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Introduction
Instructions

Penny or Irish Whistle



This lesson is derived from a project by Jay Brockman.

Penny or Irish whistles work because a vibrating stream of air resonates inside a tube of a given length which produces sound waves at a given pitch. What distinguishes a penny whistle from other types of flutes is its use of a fipple to produce the vibrations. A fipple is a type of mouthpiece where a stream of air is blown through a channel and cut by a blade. This structure allows a thin sheet of air to pass beneath the blade. The fipple makes it easy for the player to set up the vibrations, but gives the player less control over shaping the note. Below is an animated GIF of a fipple producing vibrations:
The pitch or frequency of the note produced by a whistle depends on the tube length. Shorter tubes produce higher frequencies because the frequency is proportional to 1/(tube length).

By drilling holes into the tube, you shorten the tube, which raises the pitch. By strategically placing the holes and covering them with your fingers, you can create an instrument that can play the notes of a scale. A traditional Irish Penny Whistle has 6 holes tuned to play a D major scale.

Materials

    1 piece of 1/2" schedule 40 PVC 240 mm long
  • Drill bits less than or equal to 1/8"
  • A hand drill
  • A 3D printer
Source:Notre Dame Instruments