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B♭B♭1 · concert pitchopen · 2nd partial
SongsAuld Lang Syne
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Scottish traditional melody, sung to these words since 1799. Public domain.

42 notes · C1–F4 · the pedal B♭0 on the ladder · 42 notes · The band tuba: 18 feet of tube in B♭, and a fourth valve that fills the gap above the pedal.

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 the low F on the BB♭ (the G on the CC) and they climb a semitone at a time.

Auld Lang Syne — Tuba Notes

Auld Lang Syne, written out for the tuba as written notes with the valves for each one and set up above on the BB♭ · 4 valves. Press Play to hear it, Practice to learn it one note at a time — the tuba waits for you — or Play along to keep time with it.

  • Notes56, 7 pitches
  • RangeF2–G3
  • Key hereB♭ major
  • Tempo96 bpm · about 40 s
  • LevelEasy

Can a tuba 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.

  • BB♭ · 4 valves✓ Plays as writtenIn B♭ major, F2–G3 · loaded above
  • BB♭ · 3 valves✓ Plays as writtenIn B♭ major, F2–G3 · load it
  • CC · 4 valves✓ Plays as writtenIn B♭ major, F2–G3 · load it

Auld Lang Syne: tuba 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

Auld Lang Syne — tuba notes (BB♭ · 4 valves) · 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.

  • F0×3
  • G1-2×4
  • B♭0×16
  • C1×8
  • D0×13
  • F0×6
  • G1-2×6

What to expect on a tuba

  • It runs from F2 to G3, an octave and a whole step, using 7 different notes. That leaves 17 semitones unused below and 10 above.
  • 62% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a major sixth, B♭2 to G3, at note 29.
  • It uses 3 valve combinations (open, 1 and 1-2), and 38 of its 56 notes are played open.
  • The lips move across 5 partials of the harmonic series (3, 4, 5, 6, 8).

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 tuba

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

Playing it on a real tuba?

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

🎙 Open the Tuba Tuner