Chords Req: Blue Bells of Scotland

Subject: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: Peter T.
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 11:23 AM

Does anyone out there have the chords for "The Bluebells of Scotland"? Can't be that hard -- but I am stumped particularly by the sad chord in the last line (And it's oh in my heart....etc.). Any help appreciated. The only version of it on the Internet seems to be for dulcimer (and beautiful it must sound, but I am playing guitar).

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: masato sakurai
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 11:46 AM

You can get more than 10 scores at American Memory ["Blue Bells" as two words].
~Masato

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: Peter T.
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 12:11 PM

Thanks, Masato, I have the tune, it is the chords I am seeking (I am not competent to arrange myself). yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 12:21 PM

Peter, here's a link to this song at one of my favorite Internet sites (because it gives sheet music.) I have the book though, so I don't use this site much. Let me know if you want me to analyze this for chords. It seems to be pretty basic...Eb, Ab, Bb and a cmin and amin thrown in. I'm not sure where your "sad" chord is in the last line. I suspect it's not in this arrangement.

The Book of a Thousand Songs Blue Bells of Scotland

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 12:30 PM

Not a minor, but F major 7th. (c min on "foe" ... F maj 7th on "for")

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 01:00 PM

Thanks Masato for that great site. Somehow I had missed it in all my sheet music searches. Peter, just let me know what word has the "sad" chord and what key you want it in and I'll try to figure it out. Did I mention that this is one of my favorites?

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: kendall
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 01:02 PM

I've never understood this. I almost never sing a song in the key it was written, it depends on my own range, so, I have to find a set of chords that fit me, not the composer.

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 01:05 PM

kendall, once we figure out the relative chord progression, it will be easy to transpose to any other key. I forgot to ask Peter for that dulcimer site.

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 03:27 PM

"And it's oh in my heart...." (as I said). The rest of the song might as well be a military song, but the last line undercuts it. That is why it interests me. Thanks for the efforts, all.

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: Peter T.
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 03:59 PM

Sorry, that was me from a remote. The mountain dulcimer site (The Mixed Up Strings of Summit County, whoever they are) is: here!
yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 05:11 PM

The version of the Bluebells that I like best is on a record by Alex Campbell, and he believed in keeping the chords to a minimum, and I think it's the straight three chords all the way through. Maybe a relative minor thrown in at one point. But that's the way my musical tastebuds work.

"And(F) it's(G) oh(F) in(G) my(F) heart(C)" - playing in C I'd just do that way. Or maybe "And(C) it's oh(F) in(G) my heart(C)", if I was feeling lazy.

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 05:23 PM

That's a nice site. I'll have to retune my dulcimer to hear the songs, maybe even new strings...but I'm always looking for arrangements that can be played solo...not just the chord changes.

As far as the last line of Blue Bells of Scotland, none of the arrangements I've seen so far have anything unusual in them...just a I, IV, I, V7, I. I'm wondering if you just hear the words as sad, or if it's possible to substitute an umpteenth minor dimished somethingorother chord somewhere.

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 05:52 PM

Sad doesn't have to mean minor chords. As witness Lili Marlene, currently featuring on another thread. And it's not even the words there, because it's even more heartbreaking in German, and I don't understand German.

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: Peter T.
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 05:53 PM

Weel, Thanks Mary and McGrath, I guess I am doing this in a more complicated (overly?) style -- descending runs in open D (plus capo on the first to Eb) to match Kenneth McKellar (a typically overblown record -- "The BlueBells of Scotland"). I have:

         
Oh where tell me where is your highland laddie gone
(D    F#m    Em   G   D   A7   D)
Oh where tell me where is your highland laddie gone
(D    F#m    Em   G   D   A7   D)
He's gone (D) with (F#m)streaming (Bm)banners where (A7)noble (Em) deeds are (A7) done,
And it's (Bm) oh in my (F#m) heart, (Em)I (D)wish him (Em)safely (D)home.

It still sounds not quite right.

Probably needs some single malt scotch. yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 06:14 PM

"There are four-and-twenty ways of constructing tribal lays,
And every single one of them is right".(Kipling)

That's what I love about folk music,

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 06:48 PM

It appears that you are substituting the relative minors for that last chord progression in the last line. I like it. I would, however, like to hear an Emajor instead of eminor on the word "noble". And in the last two chords, throw in an A7 between your eminor and D.

