Learn How to Play the Tin Whistle

Name: Learn How to Play the Tin Whistle
Rating: 4.6 (195 reviews)

Go from Complete Beginner to a Great Tin Whistle Player

Created byMikael Baggström

Last updated 10/2023

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Learn the Essentials on How to Play Tin Whistle
Learn the Advanced Techniques on Tin Whistle
Learn How to add Decorations in your Tin Whistle Performances
Learn How to add Emotion and Soul when Playing your Tin Whistle

Course content

3 sections • 44 lectures • 4h 3m total length

Your Adventure on the Irish Tin Whistle2:00
Begin with the Irish tin whistle and progress from beginner to confident player by mastering basic and advanced techniques, expressive decorations, and playing any tune with different keys and brands.
Introduction to the Tin Whistle7:03
Discover the tin whistle, also called the penny or Irish whistle, and its foetal flute lineage. Learn its diatonic six-hole design, movable mouthpiece tuning, and playing in D major.
10 Lessons on Tin Whistle Keys11:15
Learn ten tin whistle key concepts, including why the Hidy is preferred and how one key maps to all keys via the major scale, with three ranges.
How to Handle the Instrument10:20
Warm the air inside the tin whistle and blow to clear moisture. Tune with a tuner app and adjust pitch by extending or pushing.
Learn all the Notes on the Tin Whistle11:10
Learn all the tin whistle notes using a high d whistle, practice the first and second octaves with a simple finger chart, and apply major scale patterns to transpose tunes.
Breath Control and Tuning13:01
Master breath control and tin whistle tuning by finding each note's sweet spot with a tuner. Practice the first octave, scales, and random intervals to train air pressure and tone.
Tonguing Techniques10:08
Learn to shape the attack of each note on the tin whistle using strong, medium, and soft tonguing accents, plus legato transitions, through focused practice.
Octave Training10:18
Develop muscle memory and breath control through octave training, mastering the transition between the first and second octaves on tin whistle, including octave transition, jumps, scale walk, and octave turn.
Interval Training8:47
Master interval training on the tin whistle to build finger and breath muscle memory through beltone drills, skipping scale walks, one-two-three patterns, and random intervals.
Rhythm Training12:12
Learn rhythm training on the tin whistle with breath, timing, and beat focus through structured exercises, metronome guidance, foot tapping, note patterns, triplets, and scale walks.
10 Common Beginner Issues15:53
Identify and solve the tin whistle's 10 common beginner issues, from leaking holes and unstable blowing to wrong notes, with practical finger, breath, and tonguing strategies.
Playing any Minor Key Song11:42
Learn to play any minor key tune on the tin whistle by using the relative major/minor relationship, top-hole root method, and cross-fingering, with transposition for any key.
Learning Tunes on your Tin Whistle8:33
Learn to read tin whistle notes and tabs across octaves, master fingerings and cross fingerings, and practice with a metronome, tuner, and slow tempo to build fluency.
Let's Play some Tunes4:37
Warm up your whistle and body, tune with a tuner, and practice tunes like Lord of the Rings using tabs and watching taps.

