Jack Campin's Ocarina Tunes

Misirlou

2012-02-05T16:45:00.000-08:00

"Misirlou" (The Egyptian Girl") is a Greek song, copyrighted by P. Roubanis in 1934 but certainly older. It's best known in the West these days as the theme for the movie "Pulp Fiction" - the version used there is the wonderful Californian surf-rock arrangement by Dick Dale and the Deltones.

Dick Dale's version

The scale it it uses is known as "zirguleli hijaz" in Turkish and "mayamalavagaula" or "bhairavi" in Indian music - centred on E as here, the F and C are natural but the G and D are sharpened. This scale was known in ancient Greece, but in this song, it came via the Ottoman Empire.

MIDI

ABC:

X:0
T:Misirlou
Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk
F:http://octunes.blogspot.com
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=120
K:EPhr ^G^D
E3 F G2A2|B3 c d2c2|B8-|B8 :|
cB2c B2A2|BA2B A2G2|G8-|G8   |
BA2B A2G2|GF2G F2E2|E8-|E8 :|
A8-      |A6     GA|B8-|B6 AB|\
c6     Bc|d6     cd|e8-|e8   |
fe2f e2d2|ed2e d2c2|B8-|B8   |
dc2d c2B2|BA2B G2F2|E8-|E8 :|
c6     Bc|d6     cd|e8-|e8- |e8-|ez3 z4|]

The Hunt

2012-01-30T06:19:00.000-08:00

This is an Irish tune used for a hornpipe-like set dance. It's normally played in G. This covers the whole range of a 10-hole C ocarina, so use one in D if you want to play with (most) other people.

danced performance

MIDI

ABC:

X:0
T:The Hunt
Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk
F:http://octunes.blogspot.com
G:Irish hornpipe or set dance
N:usually played in G
M:C|
L:1/8
Q:1/2=74
K:F
C/D/E|F>G AG/F/ G>F D>F| B2 B>d c>B A>G|F>G AG/F/ G>FD>C|D>G G>F G>B A>G|
      F>G AG/F/ G>F D>F| B2 B>d c>B A>G|F>G A>F   G>FD>C|D>F F>G F2    :|
C/D/E|F>G A>B   c2  cd |_e2 e2  e2  d>c|d2  d2    d>ef>d|c2  c>d c2  B>A|
      B>A B>c   d>c B>A| G2 G>A G2  F2 |f2  f2    f>dc>A|G2  G>A G2  F>D|
      F>G AG/F/ G>F D>F| B2 B>d c>B A>G|F>G A>F   G>FD>C|D<F F>E     F2|]

Maria Elena

2011-12-18T17:22:00.000-08:00

This is a Mexican song from 1932 by Lorenzo Barcelata, named after the wife of the president of Mexico from 1928 to 1930, Emilio Portes Gil (best known for standing up to the US and giving asylum to the defeated General Agusto Sandino of Nicaragua). The tune, with both Spanish and English words, became a popular hit in both Mexico and the US, with successful new versions coming out for decades.

Los Indios Tabajaras

MIDI

ABC:

X:0
T:Maria Elena
Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk
F:http://octunes.blogspot.com
C:Lorenzo Barcelata
M:C|
L:1/8
Q:1/4=112
K:C
zc Bc BA |c6      E2|G4- GB B_B|A8- |A2
zd ^cd c=c|B6      D2|G4- GB GB |E8- |E4
    z2 G2 |e4- ec dB|c2 C4   EG |B6 A2|F4
    z2 G2 |d4- dB cA|B2 D4 EF |B6 A2|E2
zc Bc BA |c6      E2|G4- GB B_B|A8- |A2
zd ^cd c=c|B8        |E2 ^G4 E2 |c8- |c4
    z2 c2 |d4- dc dc|d4   zc d^d|e8- |e4
    zE Gc |A4- A^F Ad|B4   zG Be |c8- |c2|]

Welcome Christmas Morning

2011-12-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

A waltz tune for Scottish danceband, by the accordionist Jimmy Shand. This is not taken from a score: it's the way I play it, with the ornaments left out, but I prefer it in B flat. It's played in a lot of different ways in Scotland.

