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SongsAuld Lang Syne
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  1. 5,
  2. 1
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  53. 6,
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  56. 1

Scottish traditional melody, sung to these words since 1799. Public domain.

4 strings · C2–A3 open · E5 up the A string in thumb position · Perfect fifths, exactly an octave below a viola. The C string is the deepest note in a string quartet.

Tap a string, or slide along a string and the pitch follows your finger, under a bow that never stops. On a keyboard the letters on the strings are the ones to press — they run down the strings, the A at the top — hold a key and the note holds.

CelloFree · printable · plays in your browser

Auld Lang Syne — Cello Notes

Auld Lang Syne, written out for the cello as every note with its string and how far up it. Press Play to hear it, Practice to learn it one note at a time — the cello waits for you — or Play along to keep time with it.

  • Notes56, 7 pitches
  • RangeG3–A4
  • Key hereC major
  • Tempo96 bpm · about 40 s
  • LevelEasy

Can a cello play Auld Lang Syne?

✓ Plays as written Every note of it is on the cello, in C major from G3 to A4. The check is made note by note against what the instrument can actually sound.

Auld Lang Syne: cello notes

The large line is the note; the small line under it is the string, and how many semitones above its open note to stop it. A dash holds the note another beat, an underline is half a beat, and a dot beside a note makes it half as long again. Each line is one phrase.

▶ Play it above

Auld Lang Syne — cello notes · tonalics.com

The 7 notes it uses

Lowest to highest, with how many times each is played. Learn these 7 and you can play the whole tune.

  • GD·5×3
  • AA·0×4
  • CA·3×16
  • DA·5×8
  • EA·7×13
  • GA·10×6
  • AA·12×6

What to expect on a cello

  • It runs from G3 to A4, an octave and a whole step, using 7 different notes. That leaves 19 semitones unused below and 7 above.
  • 62% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a major sixth, C4 to A4, at note 29.
  • It is played on 2 strings (D and A), crossing between strings 5 times.
  • 4 notes are an open string, and the highest stop is 12 semitones above the open string.

About the tune

Robert Burns sent the words to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788, describing them as an old song he had taken down from an old man’s singing. The melody now sung was paired with them in 1799; it is a Scottish dance tune, and it is sung at midnight on New Year’s Eve across the English-speaking world.

Scottish traditional melody, sung to these words since 1799. Public domain. The notes follow Wikipedia, “Auld Lang Syne” (engraved score), cross-checked against 1 other transcription. More about Auld Lang Syne →

Auld Lang Syne on other instruments

The same melody, in each instrument’s own notation. It is not offered for the handpan or ocarina, which do not have the notes.

More songs for the cello

All 36 cello songs · Christmas songs for cello · The online cello on its own

Playing it on a real cello?

If it sounds wrong, check the instrument before the notes. The cello tuner listens through your microphone and names what each note is actually sounding.

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