How to Play the Tin Whistle
To play the tin whistle, hold it with your left hand on the top three holes and your right hand on the bottom three, covering the holes with the flat pads of your fingers. Blow gently, starting each note with a soft “too”. With all six holes covered a D whistle plays D; lift fingers from the bottom up for E, F♯, G, A, B and C♯.
Works in the UK and the US. This version uses US music words (measure, quarter note, eighth note, staff); the UK version uses bar, crotchet, quaver and stave. · UK version of this page
Updated · By the Classfern Music Department
Key facts
- The tin whistle (penny whistle) has six finger holes and a fipple mouthpiece, like a recorder, but no thumb hole.
- The most common whistle is in D. Its lowest note is D5 (587.33 Hz); whistle music is usually written an octave lower, from the D above middle C.
- It plays about two octaves: the second octave uses the same fingerings, blown a little harder.
- Left hand on top (holes 1–3), right hand below (holes 4–6), whichever hand you write with.
- Its home keys are D major and G major; C natural is a cross-fingering (top hole open, holes 2 and 3 covered).
- It is the main melody instrument of Irish traditional music, alongside the fiddle and the flute.
The eight first-octave notes: see and hear them
Classfern’s free tin whistle tool on lessonplanner.info shows the holes for each note of a D whistle and plays it. Self-assessed Can you match each note’s sound on your own whistle?
D: Cover all six holes.
Sounds are made in your browser. This page never uses the microphone, and nothing is recorded or sent.
Keyboard: Tab to a note and press Enter or Space. A filled circle means cover the hole; an outline means leave it open; the words always say the same thing.
How do you play the tin whistle for beginners?
Begin with the notes B, A and G, which use only the left hand. Cover hole 1 for B, holes 1 and 2 for A, and holes 1, 2 and 3 for G, and blow a gentle, steady breath. Then add the right hand for F♯, E and low D.
- Hold the whistle at about 45 degrees, mouthpiece between your lips (not your teeth), left hand on top.
- Use the flat pads of your fingers, not the tips, so each hole is sealed.
- Blow as if you are cooling soup: gentle and warm. Too much breath jumps the note up an octave.
- Tongue every note with “too”. Later you will slur notes (one breath, no tongue) for a smoother sound.
- Play B, A, G slowly, then G, A, B. Then add F♯, E and D with the right hand.
Hot Cross Buns
F♯ E D F♯ E D D D D D E E E E F♯ E D
How do you hold a tin whistle?
Hold it with the left hand at the top (holes 1, 2 and 3) and the right hand at the bottom (holes 4, 5 and 6). Rest the thumbs underneath for balance and keep your fingers flat and relaxed over the holes.
Many players use the “piper’s grip”: the flat middle part of the fingers covers the holes, not the tips. It is easier to seal the holes and relaxes the hands. The little fingers are not needed; rest the right little finger on the whistle if it helps you balance.
Mary Had a Little Lamb
F♯ E D E F♯ F♯ F♯ E E E F♯ A A F♯ E D E F♯ F♯ F♯ F♯ E E F♯ E D
Ode to Joy
F♯ F♯ G A A G F♯ E D D E F♯ F♯ E E F♯ F♯ G A A G F♯ E D D E F♯ E D D
How do you play the high notes on a tin whistle?
The second octave uses the same fingerings as the first, blown a little harder and faster. For high D, cover all six holes (or lift just the top finger) and blow harder. Do not blow too hard: the note should ring, not shriek.
Practice jumping from low D to high D, holding the same fingers and only changing your breath. When that is easy, play the scale D E F♯ G A B C♯ D′ and on up to high B. The full list is in the tin whistle notes chart.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
D D A A B B A G G F♯ F♯ E E D A A G G F♯ F♯ E A A G G F♯ F♯ E D D A A B B A G G F♯ F♯ E E D
What songs should I learn first on the tin whistle?
Start with Hot Cross Buns (F♯ E D), Mary Had a Little Lamb and Ode to Joy in D, then Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. Amazing Grace and Auld Lang Syne in G add the low D and the high octave.
These six tunes go from three notes to the whole first octave and into the second. They are all traditional or public domain. Once you know them, try simple Irish polkas and jigs from a teacher or a session; most are traditional and are passed on by ear.
Amazing Grace
D G B G B A G E D D G B G B A D′ D′ B D′ B G B A G E D D G B G B A G
Auld Lang Syne
D G G G B A G A B G G B D′ E′ E′ D′ B B G A G A B G E E D G
Is the tin whistle easy to learn?
Yes. The tin whistle is cheap, light and quick to start: most beginners play a tune in the first week. Playing it well, with Irish ornaments such as cuts and rolls, takes much longer, so it suits both beginners and lifelong players.
Whistles in D are the best start, because most tunebooks and tutors use them. The same fingering works on whistles in other keys (C, B♭, low D), but the note names move with the key.
A first-week plan
- Day 1–2: B, A, G and Hot Cross Buns.
- Day 3–4: F♯, E, D; Mary Had a Little Lamb and Ode to Joy.
- Day 5: C♯; Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
- Day 6–7: high D and Amazing Grace.
Self-assessed Tick each day when you can play the tune twice without stopping. For the same tunes on another instrument, see the easy recorder songs.
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