Melody Problems With The First Noel?

Subject: Problems With The First Noel?
From: GUEST,Nick
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 12:52 PM

I printed out the C Pennywhistle notation for The First Noel from Dig. Trad. and I think there is something wrong, it just does not play well/ sound right. I think the problem is in the first two bars of the last stanza. (This may not be the correct terminology but I think you will get the jist) Should there be some higher, different notes in here? Is there something missing? I am not realy musicaly literate but perhaps some tune detective can spot what is wrong and suggest a fix, or can tell me that I am the prob

Subject: RE: Problems With The First Noel?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 01:38 PM

The "play tune" sounds okay to me on the verse.

In the chorus, the fourth "noel" often goes on up, but unless you're a soprano or second tenor it may be difficult to reach, so the version as played back is also fairly common in my neighborhood.

In the chorus, you have to pronounce NOEL so it has multi syllables each time, of course. Upper Case (ABCDEFG) are lower register, Lower case (abcdefg) are the next octave up:

    

E    D   C   D    E    F   G    c    b   a    b   c    d   e   d
  No - o - e - el   No - o - el   No - o - e - el   No - o - e - el
  
  x    x   x   x    x    x   x    o    x   x   x    o    x   x   x
  x    x   x   x    x    x   x    o    o   x   o    o    x   x   x
  x    x   x   x    x    x   o    o    o   o   o    o    x   x   x
  x    x   x   x    x    o   o    o    o   o   o    o    x   x   x
  o    x   x   x    o    o   o    o    o   o   o    o    x   x   x
  o    o   x   o    o    o   o    o    o   o   o    o    x   o   x
  

If this comes across as intended, I can ask "Is this perhaps what you're wanting to hear?"

John

Subject: RE: Problems With The First Noel?
From: Tom French
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 01:43 PM

C penny whistles are a mater of length, slightly longer than than the more standard D whistle, but not as long as the Bb whistle, etc. Stanza mean verse and all stanzas are the same musically. The counterpart of the stanza is the chorus. The 1st Noel chorus is very similar to the verse. However, everyone likes to sail up to the high note near the end of the chorus. This is actually usually the tenor line in most 4-part hymnal arrangements.

Below are the fingerings where "1" = one finger down on the first hole and "6" = six fingers down on all six holes, other notes etc, 0 = no fingers. When you need to overblow for the upper octave I'll add an * asterisk. There are no odd fingerings needed to alter the basic scale. On a C whistle, your tune will be in C, on a D whistle it will be in D. I'll assume you know the rhythm.

Verse (or Stanza).
4 5 6 5 4 3 2, 1 0 6* 0 1 2, 1 0 6* 0 1 2 1 0 6* 2 3 4,
Repeat this line again and you have the entire verse.
Chorus
4 5 6 5 4 3 2, 6* 0 1 1 2, 6* 0 1 2 1 0 6* 2 3 4,

Chorus with the soaring tenor line
4 5 6 5 4 3 2, 6* 0 1 0 6* 5* 4* 3*, 6* 0 1 2 1 0 6* 2 3 4,

This should answer your question. However, tunes were made to be changed. The 1st Noel is really nothing but playing the scale, with a few breaks. Sink into the tune, play it anyway your mind desires. That's why everyone sings the tenor line and not the tune. They love it. There's no such thing as correct and I'm sure there are many yet undiscovered variations waiting to be sounded. Enjoy!

Subject: RE: Problems With The First Noel?
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 02:14 PM

Nick, the whistle tab version does do something a little different but it still works OK.

Let me try to explain using Tom's notation. We have (Tom's on first line - dt below)

  No-el, No-el, No-el, No-el,   Born is...
  4565   43 2   60  1  1   2    6
  4565   43 2   60 10  61  210  6
  

I hope I got that right. I've never used whistle tab and haven't touched a whistle in a long while.

Jon

Subject: RE: Problems With The First Noel?
From: GUEST,Nick
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 08:40 PM

I knew you guys would have some good input. I think John's notation is closer to what I am used to hearing, as I most often hear it on a professional recording or at a church with a good choir. Hitting the higher notes is not a prob with the whistle. My voice however can't even hit the normal mid range, that is why my wife likes me playing the whistle, there is no way to sing while doing so!

Thanks Nick

Subject: RE: Problems With The First Noel?
From: MMario
Date: 11 Nov 01 - 08:55 PM

hee-hee! Interesting question - especially since I was rehearsing this today with some friends for a show. *I* GET to do the high notes...though only the second time around - (and assuming I can hit them when singing outdoors in Upstate NY during the winter!)