MIDI

ABC:

X:0
T:Welcome Christmas Morning
Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk
F:http://octunes.blogspot.com
C:Jimmy Shand
M:3/4
L:1/4
Q:3/4=60
K:C
   C3|E2 G|e2 d|c3  |c3  |e2 d|c2 G|A G2 | 
[1 E3|E2 C|G2 A|G3  |A2 d|d2 e|d3- |d3  :|
[2 A3|c2 f|e2 d|e2 c|B2 G|A2 B|c3- |c3  ||
%
|: e3|e2 G|e2 d|c3  |c3  |e2 d|c2 G|A G2 | 
[1 A3|A3  |G2 C|E3  |D2 d|d2 c|B2 G|A2 c:| 
[2 A3|c2 f|e2 d|e2 c|B2 G|A2 B|c3- |c3  |]

La Rotta

2011-12-18T16:06:00.000-08:00

This is often played after Lamento di Tristan - it follows it in the same manuscript. Its range is one note less so it's playable on more instruments, including some types of mediaeval bagpipe.

MIDI

ABC:

X:0
T:La Rotta
T:AABBA
Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk
F:http://octunes.blogspot.com
M:2/4
L:1/16
Q:1/4=132
P:AABBA
K:DDor
[P:A] AB|c2Bc A2d2|   dcBc A2AG|
      [1 GFFE DEFD|   E6      :|\
      [2 GFFE EDDC|   D6      |]
[P:B] DE|F2FG A2AB|   c2Bc A2AG|
         GFFE EDDC|[1 E6      :|\
                   [2 D6      |]

Lamento di Tristan

2011-12-12T17:20:00.000-08:00

A slow mediaeval Italian dance tune. The structure isn't very clear from the manuscript: what I've suggested in the MIDI file is using the B section as a coda.

MIDI

ABC:

X:0
T:Lamento di Tristano
Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk
F:http://octunes.blogspot.com
M:2/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=104
P:ABCB
K:DDor
P:A
|: A2B2|c3B |c2d2|edcB|A4- |A2Bc|
   d2d2|c3B |cBcd|edcB|A3G |
   AGAB|ABAG|F3E |FEFG|AGFE|D4  |
[1 E2F2|GAGF|E4- |E2FE|DCD2|E4- |E4:|\
[2 E2D2|EDC2|D4- |D4 ||
P:B
|: A2G2|F3E |FEFG|AGFE|D4  |
[1 E2F2|GAGF|E4- |E2FE|DCD2|E4- |E4:|\
[2 GFED|EDC2|D4- |D4      |]
P:C
|: D2E2|F3E |FEFG|AGFG|A4- |A4  |
   d2d2|c3B |cBcd|edcB|A3G |
   AGAB|ABAG|F3E |FEFG|AGFE|D4  |
[1 E2F2|GAGF|E4- |E2FE|DCD2|E4- |E4:|\
[2 E2D2|EDC2|D4- |D4      ||

Edinburgh klezmer tunes blog

2011-12-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

Heads-up for another blog I've just started:

http://edinburghklezmertunes.blogspot.com/

It's for tunes played at the fortnightly Edinburgh klezmer session. A fair number of the tunes work on ocarinas, though I mostly use G clarinet and C melody saxophone there.

Reel Eugene

2011-12-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

I got this Quebecois reel from Nigel Gatherer's forum, where he provides it in staff notation with mandolin tablature. He got it from a Commando Trad flashmob performance in Montreal. It works at the original pitch if you play it on a G ocarina - the low F sharp at the end of the first part first time through needs to go up an octave, unless you have an unusually good subhole note.

