Why Play Blues on Tin Whistle / Pennywhistle?

This channel is all about playing blues and blues based styles on the tin whistle / penny whistle. It's my firm belief that the whistle has been overlooked as blues instrument and it's time to make that right! Subscribe to this channel for more performances and tuition videos.
You can find out more about me at www.kimwei.com/
You can hear/buy my music and spoken word at kimwei.bandcamp.com/
Check out my other music channel / kimweidotcom

[@laurakolding4624]

It makes perfect sense. Blues is music of the common people and a pennywhistle is an instrument of common people. Plus it's fun.

[@BluesTinWhistle]

Right on :)

[@seop1721]

Really interesting. I had blues harmonica lessons for a year, and this reminds me of that. Diatonic too. I reckon if the tinwhistle was available and dispersed the way the harmonica was, years ago, with soldiers etc., we’d have blues whistle fairly established by now.

[@CountDoucheula]

I bet that little lick at the start would sound great through a low whistle

[@peterdewit7638]

Very nice.

[@amonduultje]

What a joy to play blues on this little funny instrument… thanks

[@BluesTinWhistle]

Ha ha! Yes I suppose it is a funny little instrument :)

[@19grand]

Cool.

[@pgpagaia]

Great video. Another good reason is that it's a great enjoyable way for a beginner or a not so serious player to get into improvising.

[@BluesTinWhistle]

Good point. I totally agree :). Thanks P

[@kerrinchurchill2945]

Thank you! You are very, inspirational.

[@BluesTinWhistle]

Thank you. Lovely of you to say so.

[@micksherlock4083]

Interesting.....Early blues from the south sometimes used 'Quills'. Quills were a pan pipe kind of instrument. Dom Flemons has a viddy or two on the subject.

[@lennylink8772]

Thank you so much. That sounds great! I'm an absolute beginner.

[@BluesTinWhistle]

Thanks

[@Emilsonlim]

I went to pick up the tin whistle again thank you 💕🥰😍 it's truly beautiful and Cool like you 😎👍💯🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🎉🥳👏

[@BluesTinWhistle]

Great! I hope you did :)

[@bungorogers7067]

I started playing blues on pennywhistle a while ago - cool to find your channel! I've been working on the tune Sandu by Clifford Brown, fits nicely on whistle when transposed to D.

[@BluesTinWhistle]

ooh great. Do you ever post your playing. Would love to here it. Post a link here?

[@jadesidhe2634]

Blues is amazing on tin whistle even more so on a low d the pink panthers song is a great one to start with.

[@BluesTinWhistle]

I must do a pink panther sometime. Thanks for the suggestion

[@ddn784]

Thank you. This video gave me a very friendly and new perspective on both blues and the tin whistle.
Looking forward.
Thank you!

[@BluesTinWhistle]

You’re so welcome. More to come :)

[@KitKat-lp8gn]

Hope you will continue this series

[@BluesTinWhistle]

I really must get round to doing more. Thanks for reminding me

[@stephenbouchelle7706]

I play a very little bit of blues on my tin whistle (Em on D). I’ll look at your instructional videos for blues. Are you a Kwela fan?

[@BluesTinWhistle]

Thanks. I don't know much Kwela. Post me a link here?

[@stephenbouchelle7706]

@@BluesTinWhistle Hear is one from the most famous Kwela player: Spokes Mishayane. South African street whistle - originally. I’m not sure, but I think it would be G on a D whistle. I’m working out a simplified fake of it. The fingering is a little more complex than I have figured out yet.
ua-cam.com/video/adyM1Gx1lHU/v-deo.html.

[@stephenbouchelle7706]

@@BluesTinWhistle You will certainly like this 1959 video of S African kids jamming whistle on the street. The crowd is kind of surly, but the kids are great. Kwela.

[@fooferutter3001]

Other than specific tone is there anything this can achieve that a pair of lips by themselves can't achieve? Or makes significantly easier? Only things I can figure is louder volume and consistency with less practice.

[@BluesTinWhistle]

Hi. This is a great question and one that’s come up for me recently. Maybe it would be worth experimenting with the differences between whistling and playing the whistle. From what I can tell so far, yes the whistle is louder than whistling and has a different tone. It can achieve ornaments that whistling can’t such as rolls and cuts. However, whistling has its own unique ornaments to offer. Most people’s starting range when they begin trying to whistle is smaller than that of the tin whistle, however with practice it can exceed that of the tin whistle.
For beginners at music, the tin whistle offers the ability to play 95% in tune at the start, with an ability to refine and perfect this with practice. If you know the next note is an A, you can put your fingers over the right holes and blow and an A will come out. If you’re whistling you have to be able to think of the note before you can hit it, which is often harder for beginners to music than is imagined.