Read the tabs.
Find your notes.
Six circles show your fingers. The staff gives you the rhythm. Learn the symbols, then find the chart for your whistle.
How to read a finger tab
Read notes from left to right. Within each tab, read the six holes from top to bottom: the top hole is nearest the mouthpiece. Your left hand usually covers the upper three holes and your right hand the lower three.
Close a solid circle, leave an empty circle open, and partly cover a half-filled circle. The half symbol describes how much of the hole to cover, not which side your finger must approach from.
A + below the holes means the upper register. Use a more focused airstream; the first upper note is shown with the top hole vented.
The staff and tabs work together
Pitch & rhythm
Each tab sits directly under its staff note. The letter names the pitch; note shapes, dots, and beams show duration. Read the time signature for the beat grouping. A rest is a pause; a curved tie joins the same pitch into one sustained note.
Octaves & accidentals
On our high D arrangements, the small 8 above the treble clef means the whistle sounds an octave above the written staff. The + under a finger tab separately tells you to use the whistle’s upper register. ♯ raises a pitch a semitone; ♭ lowers it; ♮ cancels an accidental.
Playing along
The staff note and its finger tab highlight together during playback. Tap a song’s tab to hear that note. Cut, tap, roll, and slide labels describe optional ornaments within the note’s duration.
Fingering charts for every key
A whistle’s key names its lowest note with all six holes closed. Choose that key below. These are major-scale charts for the instrument, not a list of every song key it can play.
D whistle Major scale
Tap a note to hear it.
Lower register
Upper register · +
Numbers 1–7 are scale degrees. The next note after the lower row is the first note of the upper row. The same patterns apply to high and low whistles of this key; their sounding octaves differ. Upper notes and alternate fingerings can vary with the instrument—use the maker’s chart when they differ.
Chart previews sound in the selected whistle key and range. Song arrangements and playback remain set for a D whistle. Following the same tabs on another whistle transposes the tune.
Half holes & extra notes
Notes between the main scale tones may need half-holing or a cross-fingering. For example, on a D whistle, C natural can use the cross-fingering shown here, or a partially covered top hole. Adjust the opening by ear: the symbol is a starting point, not an exact measurement.
During a slide, uncover the moving finger gradually. On low whistles, a comfortable piper’s grip can help seal the more widely spaced holes.
Lower-register examples on a D whistle