Tin Whistle Finger Chart
On a D tin whistle, cover all six holes for low D, then lift one finger at a time from the bottom: E, F♯, G, A, B, and C♯ with every hole open. The second octave uses the same shapes with faster air, except high D, where you also lift the top finger. The chart below draws every note in both octaves, plus C natural and F natural, and switches to any whistle key.
Each diagram is a column of six holes with the mouthpiece end at the top: filled means covered, open means lifted, half-filled means half-covered. Below the chart, every fingering is also written out as text, with which finger goes on which hole and what to check when a note squeaks.
- Covered hole
- Open hole
- Half-holed
- Second octave (blow harder)
- Top of whistle = top of diagram
Every note on the staff
Each note sits above the fingering that plays it, like the chart in a tutor book. Tap a note to hear it, play along on your own whistle, or test your reading.
Tap any note to hear it and see how to play it.
First Octave
The home scale — lift one finger at a time from the bottom up.
home note
Second Octave
Same fingerings as the first octave (except top D) — just blow faster, harder air.
crack the top hole
Accidentals
The two notes outside the home scale you will meet most, played by cross-fingering or half-holing.
cross-fingered
half-holed
Every fingering written out (D whistle)
Holes are numbered from the mouthpiece down: 1 to 3 are under your top hand, 4 to 6 under your bottom hand. ● covered, ○ open, ◐ half-covered.
| Note | Holes 1 to 6 | How |
|---|---|---|
| First Octave | ||
| D | ●●● ●●● | Home note: all six covered, the gentlest air |
| E | ●●● ●●○ | Lift the bottom finger |
| F♯ | ●●● ●○○ | Lift the bottom 2 fingers |
| G | ●●● ○○○ | Lift the bottom 3 fingers |
| A | ●●○ ○○○ | Lift the bottom 4 fingers |
| B | ●○○ ○○○ | Lift the bottom 5 fingers |
| C♯ | ○○○ ○○○ | All holes open |
| Second Octave | ||
| High D | ○●● ●●● | Top hole open, faster air |
| High E | ●●● ●●○ | Same shape as the low note, faster air |
| High F♯ | ●●● ●○○ | Same shape as the low note, faster air |
| High G | ●●● ○○○ | Same shape as the low note, faster air |
| High A | ●●○ ○○○ | Same shape as the low note, faster air |
| High B | ●○○ ○○○ | Same shape as the low note, faster air |
| High C♯ | ○○○ ○○○ | Same shape as the low note, faster air |
| Accidentals | ||
| C natural (C♮) | ○●● ○○○ | Cross-fingering; some players half-cover hole 1 instead |
| F natural (F♮) | ●●● ●◐○ | Half-cover hole 5 |
Which finger covers which hole
Most players put the left hand on top. The left index, middle and ring fingers cover holes 1, 2 and 3; the right index, middle and ring fingers cover holes 4, 5 and 6. Both thumbs go underneath to hold the whistle, and the little fingers stay off the holes, though the right one can rest on the tube for balance.
Cover each hole with the soft pad of the finger, the flat part just below the tip, not the tip itself. The pad seals more easily and forgives small misplacements. Left-handed players can put the right hand on top: the whistle doesn't mind, as long as you never switch once you've started.
Why the first octave is a staircase
From low D, each step up the scale opens one more hole from the bottom. Lift the ring finger of your bottom hand for E, its middle finger for F♯ and its index finger for G, then carry on up the top hand for A, B and finally C♯, where every hole is open. Coming down, the fingers go back in reverse order.
That is why the whistle is so quick to learn. Once you see the pattern you can work out any note of the D scale by counting the open holes, and the only shapes left to memorise are the exceptions below.
The second octave: same shapes, faster air
Play the same fingering with faster air and the whistle jumps up an octave. For high E to high B, keep the low fingering exactly and raise the air speed, more like a brisk "too" than a harder push. Tabs mark these notes with a + after the letter, as in e+.
High D is the exception: lift your top finger, fully or just a crack, while the other five stay down. The open hole helps the note jump cleanly and keeps it in tune. High C♯ is every hole open, like the low one. If a high note comes out shrill or sharp, you are pushing too much air; ease off until it just holds. The second octave guide has exercises for the jump.