MIDI

ABC:

X:0
T:Reel Eugene
Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk
F:http://octunes.blogspot.com
C:Arthur Pigeon
S:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni3x-uwAumo
S:http://www.nigelgatherer.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=716
M:C|
L:1/8
Q:1/2=112
K:BMin
B3 c dcB2|e3 f gfe2|f2fg fede|    fbbB b2b2 |
B3 c dcB2|e3 f gfe2|f2fg fedc|[1 TB4 [F4f4]:|\
                              [2 B4   A4   ||
f3 e d2B2|A2df b2f2|a3 g e2c2|    Aceg f2de |
f2fe d2B2|A2df b2f2|a3 g e2c2|    Acec d4   :|

My Italian Ocarina Page

2011-10-26T05:59:00.000-07:00

There haven't been any posts for a few days since I've been updating my Italian ocarina page - it's very different from the way it was, far bigger with lots of links and pictures:

http://campin.me.uk/Music/Ocarina/

http://tinyurl.com/italian-ocarina

Halloween tunes

2011-10-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

Not long to Halloween, so some grisly old stuff. This is a Scottish copy of an English tune, Grim King of the Ghosts, from 1682. It was very popular a bit before 1700, with dozens of songs set to it, some of them surprisingly cheerful. By the time this was written down, in 1796, nobody remembered the cheerful ones.

MIDI

The Headless Body is taken from Frances Tolmie's book 105 Songs of Occupation from the Western Isles of Scotland. Tolmie explains that it was about a headless female giant who rampaged around the countryside tearing her victims into pieces with her bare hands. She (the giant, not Tolmie) was a form of the Morrigan, the Celtic goddess of death. This transcription is dedicated to Sarah Palin.

MIDI

ABCs:

X:0
T:Shaking with horror and fear at the Grumbling of the Ghosts
N:subtitled "Which is terrible"
S:NLS Acc.12304(A), notebook of James Robertson, 1796, p72
Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk
F:http://octunes.blogspot.com
M:3/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=100
K:GDor
D    |G^FG| BA G   |({B}A2) D   |BAd| B>AG|    G2:|
B/c/ |d dG|(_ed) c/B/|    c2 d/c/|BAB| Gc B|({B}A2)
D/>D/|G^FG| BA G   |({B}A2) D   |BAd|TB>AG|    G2:|

X:0
T:The Headless Body
Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk
F:http://octunes.blogspot.com
M:6/8
L:1/8
Q:3/8=100
K:EDor
    EFF d3|F2F FED|EFF d3 |FED E2E |
    EFF d3|F2F FED|EEE FED|EED E2E||
({F}A2)d B3|A2A FED|A2d B3 |AGF E2D |
({D}A2)d B3|A2A FED|EEE FED|E2E DEF|]

Major Lyell of Kinneff's Favorite

2011-10-11T05:11:00.000-07:00

This is a Scottish version of an Irish tune, published by John Hamilton for the composer William Marshall in Edinburgh in the 1790s, in a small sheet with half a dozen tunes in it. Sheets like that (usually meant mainly for the piano and harp) are now quite rare, and I've never seen one outside a reference library. They often contain the first versions of a tune ever published, but not many of them ever get listed in tune indexes.

This one happens to fit the Pacchioni doppia-S ocarina in G perfectly. These are not a common type of ocarina but I've got one and I love it. I've printed the tune without transposition. The first two parts only need the lower chamber, the third only needs the upper chamber. So you could play it by switching between single-chamber ocarinas in G and the C above, if you can do the switch fast enough (I can't, and wouldn't try with ocarinas that might break if I dropped them).

The second ending is a turnaround for repeating the tune. As usual for Scottish music of this period, the published accompaniment is minimal. It fits the range of a cello, but whether played on a cello, harp or keyboard, you'd use this as the basis for an improvised vamp.

MIDI

Here's the tune by itself, with MIDIs for the tune and the accompaniment if you want to try "music minus one".

MIDI (tune)

MIDI (accompaniment)

ABC:

X:0

Whistling Rufus

2011-10-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

This cakewalk was a hit for J.P. Sousa's band in 1900, and I'd guess that people all over America were playing it on the ocarina as soon as they heard it. Words (which you probably don't want to know) were added later. The original instrumental had an extra section and a key change. This is the simpler song version. (I first heard it via Jimmy Shand, who did the longer one). I've given two endings for the bridge section: the lower notes are the original, but need an ocarina that goes down to the low B. I think my higher alternative sounds better regardless of which sort you've got.

