Digital Tradition Mirror

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!

Dreary Black Hills

(Bb whistle)

(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

Dreary Black Hills

Kind friends, you must pity my horrible tale,
An object of pity, l'm looking quite stale,
I gave up my trade selling Wright's Patent Pills
To go hunting gold in the dreary Black Hills.

     Don't go away, stay at home if you can,
     Stay away from that city, they call it Cheyenne,
     For big Wallipee or Comanche Bill
     They will lift up your hair on the dreary Black Hills

The roundhouse at Cheyenne is filled every night
With loafers and bummers of most every plight;
On their backs is no clothes, in their pockets no bills,
Each day they keep starting for the dreary Black Hills.

I got to Cheyenne, no gold could I find,
I thought of the lunch route l'd left far behind;
Through rain, hail, and snow, froze plumb to the gills,
They call me the orphan of the dreary Black Hills.

Oh, I wish the man who started this sell
Was a captive, and Crazy Horse had him in hell.
There's no use in groaning or swearing like pitch,
But the man who would stay here is a son of a bitch.

Kind friend to conclude my advice I'll unfold
Don't go to the Black Hills a hunter for gold
Railroad speculators their pockets you'll fill
By taking a trip to the dreary Black Hills

     Don't go away, stay at home if you can,
     Stay away from that city, they call it Cheyenne,
     For old Sitting Bull or Comanche Bill
     They will take off your scalp on the dreary Black Hills.

From Lomax, Cowboy Songs
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!