So you want to learn how to play this amazing instrument called “tin whistle”, do you?
Then I have great news for you, because this is going to be a free and easy class for beginners like yourself.
Get the Full Course: Learn How to Play the Irish Tin Whistle
Why should you learn how to play the tin whistle?
The tin whistle has a lovely, delightful and energetic sound. It works extremely well for upbeat, bouncy and rhythmic melodies.
But when you get more advanced on this instrument you will also be able to play with emotion, decorations and your own expressive style.
What is a Tin Whistle?
The tin whistle, also called “penny whistle” or “Irish whistle”, is traditional type of flute mainly used in Ireland. But it has become popular and spread all over the world, and you can use it in any style of music you like, not only Irish music.
One of the most famous uses in popular culture, is in the theme song of The Shire in The Lord of Rings.
The tin whistle is what is called a diatonic instrument, which means that it is based on the 7 notes of a specific key, in most cases D major.
The upside of this is that it is much easier to learn, and a lot easier to play fast melodies on. And also that it is easier to play the correct notes, and avoid out of key notes.
The downside of a diatonic instrument is that in order to comfortable play along to any song in any key, you may need to get a full set of tin whistles tuned to different keys.
Why is it called a Tin Whistle?
In the old days it was actually made out of tin, but today most tin whistles are made of some kind of metal (like brass, aluminum, copper etc.) or sometimes plastic or wood. But the name tin whistle still stuck. Personally I sometimes simplify it even further, and call this instrument a “whistle”.
How do you Play a Tin Whistle?
Both the recorder and the tin whistle are what is called “fipple flutes”. This means that the air stream goes over a block with a fixed edge that splits the air, which produces the sound.
The fipple design means that it is much easier to produce a note, compared to a side-blown flute, since you don’t have to worry about shaping your lips and directing the air stream. You simply put your fingers over the holes of the flute, and blow air through the mouth piece.
And since it is diatonic, it is also very easy to learn the finger chart to play each note. Starting from the bottom, you simply release one finger at a time to play the scale going up, and the opposite going down.
What is the Note Range of a Tin Whistle?
The standard tin whistle is a high soprano instrument, with a range of 2 full octaves. The lowest note depends on which key the instrument is in, but by far the most common is in D major, where the range is D5 to D7 (depending on the whistle and the player).
Tin Whistle Fingering Chart
The great thing about the tin whistle, is that playing the notes of the key is super easy. At least as long as you stick to only playing the notes in the key of your tin whistle.
You can get more notes with special cross fingerings, or by semi-closing a hole to get the in-between note, which is often called “half-holing”. But you should not start with those advanced playing techniques as a beginner.
Here is a standard finger chart for a standard high D tin whistle, for both the 1st and 2nd octave notes.
Tips on Playing Tin Whistle
I share my best tips on playing the tin whistle, as well as common beginner mistakes:
How to Avoid Squeaks on Tin Whistle?
One of the most common and annoying mistakes beginners make on tin whistle is by accidentally leaking air through the edge of one of the holes. This can make a very shrill sounding squeak.
So when you practice, and get a squeaky note, make sure to check all your fingers so that they all cover their respective hole 100%.
It may also be that you blow too hard, which will make the note attack go up into the 2nd or even 3rd octave, which may sound as a high squeak.
How to Play the High Notes on Tin Whistle?
Short answer is: blow harder. But it will also be much easier if you add a hard attack at the start of the note by shaping the sound similar to pronouncing “tu”. The higher the note on the tin whistle, the harder you need to push the air. So in order to reach the highest notes of the 2nd octave, you really need to blow lots of air into it.
How to Play the Low Notes on Tin Whistle?
The lowest 2 notes on a tin whistle will require hardly any air at all, almost like softly breathing. Practice them by blowing as softly as you can, think of breathing air towards a light feather in your hand. That is how delicate you need to be.
Shifting between the 1st and 2nd octave notes is probably the thing that takes the longest time to learn for a beginner. Because you need to develop your skill of controlling how hard you blow to get to each note.
How to Shape the Notes on Tin Whistle?
You can choose how to articulate each note by the way you shape the attack of the air stream. From hard attacks where you use a hard consonant sound like tu-tu-tu. To soft attacks with a sound like “hu-hu-hu”. To playing legato, meaning connecting the notes in a smooth way, by simply keeping the air-stream flowing without interrupting it when you go between notes.
How to Play Songs on Tin Whistle
The most common way is actually learning songs on your tin whistle by ear. This means that you basically practice phrases and melodies note by note, by trial and error, until you learn it by muscle memory.
Some beginners like to learn songs from what is called “tin whistle tabs”, where each note is basically an illustration of what holes should be covered. And a “+” sign tells you to play the note in the 2nd octave.
If you are serious about learning how to play music on your tin whistle, or any other melodic instrument, I highly recommend you to learn how to reed sheet music. The great thing is that you only need to learn how to read the treble clef (G-clef), since the tin whistle is a treble instrument.
Congratulations and Good Luck!
I want to congratulate you for taking the first steps in learning this amazing instrument, and I wish you good luck on your journey.
If you already know how to read music, I can also recommend you to check out my videos with music notes + backing tracks so that you can learn how to play all kinds of songs on your tin whistle.
Here are a few songs for you to learn: