This notation is pretty simple; dark circles mean covered holes; empty circles mean uncovered holes; a '+' below means to blow harder to get the upper octave; a '#' below means this note is too low for the whistle chosen and you'll have to fake it :) The author of this program always plays accidentals by closing holes, so you'll never see half-covered holes.
When I was starting, I found notation like this to be very helpful, and I know plenty of people who have trouble reading music who find this notation easier. Good luck!
![[GIF Score]](/wscores/ROYALOAK-C.gif)
(This score available as
ABC,
SongWright,
PostScript,
PNG, or
PMW, or
a MIDI file)
(Choose a whistle key:
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Ab
Bb
Cb
Db
Eb
Fb
Gb
A#
B#
C#
D#
E#
F#
G#)
Dulcimer tab
for this song is also available
The Royal Oak As we was sailing all on the salt seas, We hadn't sailed months past but two or three, Not before we saw ten sail of Turks, All men-o'-war full as big as we. "Pull down your colours, you English dogs! Pull down your colours, do not refuse. Oh, pull down your colours, you English dogs Or else your precious life you'll lose!" Our captain being a valiant man, And a well-bespoken young man were he: "Oh, it never shall be said that we died like dogs, But we will fight them most manfully!" "Go up, you lofty cabin boys, And mount the mainmast topsail high, For to spread abroad to King George's fleet That we'll run the risk or else we'll die!" The fight begun 'bout six in the morning, And on to the setting of the sun. Oh, and at the rising of the next morning, Out of ten ships we couldn't see but one. Oh, three we sank and three we burned, And three we caused to run away, And one we brought into Portsmouth harbour, For to let them know we had won the day. If anyone then should enquire Or want to know our captain's name, Oh, Captain Wellfounder's our chief commander But the Royal Oak is our ship by name. From The Penguin Book of English Folk Songs, Williams and Lloyd Collected from Moses Mansfield, Surrey, 1912 RG
Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!
