Tune Req: Captain Albert Alexander (David Bennett)

Subject: RE: Tune: capt albert alexander steam powered giraffe
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 28 Oct 13 - 06:26 PM

I'll get you started. On the video that Em linked, the music starts with a repetitious 'guitar' pattern for a bit. Ignore it.

The true melody seems to be in the key of C. The first notes (not chords, notes) are C GG C D. Once you know the tune, take up your piano accordion, play C GG C D and take it from there.

There are a lot of repeated notes.

Subject: RE: Tune: capt albert alexander steam powered giraffe
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 28 Oct 13 - 04:26 AM

sorry, I can not play by ear either... =-(

Subject: RE: Tune: capt albert alexander steam powered giraffe
From: GUEST,Em
Date: 27 Oct 13 - 05:08 AM

Thanks for your suggestions, spent ages earlier trying to work out the abc notation but that was no use, I cant play by ear to save my life!!

Subject: RE: Tune: capt albert alexander steam powered giraffe
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 26 Oct 13 - 03:54 PM

I sometimes open YouTube and Noteworthy side by side and transcribe a song, but THAT song would take hours because the timing is so, um, erratic.

I suggest you listen to it till you get it by heart and play it by ear.

Subject: ADD: Capt Albert Alexander (David Bennett)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Oct 13 - 03:45 PM

It's obvious that the YouTube video started life as a MIDI, but I have no idea how it could be converted back - except by a genius with a very good ear (or the sheet music). It's a great tune.

For the sake of completeness, here are the lyrics:


CAPTAIN ALBERT ALEXANDER
(David Bennett)

When he was a boy
he wanted to play
down by the sea

At age thirteen
every day after school
he would always sail around the lake

All the people would stand and stare
as he sailed around with precision and care
With his bi-corner hat and the way he would stand
he looked just like a Navy man
All the townsfolk would gather and say, and sing away

Captain Albert Alexander
He'll be a brave seafarer someday
But that Captain Albert Alexander
He'll go down in the waves

By age twenty four
he had left the shore
and was sailing for the Queen

On a dark starry night
Albert awoke to the sound
of his Captain screaming as he was drowned

The Navy crew was taking a lick
pirates had invaded the ship
But Albert with one aimed harpoon
ignited their rum with a spark and soon
flames drove the pirates away
the Navy sang

Captain Albert Alexander
Saved his crew from pirate slaughter
But that Captain Albert Alexander
He'll go down in the water

Now everyone dance
Dance. Dance.

Twenty some odd years later
On his ship The Sea Slater
He sailed into a mass of blubber

Gazing up to the sky
stood a large walrus
that was a hundred stories high, it meant no harm

The walrus was in a great deal of pain
It suffered from a tusk with tooth decay
Albert threw his anchor 'round its tusk
with a little bit of pulling it was out by dusk
The walrus thanked Albert and sang, as he sailed away

Captain Albert Alexander
Friend to sea urchin and me
But that Captain Albert Alexander
He'll go down in the sea

At a ripe old age lightning struck from the sky
and split Albert's vessel in two
One hundred men fled for their lives
on rafts across the ocean blue

Albert stood at the stern of his ship
A giant octopus had him in its grip
A vortex of spiraling death below ripped
and sharks and electric eels all made the trip
to see Albert
sink to the bottom of the sea

Just before he went down
he called out to his crew
It's obvious that my time has come
I'll let this ending ensue
I've led an exciting nautical life it would seem
and there's no better end than a death by the sea
His crew sang

Captain Albert Alexander
He went down in the sea
But that Captain Albert Alexander
He'll go down in history

That Captain Albert Alexander
He went down in the sea


"Captain Albert Alexander" Lyrics
Music & Lyrics by David Bennett

Source: http://www.steampoweredgiraffe.com/CAAlyrics.html (corrected)

Recording at http://www.steampoweredgiraffe.com/

Subject: RE: Tune Req: captain albert alexander steam powered g
From: GUEST,.
Date: 26 Oct 13 - 02:12 PM

or is it possible for anyone to convert second YouTube link into midi format??

Subject: Tune Req: captain albert alexander steam powered g
From: GUEST,Em
Date: 26 Oct 13 - 09:55 AM

Hi, wondering if there is anyone who would be willing to create a basic Midi of the song "captain albert alexander" by steam powered giraffe. Think this song would sound really good on Piano Accordion...
hears a link to the song; http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Captain+Albert+Alexander/6CSx7S?src=5

and a link to a version that's sounds similar to a midi on u tube; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWY83z3nteo

hope this helps =-)