Learn the tin whistle, one note at a time
An interactive tin whistle teacher that listens and watches. The little metal whistle of Irish and folk music: six holes, blown gently through its mouthpiece. The same fingers play two octaves; your breath chooses which. It hears your notes and paints the fingering on your own hands. No camera? It works by ear alone.
- Free lessons
- Nothing to install
- Nothing is recorded
Your first notes
One new note in each lesson, with a short tune to play it in.
Your tin whistle is the controller
Three free games you play with your tin whistle: every note you play moves the game.
21 songs to practice
Note by note, then through in time, at your own pace.
How it works
Three steps for every new note.
Listen
The teacher plays each new note first, so you know how it should sound.
See the fingers
A chart shows which holes to cover.
Play
It listens as you play: the right note gets a cheer, a wrong one shows what to fix.
The notes, and how to finger them
Every note it teaches, in its color, with the fingering for each.
Duct flute · held pointing down and away · 6 holes · bright tone
Virtual tin whistle
Tap a note, or play it on your keyboard, and hold it as long as you like. The picture shows which holes to cover for each note.
D
On a computer, play with your keyboard: each note shows its key. The letters are the notes' names (C plays C); hold Shift for the higher ones, and the numbers play the sharps and flats.
The sound is made in your browser: close to the real instrument, not the same.
Song packs
Themes from around the world, Christmas, half-holes and more: each pack comes with its songbook.
Read more
What is the tin whistle?
The little six-hole whistle of Irish and folk music: how it makes its sound, its keys, and where it comes from.
Famous music for the tin whistle
Jigs, reels and slow airs from Ireland, the kwela of South Africa, and the old tunes everyone can play.
Your first tin whistle
For a beginner and a parent: which whistle to choose, how to hold it, how gently to blow, and how to look after it.
Questions
Do I need a real instrument?
Yes: the teacher listens to the notes you play, so you need a real instrument, with a computer, tablet or phone that has a microphone.
Do I need a camera?
No. With a camera you see the fingering painted on your own hands; without one, the lessons work by ear alone.
Is it free?
Yes. For free you get 16 lessons that take you from your very first note to playing 12 notes (D to G′), and 21 songs to play, each with its fingering and help on every note. Nothing to install.
Is anything recorded?
No. The camera and the microphone stay on your device: nothing is recorded or uploaded. The one exception is a grown-up's choice: adults who join the Player Video can record themselves playing, and only when they choose to.
Can children use it?
Yes, it's made for children's first steps, and for grown-ups starting out. Accounts are for grown-ups: a child plays with a parent's or teacher's account.
Which instruments?
Tin whistle, Recorder, Ocarina, Bansuri (side-blown bamboo flute). Choose yours at the top of the page, and change it at any time.
Ready? Grab your tin whistle.
The first lesson takes a few minutes: you'll play your first note right away.
Start the first lessonYour instrument: Tin whistle · Change