The following song is in ABC music format and it should be cut-and-pasted into an ABC converter program like the "abcConverter" on Mandolintab.net. Once you submit your ABC file, the converter will produce a quick and dirty image of your musical score which is then displayed on screen. Above the music, in the center of the screen, you should be able to see these three links:
[MIDI music file] [PDF Sheet Music] [ABC source]
The first link will allow you to hear your music as played on a midi player, which is great for learning what a new song is supposed to (kind of) sound like. It's great if you are not sure of the timing of the music. The second link converts the ABC source into a .pdf image of your music which you can then save and/or print to yield prettier sheet music. Then, if you want to view the ABC source again, you can click on the third link. However, to edit your ABC source, you best click on your browser's back arrow to take you back to the original text box holding your ABC source.
Well, I like this song, and I hope you do as well. Enjoy:
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
X:1
T:Mairi's Wedding
C:Scottish
L:1/8
M:4/4
K:Emaj
E3/2E/2 EF AB c2 | BA FA cB c/2e3/2 |
w:Step we gai-ly on we go, heel for heel and toe for toe_
w:1 1 1 2 4 5 6+ 5 4 2 4 6+ 5 6+ 8
w:~
E3/2E/2 EF AB c2 | BA FD E2 E2
w:Arm in arm and on we go, all for Mai-ri's wed-ding.
w:1 1 1 2 4 5 6+ 5 4 2 0 1 1
w:~
w:Chorus~(above~2~lines)
w:~
w:Verse~1:
e3/2e/2 ef ed c2 | BA FA cB c/2e3/2
w:O-ver hill ways up and down, myr-tle green and brac-ken brown,
w:8 8 8 9 8 7 6+ 5 4 2 4 6+ 5 6+ 8
w:~
e3/2e/2 ef ed c2 | BA FD E2 E2
w:Past the sheil-ing, thru the town, all for sake of Mai-ri.
w:8 8 8 9 8 7 6+ 5 4 2 0 1 1
w:~
w:(Repeat~the~chorus)
w:~
w:Verse~2:
e3/2e/2 ef ed c2 | BA FA cB c/2e3/2
w:Plen-ty her-ring, plen-ty meal, plen-ty peat tae fill her creel,
w:8 8 8 9 8 7 6+ 5 4 2 4 6+ 5 6+ 8
w:~
e3/2e/2 ef ed c2 | BA FD E2 E2
w:Plen-ty bon-ny bairns as weel, that's the toast for Mai-ri.
w:8 8 8 9 8 7 6+ 5 4 2 0 1 1
w:~
w:(Repeat~the~chorus)
w:~
w:Verse~3:
e3/2e/2 ef ed c2 | BA FA cB c/2e3/2
w:Cheeks as red as row-ans are, bright-er far than a-ny star.
w:8 8 8 9 8 7 6+ 5 4 2 4 6+ 5 6+ 8
w:~
e3/2e/2 ef ed c2 | BA FD E2 E2
w:Fair-est of them all by far is our dar-ling Mai-ri.
w:8 8 8 9 8 7 6+ 5 4 2 0 1 1
w:~
w:(Repeat~the~chorus)
w:~
w:(Repeat~Verse~1)
w:~
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Notes:
1.) The song is shown in the Key of E, but sounds just fine when played on a D-A-D' tuned instrument (or any other 1-5-8 tuning). It was arranged to be played on the melody string, so you can play it with diatonic canjos as well.
2.) Scottish vocabulary list:
- sheiling = small stone hut used by shepherds for shelter in the highlands.
- creel = a woven basket often used like a backpack to carry heavy loads like bricks of dried peat.
- rowans = the red flowers of a tree that grows in Scotland.
- bonny bairns = beautiful children
- tae = to
- weel = well
3.) Here is a link to downloard a .pdf version of this song suitable for 1-5-8 tuned stick dulcimers:
