Free printable PDF · 14 pages

The Tin Whistle
Starter Pack

Everything I would hand a new player on day one, on paper: a finger chart for both octaves, a page on reading tabs, and 10 easy tunes in the order you should learn them.

Full D whistle finger chart, both octaves plus C and F natural
How to read tabs, plus a first-week practice plan
10 tunes from nursery-rhyme easy to pub favourite, one per page

Pin this to your music stand

D whistle finger chart

The top circle is the hole nearest your mouth. Left hand covers the top three, right hand the bottom three.

CoveredOpenHalf-covered

First octave

Gentle breath

All six covered

F♯

C♯

All open

Second octave

Same shapes, faster air. Written with a +

D+

Top hole open

E+

F♯+

G+

A+

B+

C♯+

Two extra notes

For tunes that need them

C♮

Cross-fingered

F♮

Half-hole

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Tune 4 of 10

Up to high D

Amazing Grace

Your first second-octave note: the D with a + sign. Lift the top finger and blow slightly faster air, not harder. If it squeals, back off.

d g b g b a g e d d g b g b a b d+ b d+ b g b a g e d d g b g b a g

Stuck on a bit? The tune's page has the tab online plus questions and tips from other players:

tinwhistletab.com/tabs/amazing_grace_tin_whistle_tab

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Tin Whistle Tab

Free printable edition

Tin Whistle
Starter Pack

A finger chart, a page on reading tabs, and 10 easy tunes for your D whistle, easiest first.

Inside

p. 2Finger chart for the D whistle, both octaves
p. 3How to read these tabs
p. 4Frere Jacques
p. 5When the Saints Go Marching In
p. 6Oh Susanna
p. 7Amazing Grace
p. 8The Star Of The County Down
p. 9The Skye Boat Song
p. 10Scarborough Fair
p. 11Drunken Sailor
p. 12Auld Lang Syne
p. 13Whiskey in the Jar
p. 14Where to go next

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What's inside

These are the actual pages, shrunk down. Print them, punch holes, keep them next to the whistle.

Pin this to your music stand

D whistle finger chart

The top circle is the hole nearest your mouth. Left hand covers the top three, right hand the bottom three.

CoveredOpenHalf-covered

First octave

Gentle breath

All six covered

F♯

C♯

All open

Second octave

Same shapes, faster air. Written with a +

D+

Top hole open

E+

F♯+

G+

A+

B+

C♯+

Two extra notes

For tunes that need them

C♮

Cross-fingered

F♮

Half-hole

tinwhistletab.comTin Whistle Starter Pack2 / 14

The finger chart

Every note in both octaves drawn as the whistle, not as a grid. Plus the cross-fingered C natural and the half-holed F natural, for when a tune asks for them.

Two minutes, then you can read any tab on the site

How to read these tabs

The opening of Amazing Grace, as it appears in this pack:

d g b g b a g e d

Read down, then across

Each column of six circles is one note: the fingering picture on top, the note name underneath. Play the columns left to right.

Black means covered

Filled circle: cover the hole with the pad of your finger, not the tip. Open circle: lift that finger clear. Half-filled: cover half the hole.

+ means the second octave

Same fingers as the low note, slightly faster breath. Think of blowing to cool soup, not to blow out a candle.

Gaps are phrases

A space between groups is a natural place to breathe. Take the breath early rather than running out mid-group.

Rhythm is in your ear

Tabs give you the notes, not the timing. If you do not know a tune, listen to a recording a few times and hum it before you pick up the whistle.

First week plan: ten minutes a day beats an hour on Sunday. Get a clean low D first (all holes covered, very gentle breath), then work through the tunes in order. The first three stay in the low octave on purpose.

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How to read the tabs

Five rules that cover every tab on the site, a worked example, and a first-week plan that does not burn you out.

Tune 7 of 10

Up to high E

Scarborough Fair

It starts on E and never settles on D, which gives it that old, haunting sound. For the C sharp every hole is open, so keep your fingers hovering close.

e e b b f# g f# e b d+ e+ d+ b c# a b e+ e+ e+ d+ b a g f# d e b a g f# e d e

Stuck on a bit? The tune's page has the tab online plus questions and tips from other players:

tinwhistletab.com/tabs/scarborough-fair-tin-whistle-tab

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10 easy tunes

One tune per page with a tip from a player, and a link to the tab online where other players answer questions.

The tunes, in order

The first three never leave the low octave. The high notes arrive one at a time after that, so each tune only asks one new thing of you.

01Frere JacquesLow octave only
02When the Saints Go Marching InLow octave only
03Oh SusannaLow octave only
04Amazing GraceUp to high D
05The Star Of The County DownUp to high D
06The Skye Boat SongUp to high D
07Scarborough FairUp to high E
08Drunken SailorUp to high E
09Auld Lang SyneUp to high E
10Whiskey in the JarUp to high D

Questions

Is it really free?

Yes. You give us an email address, we send you a new tab and a practice tip about once a week. Unsubscribe from any email with one click and you keep the PDF.

When do I get the PDF?

As soon as you confirm your email. We send a confirm link, you click it, and the pack downloads on the page it opens. If the email is not in your inbox after a few minutes, check spam or promotions.

Which whistle do I need?

A D whistle. It is the most common key and what nearly every beginner whistle is. The fingerings work on a C whistle too, the notes just sound a tone lower.

Will it print properly?

It is built as A4 pages and prints fine on US Letter with "fit to page". Black and white is enough: the tabs are black dots on white.

I already get the newsletter. Do I have to sign up again?

Enter the same email and the download unlocks straight away. Nothing changes on your subscription.

From Tin Whistle Tab

1,200+ free tabs on the site. This pack is where to start.

The Tin WhistleStarter Pack