These beginner lessons will get you started learning Irish traditional music on the tin whistle, including scales, a simple ornament, and a good first tune.
The D scale is the first scale to learn because it is the standard key of the whistle itself. What that means is that it is the simplest scale to learn as there are no accidentals to worry about. The scale is played by simply lifting the fingers off from the bottom to the top. The sheet music...
The G scale is very similar to the D scale except that we are beginning on the note G and there is a C natural instead of a C sharp as is found in the D scale. As always, make sure to practice slowly so all the notes sound with good clear tone.
The A scale is a bit more tricky as we introduce the concept of "half-holing" or covering only a part of the hole. This is necessary to produce the G sharp that's found in the A scale. Definitely practice this scale slowly so you can make sure that your G sharp sounds correctly.
Tonguing is the act of using your tongue to interrupt the flow of air going into the whistle's mouthpiece which has the effect of separating notes as they're played. It creates a staccato sound when used frequently but can also be used sparingly as a simple ornament.
Now that you've learned the basic scales, it's time to play a simple tune to put those notes into practice. This tune -- a song called "Down By The Sally Gardens" -- is a great one to start with. In the video, I've played the tune slowly and with no ornamentation so you can get an idea of how...
