How to Play Hot Cross Buns on the Tin Whistle
D major · 4/4 · 60 BPM · Nursery · Training
Hot Cross Buns is a nursery you can learn on the tin whistle, set in D major (4/4, around 60 beats per minute). It uses 3 distinct notes, ranging from D5 up to F#5 — all within the D whistle’s range.
Three-note tune (F#-E-D in D major). The shortest possible 'real tune' — confidence-builder for Lesson 2. Phrase shape is 'high-mid-low' three times, with a 'one penny two penny' middle measure (paired quarters in place of the canonical eighth notes — slower but easier to tongue) before the final 'hot cross buns'.
The tin whistle notes for Hot Cross Buns start F# E D F# E D D D E E F# E… 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 Hot Cross Buns with these notes in order. Same letter in a higher octave uses the same fingering — overblow for the second register.
F# E D F# E D D D E E F# E D
Sheet music
ABC notation
X:1 T:Hot Cross Buns M:4/4 L:1/4 K:D F E D2 | F E D2 | D D E E | F E D2 |]
Fingering chart
Hot Cross Buns uses these notes on the D tin whistle: D5, E5, F#5.
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