Hello all, I am new to whistleing…Well, new again…I played around with it a few years back but then had a child so no time until now.
Anyways, I am looking for some ideas for simple soft music. I ran out of songs to sing to my daughter and would like some simple, low played tunes to whistle for her at night. Any ideas are welcome 
I’d suggest Fanny Power, Si Beag Si Mor, Twisting the Hayrope… There are TONS more. Actually, you can take almost any tune and slow it way down and it sounds like a slow air - not true of all, but works with many. A good example is “Fig for a Kiss”. Have Fun!
Pat
Those are good suggestions. The O’Carolan tunes are timeless, comforting and inspiring. If you don’t have time to learn them on whistle, then just make up words or hum them. There’s no better way to care for an infant.
The Dark Isle (http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display/4906) is a nice one. Where it drops down to a C, you can throw in an E and still keep the feel of the tune.
The Eagles’ Whistle in the the arrangement/key in the Bill Ochs whistle tutor is lovely played slow & low. It’s also not a difficult tune; it’s in the earlier part of the book.
Three-part slip jig The Butterfly is a slightly more difficult tune that is also gorgeous when played slowly.
None.
What about all the nursey rhymmes and children’s song you already know. They can be played on whistles too and whatever style you need to play them in.
Inisheer ("Inis oir?)
and
The South Wind
both are also nice, pretty, easy to learn
Close Inis Oírr
How about Lizzy Lindsay… Mary from Dungloe… The Parting Glass…
And if you want to avoid the upper end of the second octave so it doesn’t get too loud, you can just back off on the breath and let everything fall into the lower octave. It may not ‘sound’ like the tune is suposed to, but it keeps it softer and is also good breath practice. It’s actually a pretty good exercise in listening and breath and comes in useful when you’re playing with more than one whistle and want to avoid the dreaded ‘everyone is playing high B at the same time and our brains hurt’ syndrome.
The crested hen is nice.
Boulavogue.
Cailín na Gruaige Báine
Prayer from the North
Danny Boy (aka the Derry Air or aka the Londonderry Air)
Women of Ireland
Just some of my favourites.
The Arran Boat
The Skye Boat Song
Bladon Races, the Rakes of Mallow and the Lancers Quadrille.
and “The Cat Rambles to the Child’s Saucepan”.
Down by the Sally Gardens. (the song air, not the “Sally Gardens” reel)
The Gartan Mother’s Lullaby.
I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls.
–James
I do believe that often, it´s a matter of articulation and rhytm. I remember putting myself to sleep with mutated Cooley’s reel on low whistle…while in it´s basic form, it sure is no lullaby.
I guess that most other tunes can be changed in such a way.
Or nice night improvisation could work very well, don´t know how it goes in your case, in mine, I can play the best in the evening (or I´m so sleepy I can´t hear I play crap ).
from known tunes, Down by the Glenside, Amhrán na Leabhair, Lakes of Ponchertrain come to my mind. Or Pair of Brown Eyes, or SUmmer in Siam, if you´re familiar with the Pogues.
I tend to agree. OTOH kids will sleep through anything once acclimated.
Speaking of Carolan, the harp often does have a sleepy quality.
How about “Absent Friends” from Lúnasa: