Tin Whistle Notes Chart (D Whistle)
The notes on a D tin whistle are D, E, F♯, G, A, B and C♯, played by lifting fingers from the bottom hole up: all six holes covered is D and all open is C♯. C natural is the top hole open with holes 2 and 3 covered. Blow a little harder and the same fingerings play the second octave, up to high B.
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
- Six holes, numbered 1 to 6 from the mouthpiece down: left hand 1–3, right hand 4–6.
- D whistle, first octave: D E F♯ G A B C♯ – the D major scale.
- Second octave: the same fingerings, blown harder, from high D to high B (and high C♯).
- Real pitch: the D whistle’s lowest note is D5, 587.33 Hz. Music for it is usually written an octave lower.
- Half-holing (covering half a hole) gives F natural, G♯, B♭ and D♯; they are harder to play in tune.
- The same fingering chart works for whistles in other keys: on a C whistle all six holes covered is C.
Interactive tin whistle notes chart
Classfern’s free tin whistle notes chart on lessonplanner.info: press a note to see the holes and hear it on a D whistle. Self-assessed Finger each note on your own whistle and match the sound.
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.
What are the notes on a tin whistle?
A D tin whistle plays the D major scale: D, E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯ and high D, in two octaves. Each note is made by lifting one more finger from the bottom up, starting with all six holes covered for D.
| Note (as written) | Holes to cover | Sounds on a D whistle | Diagram | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | Cover all six holes | D5 (587.33 Hz) | ||
| E | Cover holes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 | E5 (659.26 Hz) | ||
| F♯ | Cover holes 1, 2, 3 and 4 | F♯5/G♭5 (739.99 Hz) | ||
| G | Cover holes 1, 2 and 3 | G5 (783.99 Hz) | ||
| A | Cover holes 1 and 2 | A5 (880.00 Hz) | ||
| B | Cover hole 1 | B5 (987.77 Hz) | ||
| C natural | Cover holes 2 and 3 | C6 (1046.50 Hz) | ||
| C♯ | All six holes open | C♯6/D♭6 (1108.73 Hz) | ||
| High D | Cover all six holes; blow a little harder for the high octave (or lift the top finger: holes 2 to 6 covered) | D6 (1174.66 Hz) | ||
| High E | Cover holes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5; blow a little harder for the high octave | E6 (1318.51 Hz) | ||
| High F♯ | Cover holes 1, 2, 3 and 4; blow a little harder for the high octave | F♯6/G♭6 (1479.98 Hz) | ||
| High G | Cover holes 1, 2 and 3; blow a little harder for the high octave | G6 (1567.98 Hz) | ||
| High A | Cover holes 1 and 2; blow a little harder for the high octave | A6 (1760.00 Hz) | ||
| High B | Cover hole 1; blow a little harder for the high octave | B6 (1975.53 Hz) |
The “Sounds” column is the real pitch: a D whistle sounds an octave above the written note.
How do you play C natural on a tin whistle?
Cover holes 2 and 3 with the top hole open (O X X O O O). You can also half-cover the top hole with everything else open. C natural is needed for tunes in G major and for many Irish tunes.
Try both fingerings and pick the one that sounds more in tune on your whistle; the cross-fingering is quicker in fast tunes, and the half-hole is easier to tune. C♯ (all holes open) is the note in the D major scale, so check the key signature: a tune in G uses C natural.
How do you read tin whistle tabs?
Tin whistle tab draws the six holes from top to bottom, with a filled circle for a covered hole and an open circle for an uncovered one. A + sign or a small mark above means play the note in the second octave.
The diagrams on this page are tab turned on its side: the mouthpiece is on the left and hole 1 is next to it. Text tab is often written as X (covered) and O (open), for example X X X O O O for G. Tabs are handy for starting out; learning the note names makes every tunebook open to you.
What are the half-hole notes on a tin whistle?
Half-holing means covering half of a hole to raise its note a half step. On a D whistle it gives D♯/E♭ (hole 6), F natural (hole 5), G♯/A♭ (hole 3) and B♭ (hole 2).
| Note | Holes | Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| D♯/E♭ (half-hole) | Cover holes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5; half-cover hole 6 | D♯5/E♭5 |
| F natural (half-hole) | Cover holes 1, 2, 3 and 4; half-cover hole 5 | F5 |
| G♯/A♭ (half-hole) | Cover holes 1 and 2; half-cover hole 3 | G♯5/A♭5 |
| A♯/B♭ (half-hole) | Cover hole 1; half-cover hole 2 | A♯5/B♭5 |
Roll or slide the finger so that half of the hole is open, and listen: these notes are easy to play out of tune. Tunes in D and G major rarely need them.
Is the tin whistle in D or C?
Most tin whistles are in D, and most tunebooks and lessons are written for the D whistle. Whistles also come in C, B♭, G, low D and other keys. The fingerings are the same; only the note names change.
On a C whistle, all six holes covered is C and the scale is C major. Start with a D whistle unless your teacher or band uses another key. For posture, breathing and first tunes, see how to play the tin whistle.
Which notes does each key use on a D whistle?
A D whistle plays the D major scale with no half-holes, and G major with just one cross-fingered note, C natural. That is why most Irish tunes for the whistle are in D or G, or in the minor keys and modes that share their notes.
| Key | Notes | Special fingering |
|---|---|---|
| D major | D E F♯ G A B C♯ | None |
| G major | G A B C D E F♯ | C natural: O X X O O O |
| E minor | E F♯ G A B C D | C natural |
| B minor | B C♯ D E F♯ G A | None |
| A Dorian (a common Irish mode) | A B C D E F♯ G | C natural |
Practice the D major scale
Press “Play every note in turn” in the chart, then play along: D E F♯ G A B C♯ D′ and back down. Keep fingers close to the holes. Self-assessed
Looking after a tin whistle
Wipe the whistle dry after playing and blow through it to clear the windway. If the sound turns weak or airy, moisture is usually blocking the windway: cover the window with a finger and blow hard once. A whistle with a push-on head can be tuned by sliding the head up (lower) or down (higher) a few millimetres.
Quick quiz: name the tin whistle note
Eight questions: read the holes, choose the note. Marked by Classfern Your score stays in this browser.
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