Introduction to Advanced Performance Techniques1:12
Move from tin whistle basics to advanced performance techniques that add emotion, expression, and soul to your playing. Practice regularly and ensure you’re comfortable with the essentials before advancing.
Your Zero to Hero Journey4:13
Keep progressing on your zero to hero journey with daily tin whistle practice, advancing from beginner sound to advanced expressive techniques like finger vibrato, slides, and taps and cuts.
Playing Low Whistles12:50
Discover how low whistles produce deeper, warmer, and softer tones as a bigger instrument requires more air, and master the piper's grip to achieve expressive notes, vibrato, and dynamic control.
Cross Fingerings9:22
Explore cross fingerings on the tin whistle to access chromatic notes beyond the seven-note major scale, with three common fingerings: C natural, G sharp, and A sharp.
Half-Holing14:39
Master half-holing on the tin whistle to access all notes, using gradient holding and shading with your finger to release air and build a chromatic scale.
Slides7:58
Learn how to use slides on the tin whistle to create smooth note transitions, including slide in, slide out, multi-note slides, and half-hole slides, with breath control tips.
Bends6:39
Learn to add expression and groove on the tin whistle by bending notes using shading and partial holes, either into a note or during it, focusing on the upper holes.
Cuts6:29
Explore how to use cuts as expressive grace notes on the tin whistle, including whole cut, high hole cut, and multi-hole cuts, plus bounce and combination techniques to decorate melodies.
Taps5:23
Master the tin whistle's expressive taps, including single hole, multi-hole, half-hole, and bounce taps, and learn to time these decorations to enhance performances.
Rolls3:36
Learn advanced tin whistle rolls, a quick turn that combines cut and tap or etep and cuts, practiced in two versions, to boost agility and timing for performances.
Runs4:18
Learn to play energy lifting tin whistle runs, including single-note and multi-note runs, practice slowly to master timing and finger placement, with descending runs often easier.
Flutter Tongue3:06
Learn the tin whistle flutter tongue, an explosive rhythmic airstream that creates a chaotic special effect; practice from the top note using rolling tonguing to reach the second octave.
Finger Vibrato10:23
Explore finger vibrato on the tin whistle to add expressive pitch pulsing. Learn single and multiple finger vibrato techniques, shade and slide vibrato, and speed and depth variations for emotion.
Air-Flow Vibrato10:42
Learn to shape air flow vibrato on the tin whistle by varying breath pressure to pulse pitch and volume. Master depth, breadth, and speed of vibrato across octaves.
Tremble Vibrato4:18
Explore tremble vibrato, a tin whistle tremolo created by stuttering the airstream to add texture. Practice long notes, then switch between clean and tremble vibrato, especially on higher notes.

Congratulations - Now Explore the World of Music1:22
Master the tin whistle foundations and essential techniques, and add emotion through advanced decorations and expressive techniques. Practice tunes from tin whistle tabs in any key, starting high D.
Scarborough Fair0:01
Danny Boy0:01
The Sound of Silence0:01
Morning has Broken0:01
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah0:01
The Wellerman0:01
The Jackson 5 - I'll be There0:02
John Lennon - Imagine0:01
LOTR - May it Be0:01
The Lion King - Can you Feel the Love tonight0:03
Titanic - My Heart will Go On0:02
Shrek - Fairytale Theme0:01
Star Wars - The Force Theme0:02
The Hobbit - Misty Mountains0:01

Requirements

You need to own a Tin Whistle (High D recommended)
You should have basic knowledge of music notes

Description

Learn How to play Tin Whistle

Welcome to your adventure in learning how to play the Irish tin whistle. It will be a fantastic and fun journey, with an even more exciting destination. Because if you go through this course, and make sure to practice with focus every single day for at least a few months, you can go from a complete beginner...to being able to play confidently and even with added expression and decorations...

In this course I will take you from a complete beginner on the tin whistle, to a confident player. And give you all the insights into how this instrument works, the basic techniques, how to get past the most common issues you will struggle with, and when you are ready, the decorations and advanced techniques you can use to add expression and emotion into your performances. I will even show you how to play a couple of tunes on the tin whistle.

Another great point of learning this instrument, is that you don't have to stick to traditional Irish or folk music. You can play any tune you want, if you learn how to play this instrument well, and develop your skill and technique.

You will get so much joy for years to come, so don't hesitate, I promise you it is well worth the time to truly learn how to play the Irish tin whistle. Because playing a music instrument is one of the most creative and satisfying experiences in life.

Why should you learn how to play this particular instrument? Well, I personally love the sound of this instrument. I love its agility, its expressive potential, unique decorations and the variation you can get both from your playing style and performances, but also from using different keys and models of whistles.

Are you ready to learn this amazing instrument? Then let's start your adventure, right now!

Who this course is for:

Musicians
Music Artists
Music Composers
Songwriters
Music Producers

Learn How to Play the Tin Whistle

What you'll learn

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