How to Play Tripping Up The Stairs on the Tin Whistle

D major · 6/8 · 180 BPM · Jig · Beginner

Tripping Up The Stairs is a jig you can learn on the tin whistle, set in D major (6/8, around 180 beats per minute). It uses 9 distinct notes, ranging from F#5 up to G6 — all within the D whistle’s range.

Jig in D major — 276 notes, difficulty 1/5.

The tin whistle notes for Tripping Up The Stairs start F# A A G B B F# A D F# E D 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 Tripping Up The Stairs with these notes in order. Same letter in a higher octave uses the same fingering — overblow for the second register.

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

Sheet music

ABC notation

X:111
T:Tripping Up The Stairs
R:jig
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:Dmajor
|:FAA GBB|FAd fed|cBc ABc|dfe dAG|! FAA GBB|FAd fed|c2c ABc|dfe d2A:|! dBB fBB|dBB fed|cAA eAA|efe edc|! dBB fBB|fgf fed|cBc ABc|dfe d3:|
% Source: https://thesession.org/tunes/111 setting 111 (traditional, public domain)

Fingering chart

Tripping Up The Stairs uses these notes on the D tin whistle: F#5, G5, A5, B5, C#6, D6, E6, F#6, G6.

F#5
G5
A5
B5
C#6
D6
E6
F#6
G6

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