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!

Sons of Sorrow

(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

Sons of Sorrow

Hail! ye sighing sons of sorrow;
Come learn with me your certain doom;
Learn with me what's your fate tomorrow
Dead and perhaps laid in the tomb!
     See all nature fading, dying!
     Silent, all things seem to pine;
     Life from vegetation flying,
     Brings to our mind the mouldering vine.

Lo! in yonder forest standing,
Those lofty cedars; see them nod!
Scenes of nature, how surprising!
But read, in nature, nature's God.
     While the annual frosts is cropping
     Leaves and tendrils from the trees,
     So our friends are yearly dropping
     We are but like to one of these.

From Southern Mountain Folksongs, McNeil
Collected from Almeda Riddle
see also What's the Life of a Man for similar theme
RG
apr97

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!