Cheap Instruments Part ?

In a couple of previous post your faithful correspondent has touted the value of cheap musical instruments. He has, in these post, emphasized the value of the ukulele because he is currently struggling with said instrument. He has fallen into the all too human assumption of, "If I'm interested in it, you should be interested in it. And if you are not interested in the thing I'm interested in you must be a fool and a rogue."

So, in deference to the tastes of those who happen to be fools or rogues I offer the suggestion of a really cheap musical instrument that is easy for the musical fool like yours to play, and yet has potential for those of more advanced musical aspirations -- The Penny Whistle. Sometimes said instrument is called the tin whistle or the Irish whistle. Said instrument is amazingly cheap -- $9.00 to $13.00 for a decent whistle. Add $20.00 for a method book and you can still get change for two twenties.

What can you play on a tin whistle? Anything with a diatonic score. One can play old American tunes, Irish tunes and English tunes, even Italian tunes. Playing the Stairway To Heaven or Purple Haze might be difficult, but I have no doubt that there is some guy in his other's basement working it out. The tin whistle offers one the opportunity to play music that is instinctive.

Yours prefers the classic Clarke tin whistle because it has a rather more mellow tone than the tin whistles with plastic fipples and is more traditional, but any tin whistle is better than no tin whistle.