Whistles..whistles..whistles..Just like women..can't live with'em can live without them. Some nice points raised there...Alsion's one about taking off the mounth piece is a good one..but once off, take a hacksaw or file and remove 3/4 cm or so of the top, filing away the egdes. Whack the oul lid back on and you can tune it. New and expensive models are tuneable. These days there's no excuse for the playing out off tune at sessions. The days of tunning to a guitar string or whistle have gone. Buy a simple tuning device for a few bob. If, for example your playing with pipes, who's tuning can vary, you should be able to adjust the length of the shaft by lowering or highering the mouth piece.

Cleaning : leave them in a bleech water solution overnight. Reeks the next day but its de-gunged

Tip: Pour cooking oil down the shaft, especially Low D's It puts a coating on the inside that gives a mellow sound and also protects against slime & grime build-up.

Any of you crowd just starting, try and pick up a Mary Bergin cd. Take one or two tunes you like and concentrate on them. Don't fall for the 'Trying To Learn As Many Tunes As You Can' habit. One good tune played is better that 10 played wrong.

All this oul Guff was passed to me a by a fellow called Leslie Bingham, Kelly's Cellars, Belfast years ago..Anybody Know him.

Jesus, That brings back memories of thumping session's.. Billy McCormack, Brian Sutherland, Crickard Brothers, Paul Bradley, Cruncher...

Anyway.. Pick Up A Whistle And Pop Till Ya Drop !!!!

Slainte Colin Ballygally