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!

A Tale of a Wife

(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

A Tale of a Wife

I'll tell you a tale of a Wife,
And she was a Whig and a Saunt;
She liv'd a most sanctify'd life,
But whyles she was fash'd wi' her...

chorus: Fal lal la etc.

Poor woman! she gaed to the Priest,
And till him she made her complaint;
"There's naething that troubles my breast
Sae sair as the sins o' my..."

"Sin that I was herdin' at hame,
"Till now I'm three score and ayont,
"I own it wi' sin and wi' shame
"I've led a sad life wi' my..."

He bade her to clear up her brow,
And no be discourag'd upon't;
For holy gude women enow
Were mony times waur't wi' their...

It's naught but Beelzebub's art,
But that's the mair sign of a saunt,
He kens that ye're pure at the heart,
Sae levels his darts at your...

What signifies Morals and Works,
Our works are no wordy a runt!
It's Faith that is sound, orthodox,
That covers the fauts o' your...

Were ye o'the Reprobate race
Created to sin and be brunt,
O then it would alter the case
If ye should gae wrang wi'your ...

But you that is Called and Free
Elekit and chosen a saunt,
Will't break the Eternal Decree
Whatever ye do wi' your...

And now with a sanctify'd kiss
Let's kneel and renew covenant:
It's this---and it's this---and it's this---
That settles the pride o' your...

Devotion blew up to a flame;
No words can do justice upon't;
The honest auld woman gaed hame
Rejoicing and clawin her...

Then high to her memory charge;
And may he who takes it affront,
Still ride in Love's channel at large,
And never make port in a...!!!

Note:  A stanza quoted casually in a letter to Ainslie, 29 July 1787,
     is apparently an alternative (or additional) final stanza:

               Then hey, for a merry good fellow,
               And hey, for a glass of good strunt;
               May never we SONS OF APOLLO
               E'er want a good friend add a...

From Merry Muses of Caledonia, Burns
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!