But more importantly (to me) than that last line, is the third line I mentioned above, on your word "banner" I like the bminor, but throw in an Emajor7th on the second syllable (I think) before you hit the A7.

I'm getting confused with the different words and the different keys. If we were to "really" work on this, we would get the same words and use the I, II, III, IV, etc way of naming chords. (All this from someone who learned a lot from your mode threads.) ;-)

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 27 Oct 02 - 06:55 PM

We used to do the song with Margaret singing it A capella. Good song to quiet a talkative crowd.

Subject: RE: Anyone play 'The Bluebells of Scotland?'
From: Peter T.
Date: 28 Oct 02 - 08:30 AM

Thanks Mary, you are right, it smooths out the progression. It was interesting that it turned out that the third line was tougher than the one I thought was going to give me all the problems!!

yours, Peter T.

Subject: Lyr Add: NEW HIGHLAND LAD / BLUE BELLS OF SCOTLAND
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 02:11 PM

There are more verses—and more versions—out there than I learned in school.

From "The North Country Chorister" in Northern Garlands by Joseph Ritson (R. Triphook, 1810), page 12:

^^
THE NEW HIGHLAND LAD.

THERE was a Highland laddie courted a lawland lass,
There was, &c.
He promis'd for to marry her, but he did not tell her when;
And 'twas all in her heart she lov'd her Highland man.

Oh where, and oh where does your Highland laddie dwell?
Oh where, &c.
He lives in merry Scotland, at the sign of the Blue Bell;
And I vow in my heart I love my laddie well.

What cloaths, O what cloaths does your Highland laddie wear?
What cloaths, &c.
His coat is of a Saxon green, his waistcoat of the plaid;
And it's all in my heart I love my Highland lad.

Oh where and oh where is your Highland laddie gone?
Oh where, &c.
He's gone to fight the [faithless] French whilst George is on the throne,
And I vow in my heart I do wish him safe at home.

And if my Highland laddie should chance to come no more,
And if, &c.
They'll call my child a love-begot, myself a common whore;
And I vow in my heart I do wish him save on shore.

And if my Highland laddie should chance for to dye,
And if, &c.
The bagpipes shall play over him, I'll lay me down and cry,
And I vow in my heart I love my Highland boy.

And if my Highland laddie should chance to come again,
And if, &c.
The parson he shall marry us, and the clerk shall say amen;
And I vow in my heart I love my Highland man.*


* This song has been lately introduced upon the stage by Mrs. Jordan, who knew neither the words, nor the tune.

Subject: Lyr Add: HIGHLAND LADDIE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Nov 09 - 02:30 PM

From The Pocket Encyclopedia of Scottish, English, and Irish Songs, Vol. I (Glasgow: J. Smith & Son, et al., 1816), page 105:

^^
THE HIGHLAND LADDIE.

Oh where, tell me where, is your Highland Laddie gone?
Oh where, tell me where, is your Highland Laddie gone?
He's gone with streaming banners, where noble deeds are done,
And my sad heart will tremble, till he come safely home.
He's gone, &c.

O where, tell me where, did your Highland Laddie stay?
O where, tell me where, did your Highland Laddie stay?
He dwelt beneath the holly-trees, beside the rapid Spey,
And monie a blessing follow'd him, the day he gaed away.
He dwelt, &c.

O what, tell me what, does your Highland Laddie wear?
O what, tell me what, does your Highland Laddie wear?
A bonnet with a lofty plume, the gallant badge of war,
And a plaid across his manly breast, that yet shall wear a star.
A bonnet, &c.

Ah suppose, ah suppose that some cruel, cruel wound
Should pierce your Highland Laddie's breast, and all your hopes confound!
The pipe should play a cheerfu' strain, the banners round him fly,
And the spirit of a Highland chief should glister in his eye!
The pipe should play, &c.

But I will hope to see him yet in Scotland's bonnie bounds,
But I will hope to see him yet in Scotland's bonnie bounds,
His native land of liberty will nurse his glorious wounds,
While wide through all the Highland hills his warlike name resounds.
His native land, &c.*


* This song is the production of Mrs. Grant of Laggan, the writer of a volume of Poetry published several years ago, containing the Highlanders, &c. and of Eighteen Hundred and Thirteen, a Poem. It was composed on occasion of the Marquis of Huntley's departure for the continent with his regiment in the year 1793.