Can anyone recomend a good set of Lord of the Rings sheet music? Maybe I’m just rustier at googling than I thought, but do they even make sheet music for whistlers? Or would I have to convert say..uh flute? Truthfully I’m only interested in the hobbity bits of sheet music, so if there’s a collection of varried movies that would work.
Thanks
Sarah
Of course there is sheet music for whistle.
Using the search function on this board will undoubtedly turn up lots of info on LOTR.
Welcome to the board. Try to stick around…
There is sheet music out there for whistlers, but not specifically LOTR music, that I’ve found. I did find the official LOTR song book in a store locally, and part of the song “The Quest” (the hobbit theme) is in D and playable on the whistle (the fragment you hear in the movie, as a matter of fact, which people here refer to as “Concerning Hobbits”), but it modulates into a different (and much more problematic) key pretty quickly. I haven’t found any LOTR music written specifically for the whistle or even the recorder.
Redwolf
I have the LOTR sheetmusic and the Hobbit Theme (can’t remember the “real” name) IS quite playable on the whistle. I actually have a way to deal nicely with the key change. I will try and remember to bring the sheet music tomorrow and write it here on the board in TAB, or whatever you call it.
kar, could we have it in regular music notation? did not even know there was such a thing as tab for whistle, so i certainly will not be able to read it.
meir
I don’t know how to do that–post sheetmusic. I have VERY limited computer capbilities.
The way I will write it, it’s pretty obvious. It’s just what notes you play, and it works best if you sort of know the tune. Anyway, I’ll do what I can tomorrow!
Actually, if whistle tab is what I think it is, it shouldn’t be that hard to figure out.
http://www.members.shaw.ca/dabooks/music/whistle_font.html
http://www.stainedglass.org/other_pages/tinwhistle/whistle_main.html
The two sites above show examples. See the row of six little circles? They correspond to the holes on a whistle, the ones that are filled in show which holes to cover for each “note”. It may not show which notes are whole, half, quarter notes, etc. but it’s a great tool if you have heard the song before so as to be somewhat familiar with it already. Kar, this is what you meant by whistle tab I hope? Or there is also ABC format, maybe that’s what you meant? I guess we will find out. 
Sara
(ediited to add… Oh! So just writing the notes like C a d B etc? Well, whatever it is, thanks for offering to post it Kar!)
I’m not sure of the key change that I keep hearing people talk about. Are you talking about the part where it goes to the E major chord for a measure and then to an F# major chord for a measure? The next slow section starts on a Bm. –I’m editting this because I’m just remembering the score off the top of my head. I think it is actually a D major for a measure and then the Bm. Very long drawn out chords.– This is the only part that really steps out of D major. I guess this would be the only tricky part on whistle. The violin plays, for the D major measure, sDsEeF# eF# eF#, then for the E major measure, sEsF#eG# eG# eG#, and for the F# major measure, sF#sG#eA# eA#eA# eA#eA#. (E is for 1/8 note and s is for 1/16 in my own weird notation. Also this is just a rough rhythmic representation and I haven’t included any rests.) Other than the E and F# measure, it is an easy piece for the whistle.
I have transcribed the piece for whistle and had promised to mail a copy to another chiff and fipple reader, but I think he actually wanted an arrangement of the whistle with accompaniment instrumentation which I have not done. I’ve just simply written out the melody (along with ornamentation), bass line, and the chord progression. To that person (I can’t remember the name): I have your e-mail and haven’t forgotten about you. I just haven’t had time to arrange the instrumentation.
Anyway, I was just trying to find out about the key change I’ve heard mentioned. Thanks!
picardy
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=10797&highlight=bilbo
Sunnywindo is selling herself short. A while back Sara posted a transcription of the tune played during Bilbo’s party where all the hobbits are dancing, probably the best tune for whistling in the film. Follow the link above. Unfortunately it does not appear on the soundtrack album or in the published collections of LOTR themes.
I tried to check it out against the tune on the DVD, but there is so much background noise on the DVD I would have had to listen a hundred times, and it was driving me crazy. One day I will try again…
All the notes seem to be right, but getting the rhythm right is difficult - you need to refer back to the film.
Well, first of all, I forgot the sheet music this morning so it will have to wait until later when I get home.
Second, I think my understanding of TAB was wrong. TAB is when you show the six whistle holes and which ones to cover? What I mean was just writing out the notes. Like:
DEFAFED (which is the first bit of the “Hobbits” tune, I think). As long as you know the rhythm of the song, you can play it!
Well, I’ve never done this before, so it may be totally wrong. Basically, the capitals are first octave and the lower case is second octave. I’ve tried to indicate with a dash where some (not all) of the musical ties are (either eighth or sixteenth notes) but again, you do need to know the song in order to play it.
In the sheet music, it’s called “In Dreams” (featured in the Breaking of the Fellowship). Hopefully, it’s the piece of music you were asking about! It’s the one I associate with the hobbits!
DEFAFED
FABdCAFE
DEFAFED
FAB B-B-A-F E
DEF
FBCde-dCAFE
DEF
FBCded-eff-d-B-ddA
(Key change)
GABdBAG
Bdee-g-f-dBA
GABdBAG
GBdee-e-d-B
AA-A-G-FG
Lyrics (just in case you want them)
When the cold of winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain
But in dreams
I can hear your name
And in dreams
Will will meet again
When the seas and mountains fall
And we come to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there
I will go there and back again.
Thank you! I’m not exagerating when I say I squeaked for joy when I woke up to this lovely, lovely post. Unfortunatly, I have to go shopping before I can have whistle time, fortunatly my brain is already doing it’s best to memorize the notes and work out timing.
Thank you so much.
Thank you Martin
Also… Thank you Kar for posting that song. It looks great! Will have to try it out.
Sara
Oh, when you said the hobbit theme, I thought you were talking about “Concerning Hobbits” not the “Breaking of the Fellowship”. That explains my key change question. I see the ornametation was not written out. Oh well, Alan ad libbed it all anyway so the ornaments should be easy to add. I’ve really enjoyed the party music from Bilbo’s party that was posted. I sure hope they bring the whistle back for the third movie. I think it was mostly clarinet for the hobbit theme in the second movie.
You’re welcome for the music and if someone actually tries it and it works, please let me know! As I said, I’ve never tried this so if it was right, then I’ll know what to do NEXT time.