How do you choose your Irish tin whistle key to play the song you want?
This quick guide shows the relation of half-holes in relation to the key your tin whistle is in. On any key whistle, you can play all of these scales/keys with very little half-holing.
Tin Whistle Keys in relation to Degree
The Major Scale – All Keys
- A = A, B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G♯
- Bb = Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, A
- B = C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯, A♯
- C = C, D, E, F, G, A, B
- Db = Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, C
- D = D, E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯
- Eb = Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D
- E = E, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯
- F = F, G, A, B♭, C, D, E
- F# = F♯, G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E♯
- G = G, A, B, C, D, E, F♯
- Ab = Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, G
The Minor Scale – All Keys
- A = A, B, C, D, E, F, G
- Bb = Bb, C, Db, Eb, F, Gb, Ab
- B = B, C♯, D, E, F♯, G, A
- C = C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb
- C# = C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B
- D = D, E, F, G, A, Bb, C
- Eb = Eb, F, Gb, Ab, Bb, Cb, Db
- E = E, F♯, G, A, B, C, D
- F = F, G, Ab, Bb, C, Db, Eb
- F# = F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D, E
- G = G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F
- G# = G♯, A♯, B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