I will post the longer version later - it needs more range so it's arranged for double ocarina.

MIDI

ABC:

Greysteil

2011-10-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

This a rare historical survival: it's the tune for a very long mediaeval Scottish epic ballad about wandering knights, castles and magicians. No other epic from western Europe has a surviving tune. This one was played for James IV of Scotland on the lute in 1497 (we know because we have the record of how much the lutenist who sang it was paid). The tune was written in a lute manuscript of 100 years later.

The tune needs a lot of variation. The epic would have taken a few hours to perform, and it has to be said it is not a very gripping story. It has been recorded once, in part, in a rather dull performance.

MIDI

Bint el Shalabiya

2011-10-04T18:34:00.000-07:00

This is an Arabic song popularized by the Lebanese singer Fairouz, often used by Western belly dancers, and sung in Turkish and Persian versions. I've given two settings: fin C minor (Arabic pitch) for a C ocarina with a subhole to provide the low B, or in D minor (Turkish pitch) for any C ocarina with a good high F.

The accompaniment can be played on any instrument, but a lower-octave C ocarina would do it - it's a brief initial flourish, and then a single repeated bar that continues for the whole song.

As usually sung, there are two verses: you just repeat the whole thing, including the introduction.

Some notes are silent in the MIDIs due to a bug in BarFly; I can't see a way to fix this at the moment, but there's enough there to give you most of the tune.

Fairouz's version
Persian version
contemporary Turkish version

instrumental (me on clarinet, Shelley bellydancing)

MIDI (melody)

MIDI (accompaniment)

MIDI (both parts)

ABC:

X:0
T:Bint el Shalabiya
T:Kamtar Zan Shaneh

T:Böyle gelmiş böyle geçer
Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk
F:http://octunes.blogspot.com
G:Arabic song also sung in Turkey and Iran
M:2/4
L:1/16
Q:1/4=80
K:CMin
P:Intro (2nd instrument)
CD| E2FG A2=Bc|d2=B2 z2ed |c2=BA GFED|
   C2GG C2G2 |C2GG   C2G2 |C2GG   C2 ||
P:Accompaniment vamp
   |:C2GG C2G2 |C2GG   C2G2 :|
P:Tune
|:GE|C2GG G2G2 |AGFA   G2GE |C2G2   A2c2|
    =BAAG F2FA |c2A2   A2G2 |AGFE   GFED|
     C2DE FEED |DCC=B, CDEF |G2A2   A2G2|
     AGFE GFED |C2DE   FEED |DCC=B, C2 :|
CD|E6    =B,C|D6       CD |E6
DE|F6     FG |A3G    F2EF |G3F    E2
DE|F2E2 D2C2 |G6       FG |A3G    F2
EF|G3F E2DE |F2E2   D2=B,2|D4        ||
CDEF|C2GG G2G2 |AGFA   G2GE |C2G2   A2c2|
    =BAAG F2FA |c2A2   A2G2 |AGFE   GFED|
     C2DE FEED |DCC=B, CDEF |G2A2   A2G2|
     AGFE GFED |C2DE   FEED |DCC=B, C2 |]

Ecco La Primavera

2011-09-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

A late mediaeval two-part song about the arrival of spring, by the blind Italian composer Francesco Landini. Fits two C ocarinas. Make it sound happy!

MIDI

Midis of the separate parts so you can play along:

MIDI (voice 1)

MIDI (voice 2)

ABC:

