Tin Whistle Games

The Rocky Road to Dublin on the tin whistle

An Irish slip jig for a D whistle, 28 notes. Press play to hear it on Penny's whistle, then learn it one note at a time.

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

E+

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

Fingers for each note

  • E

  • G

  • A

  • B

  • C sharp

  • high D

  • high E

  • high F sharp

About the tune

The Rocky Road to Dublin is an Irish slip jig. It is tune 1116 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.

The tune was printed without words in The Dublin Magazine as early as 1841. The words of the song were written by the Irish poet D. K. Gavan. Source: Wikipedia

How hard is it

Level
Harder
Notes
28
Range
E to F♯+
High notes
10 of 28
C♯
3 times. Lift every finger.

Keep going

All 18 tunesThe full finger chart

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