Reading Tablature

What You'll Learn

How to read tin whistle tablature — the notation system used on this site. You'll be able to pick up any tab and play it.

Note Names

Tin whistle tab on this site uses note names (letters). Each letter tells you which note to play:

• B, A, G — top hand only (left hand fingers holes 1–3)
• F#, E, D — both hands needed (holes 1–4, 1–5, all 6)
• C, C# — cross-fingerings (top hand partially lifted)
• Add a ' after a letter for the second octave: D' = high D

Fingering Chart

● = covered hole, ○ = open hole. Assuming right handed person, numbers 1-3 are top hand (left), 4-6 are bottom hand (right).

Tab Example: Twinkle Twinkle (G major)

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Each letter is one note. A dash (-) means hold the note. A pipe (|) marks the end of a bar.

Practice Tips

• Read the tab out loud (say the note names) before playing.
• Tap the rhythm with your foot while saying the notes.
• Compare the tab with the fingering chart until you know each note by heart.

Common Mistakes

• Confusing octaves — low D uses all holes covered, high D uses the same fingering but requires stronger breath.