X:0
T:Ecco la primavera
Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk
F:http://octunes.blogspot.com
C:Francesco Landini (1325-1397)
M:3/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=144
V:1
V:2
K:ADor
[V:1] e3 d ^c2|d2 cB cA|B2 B2 cB|A2 G G2F|
[V:2] A3 A A2|G4    A2|E2 E2 C2|D2 E C2D|
%
[V:1] E2 E2 z2|A2 GA GA|B2 c d2 c|B2 B2 z2|e4 c2|
[V:2] E2 E2 z2|A2 G2 F2|E2 E G2 A|B2 B2 z2|A4 A2|
%
[V:1] d2 (3cBA B2|A2 A2 z2 :: A3B ^c2|d2 e d2^c|
[V:2] G2   EF ^G2|A2 A2 z2 :: A3E E2|D2 G2   F2|
%
[V:1] e2 e d2 e|c4 z2|e2 c2 d2|ed (3cBA B2|A2 A2 z2:|
[V:2] A2 B2 A2|c4 z2|A2 A2 G2|E2   F2 ^G2|A2 A2 z2:|

Dorogoi Dlinnoyu (Those Were the Days)

2011-09-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

For most people in the UK, this is a song made popular by Mary Hopkin in 1968. It's originally a Russian song first recorded in 1925, and still very popular in Russia.

MIDI

ABC:

X:0
T:Dorogoi Dlinnoyu
T:Those Were the Days
Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk
F:http://octunes.blogspot.com
C:B. Fonin
M:4/4
K:AMin
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100 "Slow"
A2- A/A/B/c/ d2- d/c/B/A/|cA- A6|E2- E/E/F/G/ A2- A/E/G/F/|D8 |
A2- A/A/B/c/ d2- d/c/B/A/|cA- A6|BB``B```c B^F`^G```A |B8||
M:2/2
L:1/4
Q:1/2=100 "Quicker"
z Hc Hc HB|B2 A A|z A A G|G2 F F|z D E F|G3 A|B A G F|E4 |
z C D E|G2 F F|z F G A|d2 c c|z A B c|e3 d|c B A^G|A4|]

Papirossen

2011-09-30T03:18:00.000-07:00

This is a Yiddish song by Herman Yablakoff (1903-1981) using a traditional Bulgarian tune. It was originally a very sad monologue by a homeless boy selling cigarettes on the street, but for a long time it has been performed both as a slow song as and a fast klezmer dance tune (or as a slow song followed by an accelerating dance). There are many versions of it on YouTube, some of which transform it almost beyond recognition. Listen to a few, since adding ornamentation to it makes a huge difference, and there are many choices.

Technically this is an exercise for both the low and high E flats on a C ocarina.

MIDI

The ABC for the tune:

X:0
T:Papirossen
Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk
F:http://octunes.blogspot.com
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=80
K:CMin
    zC|CEEG Gccd | eedc G3z |eddc   cBBA |   AGGF F3F|
       FGGd dcc=B|=BAAG GFFE|EFFE   GFED |[1 E6     :|\
                                          [2 C4     ||
|:zGcd|e3d edc=B|c2 G6     |c=Bc=B c_BAG|   GA F6   |
       FGGd dcc=B|=BAAG GFFE|EFFE   GFED |[1 E4     :|\
                                          [2 C6     |]

St Columba's Homesailing Prayer and Alleluia

2011-09-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

This comes from a manuscript by the harpist Jean Campbell in the National Library of Scotland. I don't know any published or recorded version of it. It seems to have been collected by Kenneth Macleod in the Highlands in the late 19th century and passed on to Campbell by Catriona Mackintosh.

MIDI

There is a text:

At mouth of day, the hour of birds,
Stood the saint on the great white strand.
"O King of Storms, home sail the boat,
From far away,
O King of Storms, home sail the boat".
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
O King of Storms, home sail the boat,
Alleluia, alleluia.

Aig beul an là, aig traigh nan eun,
Sheas an manach air an traigh mhor mhinn.
O Righ nan dul, cuir oirm am bàt,
O thiribh cein,
O Righ nan dul, cuir oirm am bàt.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia,
O Righ nan dul, cuir oirm am bàt,
Alleluia, alleluia.

Campbell's manuscript is an arrangement for the harp. I have done one based harmonically on hers but with the melodic bits of the harp part recomposed for another instrument with the range of a C ocarina, but an octave lower. So the piece could be performed using soprano and alto C ocarinas and a guitar.

MIDI

Here's the ABC for the bare tune and my arrangement.

