Tin Whistle Fingering Chart
An interactive tin whistle fingering chart for the D whistle and other keys: tap a note to see which holes to cover, hear it, and print the full chart.
Fingerings for the , sounding pitch. Tap a note. ← → step through the notes, ↑ ↓ switch fingering, Space plays. Dashed notes are the less-used ones. Fingerings: Grey Larsen's whistle chart.
Name the note. Keys C to B answer, add Shift for the sharp. A + means the upper octave.
How to use the tin whistle fingering chart
A tin whistle fingering chart shows which of the six holes to cover for each note, and on a D whistle all six covered plays D, with each finger lifted from the bottom climbing one step of the D major scale, up to C# with every hole open. This chart opens as a D whistle fingering chart for both octaves, with the half-holes and C natural, and covers six other whistles too. The D whistle is the most common key, and the chips at the top switch to a C, Bb, Eb, F or G whistle, or a Low D. Tap a note in the Low octave or High octave rows, or step with the left and right arrows. Filled holes are covered, half filled holes are half covered, and a + means the upper octave. When a note has more than one fingering, the chips under the whistle (or the up and down arrows) switch between them. Play or Space lets you hear the note.
Full chart shows every fingering as a column of six holes, the way whistle tab is usually drawn, and Print chart prints that grid on its own page. Quiz me shows a fingering and asks for the note; answer on screen or with the keys C to B (add Shift for a sharp). The whistle you pick is remembered.
Hole numbers and the D whistle scale
Hold the whistle with the mouthpiece toward you, top hand nearest the mouth. The holes are numbered 1 to 6 from the mouthpiece: 1, 2 and 3 for the top hand, 4, 5 and 6 for the bottom hand. With all six holes covered a D whistle plays its lowest note, D. Lift fingers from the bottom up and you climb the D major scale: hole 6 open gives E, holes 5 and 6 open give F#, then G, A and B, and with all six holes open you get C#.
| Note (D whistle) | Holes covered |
|---|---|
| D | 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
| E | 1 2 3 4 5 |
| F# | 1 2 3 4 |
| G | 1 2 3 |
| A | 1 2 |
| B | 1 |
| C natural | 2 3 (cross-fingering) or half of 1 |
| C# | none |
These are the tin whistle notes of the low octave, and the high octave repeats them. The chart's fingerings come from Grey Larsen's tin whistle chart. Its large circles mark the primary notes and fingerings, and the small ones the less-used ones; here the less-used ones have dashed outlines.
The second octave: blow harder
The upper octave uses the same fingerings as the lower one, with faster air. Wikipedia puts the standard range of a D whistle at two octaves, D5 to D7. The high D is often played with hole 1 lifted or partly open, which Wikipedia says makes it harder to drop back into the low octave; Larsen lists both that fingering and all six holes covered. Above the top D the notes get loud and out of tune, so the chart stops there.
Half-holing and C natural
The whistle is diatonic, so the notes between the scale steps need tricks. Half-holing means partly covering the highest open hole, which flattens the note. The chart shows it for D#, F, G# and A#, which Larsen lists as less-used notes. Cross-fingering means covering holes below an open one.
C natural matters most. On a D whistle it turns the scale into G major, so tunes in G need it all the time. Larsen gives four ways in the low octave: holes 2 and 3 covered (the main one), two cross-fingerings that add bottom-hand holes, and half of hole 1. In the high octave the chart only lists half of hole 1. Check both against a tuner on your own whistle, since makers differ.
Which key whistle to buy, and written notes
A whistle is named after its lowest note, and all keys use the same fingering. Wikipedia lists D as the most common, then C and F, G, and then Bb and Eb. A D whistle plays most easily in D and G major, a C whistle in C and F. For Irish and Scottish music the D whistle is by far the usual choice, so it is the one to start on. Tin whistle, penny whistle and Irish whistle are names for the same instrument, so Irish whistle notes follow the same chart. The low D whistle sounds an octave below the D whistle and is fingered the same way.
Whistle music is written an octave lower than it sounds, to avoid ledger lines, so the chart shows both the sounding note and the written one. To practice reading, try the treble clef notes chart. Other charts on this site: the recorder fingering chart, the flute fingering chart and the harmonica notes chart.
Questions
What is the lowest note on a D tin whistle?
D5, the second D above middle C, played with all six holes covered. The top of the normal range is D7.
Is a penny whistle the same as a tin whistle?
Yes. Penny whistle, tin whistle and Irish whistle all name the same six-hole whistle, and this penny whistle fingering chart works for all of them.
How do I play C natural on a D whistle?
Cover holes 2 and 3 and leave the rest open, or half cover hole 1. The chart shows two more cross-fingerings for the low octave.
How do I get the high notes?
Use the same fingering and blow harder. For the high D, many players lift the finger from hole 1.
Do the fingerings change on a C whistle?
No. The holes are the same; every note is simply a whole step lower, so all holes covered plays C.