Tin Whistle-Grundkurs Overview

  • This course is delivered in English with German subtitles.
  • 17 lessons teaching how to play 16 very popular Irish tunes.
  • Progress at your own pace, pause & repeat videos.
  • Access on all your devices.
  • PDF sheet music & mp3’s to download & keep for each tune.
  • 14-day free trial. Cancel anytime
  • Access to 14 instruments, 40+ courses, 700+ tutorials

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BONUS:
  • Access our Entire Course Catalogue for Every Instrument.
  • Library of over 150 popular Irish tunes to practice along with.
  • Virtual Reality Sessions for the unique Irish Pub Session experience – a real treat for the Irish music lover.
  • Community Forum of students and teachers, all friends with a love of Irish music.
The Tin Whistle is fun to learn and master, while offering a great opportunity to play Irish music with the least time and money investment. This Tin Whistle Basics course really has all you need to get started on the tin whistle. This course includes German subtitles.

By the end of the course you will have a repertoire of sixteen popular Irish session tunes, the ability to play cuts, taps and rolls, as well as a deeper understanding of the Irish music tradition. The course has 17 lessons, broken into 3 to 4 tutorials each, where tunes are taught phrase by phrase.

Course Structure

Dieser Kurs richtet sich an Anfänger auf der Tin Whistle. Wichtige Grundlagen, zum Beispiel, wie man die Flöte hält, die richtige Hand- und Fingerstellung und eine gute Grundtechnik, werden in den ersten Lektionen vermittelt. Während des ganzen Kurses werden Tonleitern, Verzierungen und die Artikulation schrittweise und mit entsprechenden Übungen erarbeitet. Der Grundkurs rüstet angehende Whistler und Whistlerinnen mit den erforderlichen Grundlagen für die lange und abenteuerliche Reise durch die traditionelle irische Whistlemusik aus. Am Ende des Kurses verfügen die Teilnehmenden über ein Repertoire von sechszehn bekannten irischen Liedern, sie beherrschen das Spielen von Cuts, Taps und Rolls und haben sich eine tiefere Kenntnis der traditionellen irischen Musik angeeignet.

Wenn Sie die Videolektionen mit Google Chrome ansehen, werden die Informationen und Tipps unterhalb der Videos automatisch übersetzt.

The Irish tunes taught are:

The Rattlin’ Bog
We won’t go home until the morning
I’ll tell my ma
Britches full of stitches
Shoe the donkey
The Butterfly
Na Ceannabhain Bhána
Johnny O’Leary’s
Sonny’s Mazurka
John Blessing’s
Sally Gardens
The Ten Penny Bit
O’Keefe’s Dream
The Feakle Jig
Connacht Heifers
Harvest Home

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Sheet Music and Mp3s available to Download for each Tune

Sample Sheet Music

Download The Rattlin’ Bog ABC Sheet Music.
Download The Rattlin’ Bog Standard Notation Sheet Music.

Sample mp3 of Rattlin Bog

Download Mp3 for The Rattlin’ Bog.

Recommended Tin Whistle for Beginners

Kirsten recommends a D tin whistle for beginners. Popular brands are Generation or Fedóg and can be found for sale online usually costing around $10.

Advice Starting Out with the Tin Whistle

Enjoy the journey. Watch and listen to the tutor and try to copy the notes she is playing exactly. After a while you will be familiar with the notes and how they should sound, meaning you will have trained your ear, to hear if you are playing correctly. This is how Irish music has been traditionally handed down through generations.

It is highly recommended to be familiar with any tune you are learning before learning how to play it on the tin whistle, so download the mp3 file and listen to it frequently first before picking up the whistle to learn to play it.

Your Tutor
Kirsten Allstaff, co-founder of OAIM, is an acclaimed flute and tin whistle player that has played throughout Ireland, Europe, North America and Asia with various Irish dance shows and groups. She has a First-Class Honours Master’s Degree in Traditional Irish Music Performance from the University of Limerick, Ireland. She previously tutored flute and whistle at The Irish World Academy of Music and Dance where she was involved in early online lecturing initiatives. Kirsten’s opening lesson of this course to date has reached over 600,000 views on YouTube, and consistently ranks in first position for those searching for tin whistle lessons, a testament to the quality of her teaching and popularity as a teacher. Read more.

