How to Play The Chicago on the Tin Whistle

A dorian · 4/4 · 220 BPM · Reel · Intermediate

The Chicago is a reel you can learn on the tin whistle, set in A dorian (4/4, around 220 beats per minute). It uses 10 distinct notes, ranging from E5 up to A6 — all within the D whistle’s range.

Reel in a dorian (220 notes after repeat-expansion).

The tin whistle notes for The Chicago start C D E D C A G E G E G A 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 Chicago with these notes in order. Same letter in a higher octave uses the same fingering — overblow for the second register.

C D E D C A G E G E G A C D E C G C A C G C E A A G E D C A C D E F# G E F# G F# G D B G G C D E F# G F# G E A A G A G E D C D E F# G E A F# G E F# D E F# E D C A B G A B

Sheet music

ABC notation

X:840
T:The Chicago
R:reel
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Adorian
|:cded cAGE|~G3E GAcd|ecgc acgc|eaag edcA|! cded cAGE|~G3E GAcd|eaag (3efg ed|cABG ~A3B:|! |:cdef g2ef|gfgd BG~G2|cdef g2fg|eaag aged|! cdef ~g3e|~a3f ~g3e|~f3d efed|cABG ~A3B:|
% Source: https://thesession.org/tunes/840 setting 840

Fingering chart

The Chicago uses these notes on the D tin whistle: E5, G5, A5, B5, C6, D6, E6, F#6, G6, A6.

E5
G5
A5
B5
C6
D6
E6
F#6
G6
A6

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