C natural and F natural
Six holes give a D whistle the D major scale. The two notes outside it that tunes ask for most are C natural and F natural. C natural is common: tunes in G major use it all the time. Play it by opening hole 1 and covering holes 2 and 3, with the bottom hand off (○●● ○○○). In fast tunes many players half-cover hole 1 instead, which is quicker but harder to keep in tune.
F natural is a half-hole: keep holes 1 to 4 covered and slide the finger on hole 5 until it covers about half (●●● ●◐○). It is hard to play in tune, which is why few whistle tunes use it. The chart's All notes view also shows the rarer ones: D♯ is a half-hole on hole 6, and G♯ and A♯ are cross-fingerings. Sharps and flats on the tin whistle covers them in detail.
When a note squeaks or won't sound
A squeak, or a weak and airy note, almost always means a leak: a finger that isn't quite sealing its hole. The usual culprit is the lowest finger that should be down, very often the ring finger of the bottom hand on low D and E. Hold low D, lift and replace one finger at a time, and listen for the moment the note clears.
If a low note jumps up an octave, you are blowing too hard: low D needs the slowest, gentlest air on the whistle. If the second octave cracks as you cross into it, your air is spiking rather than rising, so practise the jump slowly. And if C♯ wobbles or sounds sharp, give it a little less air. It is the least stable note on many whistles.
Three drills to learn the chart
Seal check: hold low D, then lift and replace one finger at a time, from the bottom up, without the note squeaking. Octave pairs: play low E, then high E with the same fingering, two beats each, then do the same with F♯, G and A until both octaves feel like one instrument.
Scale with a metronome: play D, E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯ and high D up and back down at 60 to 80 beats per minute on the metronome, one note per beat, and speed up only when every change is clean. Then test yourself with Quiz mode above, or switch to Play along, which listens through your microphone and ticks off each note you play.
Other whistle keys
The fingerings are the same on every six-hole whistle; only the note names change. All six holes covered plays the whistle's key note: C on a C whistle, B♭ on a B♭ whistle, and low D on a low D whistle. Pick your whistle above the chart and the note names relabel themselves.
A low D whistle uses the same shapes with a much wider stretch, so many players cover its bottom holes with the flat middle section of the fingers rather than the pads (the piper's grip).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you read a tin whistle finger chart?
Each diagram is a column of six circles, one per hole, with the top of the whistle at the top. A filled circle means cover that hole, an open circle means leave it uncovered, and a half-filled circle means half-hole it. Match the shape with your fingers to play that note.
What are all the notes on a D tin whistle?
A D whistle plays a two-octave D major scale: D, E, F♯, G, A, B, C♯ and up again an octave higher. You can also reach C natural by cross-fingering and F natural by half-holing, which covers most common accidentals.
Is the finger chart different for a C whistle?
No — the fingerings are identical on every whistle. A C whistle is simply pitched one whole tone lower than a D whistle, so the same shape that plays D on a D whistle plays C on a C whistle. Use the toggle above to relabel the chart for a C whistle.
How do I play the second octave?
Use the same fingerings as the first octave but blow with faster, harder air. The only fingering that changes is the top note, where you crack open the top hole. Steady breath control is what keeps the high notes clean.
Which fingers do you use to play the tin whistle?
The index, middle and ring fingers of both hands. For most players the left hand covers holes 1 to 3, nearest the mouthpiece, and the right hand covers holes 4 to 6. The thumbs support the whistle from underneath and the little fingers stay off the holes.
How do you play C natural on a D whistle?
Open hole 1, cover holes 2 and 3, and leave the bottom three open (○●● ○○○). Some players half-cover hole 1 instead. In tabs on this site C natural is a plain c, while C♯ (all six holes open) is written c#.
Why does my tin whistle squeak?
Usually a hole that isn't fully covered, or too much air. Check each finger, starting from the bottom, with the soft pad flat over its hole, and blow more gently on low notes. If it squeaks only when you jump to the second octave, raise the air speed smoothly instead of in a burst.