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!

How Happy the Soldier

(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

How Happy the Soldier

How happy the soldier who lives on his pay,
And spends half a crown out of sixpence a day;
Yet fears neither justices, warrants nor bums*
But pays all his debts with a roll of his drum!

cho: With a row de dow, row de dow, row de dow, dow
     And he pays all his debts with a roll of his drum.

He cares not a marneday how the world goes,
His King finds his quarters and money and clothes.
He laughs at all sorrow whenever it comes,
And rattles away with a rol of his drum!

cho: With a row de dow, row de dow, row de dow, dow
     And rattles away with a roll of his drum.

The drum is his glory, his joy, his delight
It leads him to pleasure as well as to fight;
No girl, when she hears it, though ever so glum
But packs up her tatters and follows the drum.

cho: With a row de dow, row de dow, row de dow, dow
     But packs up her tatters and follows the drum.

*short for bumbailiffs; bailiffs used in arrests.

Note: a post-American-Revolutonary song, that comes from a comic
     opera, "The Poor Soldier," 1783.
From Early American Songbook, Vinson
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!