One Free, with three months of the Tin Whistle Masterclass and free worldwide priority shipping. The page also says stock is limited. This is the present for a player who’s in it for life.
Want to hear one first? Brian Hughes plays the Wild Irish Whistle in this post and video.
A low whistle: Tony Dixon TB012 or DX102
If they don’t own a low whistle, this is what I’d buy. The low D uses the same fingering as a standard D whistle, so a whistle player can pick it up straight away.
One caution. The low whistle is close in size to the Irish wooden flute, so the stretch is much bigger. For a child or anyone with small hands, the A or Bb whistle above is the safer gift.
- Tony Dixon TB012. Polymer body, tuneable, with a tapered bore and a removable head. It’s light, and 22.75 inches long. The body also takes Tony Dixon’s flute head, so it can become a simple system flute later. One review on the page reads: “My son was so excited to receive this for Christmas.”
- Tony Dixon DX102. Aluminium body with an ABS head, 22.5 inches long. The shop describes its tone as a lovely deep bass whistle tone.
My pick is the TB012 for a first low whistle. Go for the DX102 if they want the deeper sound of a metal body. For everything else, read my low whistle guide.
A tuneable D: Tony Dixon DX005
If their only whistle is a cheap one that doesn’t tune, a tuneable D is a real step up for not much money. The DX005 has a polymer body, an ABS head and a tuning slide. It weighs about 35 grams and it’s 11.5 inches long.
The shop describes its tone as clear, with “enough volume to hold its own in any session without being overpowering.”
Tuning matters once you play with other people. Being able to pull the head out a little to match a fiddle or a box is the difference between blending in and sticking out.
Smaller gifts: a bag and two tune books
These are small presents a whistle player will use every week.
- Setanta Whistle Bag. The shop calls it the Setanta High-Whistle Whistle Bag. Padded, with slots inside for several whistles, a zip and an adjustable shoulder strap. It’s 15 inches long. A Tony Dixon low D is 22.5 to 22.75 inches, so a low whistle will not fit this bag.
- Traditional Irish Tin Whistle Tutor by Geraldine Cotter. Don’t let the word tutor put you off. It has an appendix of 100 tunes, and Geraldine’s research took her into the homes of players like Micho Russell. Many tunes are in print for the first time or in unusual versions, so a seasoned player will find something new. You need a D whistle for it.
- Foinn Seisiún 2. Compiled by Brian Prior for Comhaltas. It has 104 session tunes, laid out in 35 sets of three, the way tunes are played at most sessions. If they’re working up to their first session, this is the book.
Gifts at a glance
| Gift | Best for |
|---|---|
| Wild Wooden Whistle in D (Blackwood) | The player ready for a better D |
| Wild Wooden Whistle in D (Rosewood) | Same whistle, different wood |
| Wild Irish Whistles Full Set | The player who wants every key |
| Wild Irish Whistle in Eb, Bb, C or A | A second key |
| Tony Dixon DX102 low D | A deeper metal low whistle |
| Tony Dixon TB012 low D | A first low whistle |
| Tony Dixon DX005 tuneable D | Moving on from a whistle that won’t tune |
| Setanta Whistle Bag | Carrying several high whistles |
| Foinn Seisiún 2 | Getting ready for sessions |
| Geraldine Cotter’s Tin Whistle Tutor | 100 tunes and a proper method |
What I would buy and why
For the biggest present, I’d buy the Wild Wooden Whistle in Blackwood. It’s the one gift here that changes how they sound on the key they play most.
For a second key, I’d buy the Eb whistle for a session player and the Bb for someone who plays at home. For a smaller present, I’d put the Setanta bag and Foinn Seisiún 2 together, or give the Geraldine Cotter book on its own.
What I wouldn’t buy is another cheap D whistle. They have one already. If you really don’t know what they own, a McNeela gift certificate lets them choose.
Ready to choose?
You can see every whistle we stock, in every key, in our tin whistle collection.
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