Frequently Asked Questions

I can't get the breathing right, I either have too much air or not enough of it, what do you recommend?
When playing Irish music on the flute or the whistle, it’s all about incorporating the breath into the tunes. Some players have to breathe often and this means missing out notes in the reels or jigs, which can actually add great rhythm to the tunes. Other players like to go for long seamless phrases – more like a piping style. This takes stamina and a strong set of lungs. More detailed breathing instructions are given throughout the Tin Whistle Basics course as Kirsten will recommend the best opportunities to breathe corresponding to the tunes she’s teaching.

Is there any difference between a Tin Whistle and a Penny Whistle?
Tin whistle and penny whistle are two different names for the same instrument.
Is the finger setting the same as on the Irish flute?
The fingering for a tin whistle is the same for the wooden flute commonly used for playing Irish Music.
What is the difference between a Low D and D tin whistle?
Low D is a lot lower in tone than the D tin whistle played in these lessons. D whistles are recommended for beginners.
How do you clean a tin whistle?
You blow through the whistle while holding your finger over the square hole. This releases any build-up of condensation in the tin whistle which can distort the tone. Also, you can wash it through with soapy water, but make sure to rinse it very well before playing again.
Why do the notes sound the same, or sound awful?
There is probably a build-up of condensation, try covering the square hole and blowing hard through the mouth piece. This will improve the tone.
What determines the key of a whistle?
The sound made when all the fingers are down covering the holes.
What is the best way to cover the holes of the whistle, with the tips of fingers or the pads?
Always cover the holes with the pads of your fingers rather than the tips.

More detailed questions and discussion on the course can be found in the Community Forum, available to paying members only.

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Tin Whistle-Grundkurs Lessons

Level

Hand Und Fingern Wird Vorgezeigt Und Erklärt

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 1

  • Level 1
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

In dieser Lektion wird die Tin Whistle vorgestellt. Die richtige Stellung von Hand und Fingern wird vorgeze…

Focus on Technique

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The Rattlin´ Bog

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 2

  • Level 1
  • Melody
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

In dieser Lektion lernen die Teilnehmenden eine ganz einfache irische Polka namens “The Rattlin´ Bog…


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We Won’t Go Home Until the Morning

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 3

  • Level 1
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

In dieser Lektion lernen die Teilnehmenden eine zweite einfache irische Polka

Polka

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I’ll Tell My Ma

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 4

  • Level 1
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

Am Anfang der Lektion wird die G-Dur-Tonleiter vorgestellt.

Polka

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Britches Full of Stitches

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 5

  • Level 1
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

G-Dur-Tonleiter

Polka

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Shoe The Donkey

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 6

  • Level 1
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

In dieser Lektion lernen die Teilnehmenden eine bekannte Mazurka aus Donegal – “Shoe the Donkey…

Mazurka

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The Butterfly

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 7

  • Level 1
  • Melody
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

In dieser Lektion lernen die Teilnehmenden den bekannten Slip Jig “The Butterfly”


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Na Ceannabhain Bhána

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 8

  • Level 1
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

Eine weitere Verzierung, der Cut, wird vorgestellt und in diesem Slip Jig angewendet

Slip Jig

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Johnny O’Leary’s

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 9

  • Level 1
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

Kirsten zeigt die Verwendung von Slides und Cuts auch in diesem Lied

Polka

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Sonny’s Mazurka

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 10

  • Level 1
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

Cuts und Slides

Mazurka

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John Blessington’s Reel

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 11

  • Level 1
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

Atemtechniken

Reel

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Sally Gardens

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 12

  • Level 1
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

Atemtechnik bei Reels und mit dem Cut fort.

Reel

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The Ten Penny Bit

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 13

  • Level 1
  • Melody
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

Kirsten zeigt an diesem Lied eine weitere Verzierung, den Tap.


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O’Keefe’s Dream

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 14

  • Level 1
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

Kirsten setzt die bungen zu Cuts und Taps fort.

Reel

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The Feakle Jig

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 15

  • Level 1
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

Eine neue Verzierung wird vorgestellt – der Roll auf dem G.

Jig

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The Connacht Heifer

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 16

  • Level 1
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

Der Roll auf dem F’s wird vorgestellt.

Reel

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Harvest Home

Tin Whistle Grundkurs Lektion 17

  • Level 1
  • Melody
Learn Irish Tin Whistle Online

Es werden weiterhin Rolls geübt, auch der Roll auf dem A wird vorgestellt.


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