Tin Whistle Games

The Cliffs of Moher on the tin whistle

An Irish jig for a D whistle, 49 notes. Press play to hear it on Penny's whistle, then learn it one note at a time.

49 notes. Press play, or Next note to go one at a time.

D+

All six holes covered, blow a little harder.

The notes

Each box is one bar. A + means the high octave: same fingers, blow a little harder. A longer line under a note means hold it longer.

    1. high D
    2. high G
    3. high F sharp
    4. high G
    5. high A
    6. high G
    1. high F sharp
    2. high D
    3. high G
    4. high G
    5. high F sharp
    6. high D
    1. C natural
    2. A
    3. G
    4. G
    5. A
    6. G
    7. F sharp
    1. E
    2. D
    3. G
    4. G
    5. A
    6. G
    1. G
    2. high G
    3. high F sharp
    4. high G
    5. high A
    6. high G
    1. high F sharp
    2. high D
    3. high G
    4. high G
    5. high F sharp
    6. high D
    1. C natural
    2. A
    3. G
    4. G
    5. A
    6. G
    7. F sharp
    1. E
    2. D
    3. G
    4. G
    5. G

Fingers for each note

  • D

  • E

  • F sharp

  • G

  • A

  • C natural

  • high D

  • high F sharp

  • high G

  • high A

About the tune

The Cliffs of Moher is an Irish jig. It is tune 861 in O'Neill's Music of Ireland (1903), a book of 1,850 pieces collected by Francis O'Neill, then head of the Chicago police. The notes here are the first part of the tune as it is printed there (a scan of the book), set for a D whistle, with the ornaments left out.

Francis O'Neill learned it from Patrick O'Mahony, a West Clare flute player and Chicago police patrolman. Source: The Traditional Tune Archive

How hard is it

Level
Harder
Notes
49
Range
D to A+
High notes
23 of 49
C natural
2 times. Cover only the second and third holes.

Keep going

All 18 tunesThe full finger chart

Every tune here also plays in Typing Meadow, our free typing music game for kids.