Stormy Weather: looking for the score

Whistle
1

Something I can’t grasp from ear about the “Stormy Weather” tune.

Anyone with the written (vocal) score?

2

Which version? Words by Harold Arlen or Leo Sayer?

3

Melody, not lyrics–sorry, when mentioning “(vocal)”, I meant the vocal part of the score.

4

So I pieced it out for ya…

Too many odd accidentals, but if you’re a whiz at half-holing try it with the first note on 2nd octave F

Mary

5

On a D whistle this would make it in D and does indeed involve quite a few accidentals. I found it easier playing in A with a two hole start but still needed to half hole Eb at one point.

I only played the A section. I’m not sure if the bridge would complicate matters.

Bend into those half-holed notes. Gives it a very nice, bluesy, feel which it is supposed to have anyway.

6

Just played the bridge with the two hole start. Not a problem. There’s an optional note you might want to half hole but otherwise plain sailing.

This tune offers challenges which just about any chromatic bluesy tune offers. You want a flattened seventh probably. But you also want flattened and natural fifths and flattened and natural thirds. The two hole start gives you the flattened seventh and both major and minor thirds without, or with easy, half holing but makes the flattened fifth a bit difficult. A five hole start works nicely if you don’t need the major third but is a bit awkward if you need it a lot. Getting a flattened fifth is easier with a five hole start IMO. Since blue notes don’t require perfect intonation to sound good, cross fingerings that don’t appeal in other contexts will sometimes sound OK on bluesy ballads like this or on straight blues.

7

From your comments, no wonder I had a few problems trying to toot it, tut-tut.

Thanks Mary, but… where is it?

8

Try it the way I suggested, Paul; I think you’ll find it easier. I forgot to tell you what note to start on though. If you play it in A start on C#—top of eh first octave. The first phrase goes C#, D, E. Now almost straight away you’ll have to half hole Eb and you’ll play C natural at one point as well as C# in others but I think you can get through without any further difficult bits.