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SongsAuld Lang Syne
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  1. 5,
  2. 1
  3. 1
  4. 1
  5. 3
  6. 2
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 1
  11. 1
  12. 3
  13. 5
  14. 6
  15. 6
  16. 5
  17. 3
  18. 3
  19. 1
  20. 2
  21. 1
  22. 2
  23. 3
  24. 1
  25. 6,
  26. 6,
  27. 5,
  28. 1
  29. 6
  30. 5
  31. 3
  32. 3
  33. 1
  34. 2
  35. 1
  36. 2
  37. 6
  38. 5
  39. 3
  40. 3
  41. 5
  42. 6
  43. 6
  44. 5
  45. 3
  46. 3
  47. 1
  48. 2
  49. 1
  50. 2
  51. 3
  52. 1
  53. 6,
  54. 6,
  55. 5,
  56. 1

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

6 courses · C2–C4 open · C5 at the octave · The most widespread modern Arabic tuning. Fourths, except for the major third between the 5th and 4th courses.

Tap a course, or slide along a course to bend the note the way a fretless neck does. On a keyboard the letters on the courses are the ones to press — they run down the courses, 1 at the top.

OudFree · printable · plays in your browser

Auld Lang Syne — Oud Notes

Auld Lang Syne, written out for the oud as every note with its string and how far up it and set up above on the Arabic. Press Play to hear it, Practice to learn it one note at a time — the oud 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 oud play Auld Lang Syne?

Yes — every one on this page plays it. The check is made note by note against what each one can actually sound. Where the tune does not fit as the library writes it, another key or octave is tried, and the table says which; where nothing fits, it names the notes that are missing.

  • Arabic✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, G3–A4 · loaded above
  • Turkish✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, G3–A4 · load it

Auld Lang Syne: oud 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 — oud notes (Arabic) · 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.

  • GG·0×3
  • AG·2×4
  • CC·0×16
  • DC·2×8
  • EC·4×13
  • GC·7×6
  • AC·9×6

What to expect on a oud

  • It runs from G3 to A4, an octave and a whole step, using 7 different notes. That leaves 19 semitones unused below and 3 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 (G and C), crossing between strings 5 times.
  • 19 notes are an open string, and the highest stop is 9 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 oud

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

Playing it on a real oud?

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

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