X:0

T:St Columba's Homesailing Prayer and Alleluia

Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk

F:http://octunes.blogspot.com

S:NLS Acc.11770 (Jean Campbell)

N:"given me by Catriona Mackintosh who was working with Kenneth Macleod"

M:3/4

L:1/8

Q:1/4=100

K:DMin

C2|D4    E2|{E}D4    C2|D4    E2|{E}D6   |\

   F4    F2|   EG E2 E2|D2 C2 DE|{E}D2 z2

C2|D4    E2|   A4    G2|E4    D2|   D4    \

D2|D2 C2 DE|{E}D4    C2|D4    E2|   A4 G2|E4 D2|D4||

M:4/4

z2|d3d d2d2|c2e2 d2d2|A3 A A2A2|AGA2 DCD2|

   d3d d2d2|c2e2 d4  |AGA2 d2d2|AGA2 D2CD|{E}D8|]

X:0

T:St Columba's Homesailing Prayer and Alleluia
Z:Jack Campin, http://www.campin.me.uk
F:http://octunes.blogspot.com
S:NLS Acc.11770 (Jean Campbell)
N:"given me by Catriona Mackintosh who was working with Kenneth Macleod"
N:harmony based on Campbell's arrangement
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=100
V:1 transpose +12 program 1 74
V:2 transpose -12 program 1 46
K:DMin
[V:1] z4 "Dm"z4|z8       |z4||[M:3/4] C2|"Dm"D4 E2|"Dm"{E}D4 C2|
[V:2] AGA2   d4|AGA2 D2CD|D4||[M:3/4] z2|z6       | z6         |
%
[V:1] "Bb"D4 E2|"Gm"{E} D6|"F"F4    F2|"C"EG E2 E2|"Bb"D2 C2 DE|
[V:2] z6       |z6        |   AF Fc cA|   EC CG GE|    BF Fd dG|
%
[V:1] "Gm"{E}D2 z2 C2|"Dm"D4 E2|"Am"A4 G2|"C"E4 D2|"Dm"D4 D2|
[V:2]        GD DB E2|    D6   |    E6   |   C6   |    D4 F2|
%
[V:1] "Bb"D2 C2 DE|"Gm"{E}D4    C2|"Dm"D4 E2|"Am"A4 G2|"C"E4 D2 |"Dm"D4||
[V:2]     BF Fd dG|       GD DB E2|    D6   |    E6   |   C6    |    D4||
%
[V:1][M:4/4] z2|"Dm"d3 d d2 d2|"Am"c2 e2 "Dm"d2 d2|"F"A3 A "Dm"A2 A2|"Am"AG A2 "Bb"DC "Dm"D2|
[V:2][M:4/4] z2|    D2 D4    F2|    E2 A4        F2|   C2 A4        F2|    E2 F4            D2|
%
[V:1] "Dm"d3 d d2 d2|"Am"c2 e2 "Dm"d4 |"Am"AG A2 "Dm"d2 d2|"Am"AG A2 "Bb"D2 "Am"CD|"Dm"{E}D8|]
[V:2]     D2 D4    F2|    E2 A4       D2|    E2 A4        D2|    E2 F4            A2|       D8|]

Tunes for ocarinas

2011-09-27T06:09:00.000-07:00

I am going to use this blog to post tunes that suit models of transverse ocarina I play. These will mostly be the Italian 10-hole type; any tunes for these will also work on an Asian-type 12-hole. I will also post some music specifically intended for the Pacchioni Doppia Semplice double ocarina.

I already have a large collection of music that will work on these instruments, using less than the full range of a C ocarina - my Nine Note Tune Book, in ABC notation. All the tunes I post here will use a larger range than that.

I will post tunes for C, G, F and possibly B flat ocarinas (ocarinas at these pitches are currently easily available). The tunes will be at the original pitch. I don't regard transposed music as very useful for the kind of stuff I play; if you got an ocarina at a pitch other than C, you got it because you wanted to play music in a different pitch range, so get used to reading it that way. Recorder players do that all the time and it doesn't take long to learn.