The tin whistle is a fun instrument, and it doesn't break the bank either. Although this whistle is made from plastic and not metal, I think the sound is excellent.
This particular one is black, although multiple colors are offered.The only exception from the black appearance is the figure of a man performing a little dance whilst playing the whistle, together with the text "The original Sweetone".
The tin whistle has six holes at the top, and no thumb hole at the bottom. The pinkies of each hand are therefore not used other than for balance. Same goes for both thumbs. I imagine that this makes the instrument somewhat easier to play than the recorder for beginners. I personally feel that it also makes it easier to play a scale, the way the the instrument is designed. The downside is that the range feels more limited than a recorder (even though I'm not it is, since you are supposed to be overblowing the upper notes).
Given the low cost, I would recommend buying several of these in different keys. This will make it a lot easier to get used to playing different songs in different keys, since playing the chromatic notes can be a bit tricky.
