BeccaSetlock_Misc.

Becca Setlock World Music, Tin Whistle paper The tin whistle is a widely known instrument providing the upbeat and airy, flute-esque sounds we all have heard in traditional and Neo-traditional Celtic and Irish tunes. Also known as the penny whistle, this instrument is very easily learned and a staple in most Irish songs and even entire genres of music. In this paper I will discuss the origins of the tin whistle, modern day uses and traditions involving the instrument, and also the influence of the whistle on Irish culture. The tin whistle is an instrument in the category of Fipple flutes. Fipple flutes date back all the way to the Ice Age, several specimens made of sheep bone from this time period have been discovered in recent years. The oldest surviving playable whistles date back to the twelfth century. However there are Irish texts that describe flute players as early as the seventh and eighth century. The early examples of tin whistles were made of bone, wood and various types of softer, low-melting point metals. The whistle's [|fingering] system is similar to that of the six hole flute in modern musical orchestras. It is classified in the category of “ [|simple system English flutes]. ” The six-hole, diatonic system of the tin whistle is used on another type of flutes called [|baroque] flutes. This six-hole system was designed before Clarke’s time, but he became well-known worldwide for utilizing this system in his flutes. In sixteenth century English society, the tin whistle was generally considered a toy and a child’s instrument. The nickname for the tin whistle, “penny whistle” is suspected to come from the fact that children or street musicians were paid the equivalent of a penny by people passing them on the street while playing. The real origin of the nickname, however, comes from times when the whistle could be purchased for just one penny. This name started with Clarke ’ s whistles, which were very cheap for their great quality and durability. Although the penny price is no longer even a conceivable concept, the name has stuck until even present times. The main cultures that the tin whistle took root in the past few centuries are traditional [|English] music, [|American] music, [|Scottish] music and, of course, [|Irish] traditional music. The mass incorporation of tin whistles into so many cultures across a wide area of the world is mainly due to its relative cheapness and ease of access to these instruments in local and small-town music shops. The tin whistle is so incorporated into the traditional and now modern day music of Ireland, it could be considered characteristic of the genre. The tin whistle in Irish traditional music has very little, if any written sheet-type of musical song recordings. Most of the tin whistle parts in Irish traditional music is almost all a mix of improvisation and memorized tunes that have been passed down for countless generations. These folk songs, along with the stories and fairy tale types of epics are passed down through oration in Irish culture down generations and end up here in modern times relatively unchanged for barely ever being written down. Aside from the assumed European cultures that utilize the tin whistle in their music, the African musical genre known as “ [|Kwela] ” uses it heavily in their music as well. Kwela is a relatively new genre of music created in the nineteen-fifties in South Africa. The word "kwela" means “get up” in Zulu language, and is one of the main native languages spoken in South Africa. This name is thought to be a variation on the phrase “zwela zwela” which is taken as an invitation to join in the dancing and signing of a group. An old South African myth states that young men in the villages would use the tin whistle to patrol corners of streets and warn the other villagers of police or other dangerous presence. This genre is of a jazz-based background, and usually be identified by its upbeat and happy sounding tin whistle lead. While the other genres that use the tin whistle generally use it as a background instrument, Kewla is a genre that is based around the tin whistle. This identifying characteristic makes Kewla a genre with a very unique sound and musical quality. One main reason for this major swing in popularity is the fact that the tin whistle is a very cheap instrument to purchase and a pretty easy instrument to produce. The tin whistle, known as “Jive flutes” in Kewla music, is fundamental to the sounds and meanings of songs in the genre. The Kewla genre is a fusion of the traditional South African music and the music of the Malawian immigrants moving into the country at the time. In Chichewa, the Malawian native language, the word “kwela” is synonymous with the South African word meaning “to climb. " Once the music became popular in South Africa, the people there eventually brought it full circle back to the native Malawian people; and its popularity there only continued to grow.