How to Play The Ballydesmond on the Tin Whistle
A dorian · 2/4 · 220 BPM · Polka · Beginner
The Ballydesmond is a polka you can learn on the tin whistle, set in A dorian (2/4, around 220 beats per minute). It uses 13 distinct notes, ranging from D5 up to B6 — all within the D whistle’s range.
Polka in a dorian (128 notes after repeat-expansion).
The tin whistle notes for The Ballydesmond start A B A G E F# G E A B A G… Full sequence below.
The interactive sheet music shows a fingering chart under every note. Press Play this tune to play along while the app listens to your microphone and grades every note, or print a clean copy of the score.
Tin whistle notes
On a D tin whistle, play The Ballydesmond with these notes in order. Same letter in a higher octave uses the same fingering — overblow for the second register.
A B A G E F# G E A B A G A D D E D C A D D E D C E D C D E A A B A G E D C D E A C D E D C D E A A B A G E F# G D B C E D B A B C E E D D
Sheet music
ABC notation
X:298 T:The Ballydesmond R:polka M:2/4 L:1/8 K:Adorian |:A>B AG|EF GE|A>B AG|Ad d/e/d/c/|! A>B AG|EF G2|AB cE|ED D2:|! Ad d2|ed c2|ed cd|ea a/b/a/g/|! ed c2|ed c2|A>B cd|ef g>f|! ed cd|eA cd|e>d cd|ea a/b/a/g/|! (3efg d>B|ce d>B|AB cE|ED D2|| % Source: https://thesession.org/tunes/298 setting 298
Fingering chart
The Ballydesmond uses these notes on the D tin whistle: D5, E5, F#5, G5, A5, B5, C6, D6, E6, F#6, G6, A6, B6.
More tin whistle tunes
- How to play A Fig For A Kiss on the tin whistle
- How to play A Tailor I Am on the tin whistle
- How to play Anderson's on the tin whistle
- How to play Bean An Tí Ar Lár on the tin whistle
- How to play Belfast Ham on the tin whistle
- How to play Bill Harte's on the tin whistle
- How to play Bill Sullivan's on the tin whistle
- How to play Billy McCormack's on the tin whistle
- How to play Blind Mary on the tin whistle
- How to play Calliope House on the tin whistle
- How to play Charles O'Connor on the tin whistle
- How to play Child Of My Heart on the tin whistle