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!

The Grand Coulee Dam

(D 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

The Grand Coulee Dam
(Woody Guthrie)

Now the world holds seven wonders that the travelers always tell
Some gardens and some towers, I guess you know them well.
But now the greatest wonder is in Uncle Sam's fair land
It's the big Columbia River and the biog Grand Coulee dam.

She heads up the Canadian Rockies where the rippling waters glide
Comes roaring down the canyon to meet that salty tide;
From the big Pacific Ocean where the sun sets in the west
It's the big Grand Coulee cuntry, in the land that I love best.

In the misty crystal glitter of the wild and windward spray
I fought the pounding waters and met a watery grave,
When she tore their boats to dplinters and she gave men dreams to dream
On the day the Coulee dam was crossed by the wild and wasted stream.

Uncle Sam took up the challenge in the year of thirty three
For the farmer and the factory and all of you and me
He said, "Roll along Columbia, you can roll down to the sea
But river, while you're rambling, you can do some work for me.

Now from Washington and Oregon you can hear the factories hum
Making chrome and making manganese and white aluminum.
Now roars the Flying Fortress, for the fight for Uncle Sam
On the howling King Columbia, by the big Grand Coulee Dam.

note: Originally sung to Wabash Cannonball. When copyright holders for
   the Cannonball complained, Guthrie wrote a modified tune.
copyright Ludlow Music, 1958
play.exe GRNCOULE
RG
oct97

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!