I’m Ken—a tin whistle player in Utah who enjoys finding simple, approachable ways to play familiar hymns so many people know and love.
An independent personal project
Whistle Hymns is an independent personal project that I create, maintain, and personally fund. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or officially connected to any church, denomination, ministry, publisher, or other organization.
Why I created the site
I created Whistle Hymns to make familiar Christian hymns easier for people to learn, play, and enjoy on the tin whistle. There is something special about hearing a well-loved hymn played on such a simple instrument.
My goal is to provide clear, printable tabs that let players spend less time deciphering notation and more time making music. Whether you are picking up a whistle for the first time or are an experienced player looking for a familiar melody, I hope you find something here that brings you joy.
Music meant to be shared
Whistle Hymns focuses on hymns and melodies believed to be in the public domain in the United States. This allows the site to celebrate and preserve these timeless pieces while making them freely available to today’s musicians.
The original whistle-tab transcriptions offered by Whistle Hymns are released under CC0. You may print, copy, share, adapt, perform, and record them without requesting permission. Attribution is always appreciated, but it is not required.
Modern arrangements, translations, editions, performances, and recordings may have their own copyright protection even when the underlying hymn is in the public domain. Additional information is available on the Terms of Use page.
How the tabs work
The tabs on this site are prepared using a D whistle. To make a hymn fit the instrument comfortably, it may be transposed and may not appear in the key in which it was originally written or is most commonly sung.
Although the tabs were prepared for a D whistle, the same fingering patterns can be used on whistles in other keys. The melody will simply be in a different key depending on the whistle being played.
The example performances are intended as helpful guides rather than exact, note-for-note demonstrations. The way I play a hymn may vary slightly from the printed tab through phrasing, ornamentation, rhythm, or an occasional note. The performance should still be close enough to give you a good idea of how the tab and melody sound.
About the collection
Each tab is prepared with clarity and playability in mind. Many entries also include a short introduction about the hymn’s writer, tune, history, or message. When an example performance is available, you will find a link alongside the printable tab.
The collection will continue to grow as new tabs are prepared. If you notice an error or have a public-domain hymn you would like to see included, please send me a note through the Contact page.
Follow along
You can also find example performances and other tin whistle music on the Whistle Hymns TikTok profile.
Thank you for visiting. I hope these tabs help you enjoy—and share—some of the enduring melodies of the Christian faith.