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Cwritten C4 · sounds B♭3open · 2nd partial
SongsAway in a Manger
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The tune “Mueller”, James R. Murray, 1887. Public domain.

31 notes · F♯3–C6 written · sounds E3–B♭5 · 31 notes · A B♭ trumpet: a mostly cylindrical bore, the bright one.

Tap a note, or slide along them to slur from note to note in one breath. On a keyboard the letters on the notes are the ones to press — Q is middle C, the open low C, and they climb a semitone at a time to the high C.

TrumpetFree · printable · plays in your browser

Away in a Manger — Trumpet Notes

Away in a Manger, written out for the trumpet as written notes with the valves for each one and set up above on the Trumpet. Press Play to hear it, Practice to learn it one note at a time — the trumpet waits for you — or Play along to keep time with it.

  • Notes44, 8 pitches
  • RangeG4–G5
  • Key hereC major
  • Tempo100 bpm · about 29 s
  • LevelEasy

Can a trumpet play Away in a Manger?

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.

  • Trumpet✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, G4–G5 · loaded above
  • Cornet✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, G4–G5 · load it
  • Flugelhorn✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, G4–G5 · load it

The notes here are written pitch, which is what a trumpet player reads. On the Trumpet this sounds in B♭ major.

Away in a Manger: trumpet notes

The large line is the written note; the small line under it is the valves to press — 0 is none. 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

Away in a Manger — trumpet notes (Trumpet) · tonalics.com

The 8 notes it uses

Lowest to highest, with how many times each is played. Learn these 8 and you can play the whole tune.

  • G0×8
  • A1-2×5
  • B2×4
  • C0×7
  • D1×6
  • E0×7
  • F1×3
  • G0×4

What to expect on a trumpet

  • It runs from G4 to G5, an octave, using 8 different notes. That leaves 13 semitones unused below and 5 above.
  • 84% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a minor seventh, G4 to F5, at note 35.
  • It uses 4 valve combinations (open, 1, 2 and 1-2), and 26 of its 44 notes are played open.
  • The lips move across 4 partials of the harmonic series (3, 4, 5, 6).

About the tune

An American carol of the 1880s that was long, and wrongly, said to be by Martin Luther. This is the tune called “Mueller”, published by James R. Murray in 1887 and the one sung in North America. In Britain the same words go to a different melody, William J. Kirkpatrick’s “Cradle Song” of 1895.

The tune “Mueller”, James R. Murray, 1887. Public domain. The notes follow Wikipedia, “Away in a Manger” (engraved score), cross-checked against 1 other transcription. More about Away in a Manger →

Away in a Manger on other instruments

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

More songs for the trumpet

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

Playing it on a real trumpet?

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

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