Holy, Holy, Holy on the ocarina
On a 12-hole it starts C, C, E, E. Easy, 45 notes, in C major.
Holy, Holy, Holy
Bar 1 of 16
What are the notes for Holy, Holy, Holy?
On a 12-hole. Read left to right, a line at a time.
- CCEEGGAAAGE
- GGGGTricky spot:high CBGDGAGG
- CCEEGGAAAAGG
- high CGGAEFDDCC
Holy, Holy, Holy opens C, C, E, E, then two long G's: the tune climbs a major chord one pair of notes at a time. In C major it runs from C to high C, so it fits a 12-hole, a 6-hole and a 4-hole ocarina in C. Here is one verse, sixteen bars, most of it on G and A with the same note struck two, three or four times in a row.
What is the tricky spot in Holy, Holy, Holy?
In the sixth and seventh bars, where the line reaches high C, steps down through B to G and then drops a fourth to D before climbing back to G and A. On a 12-hole, Holy, Holy, Holy goes from G to D: you cover the right index, right middle and right ring. On a 6-hole or 4-hole, you cover the left middle.
Most of the hymn sits on G and A, so the two big drops are where the fingers travel furthest: G down to D here, and the four-beat G down to C that starts the second half. Play G, D, G slowly until the low note speaks cleanly without a scoop, then put it back in the phrase. The four-beat notes, the G at the end of the first half and the C at the very end, are the other test: start them softly, keep the air speed level and let a tuner show you whether the pitch sags as your breath runs out.
Where do you breathe in Holy, Holy, Holy?
Breathe after the two long G's in bar 2 and again after the long E that closes bar 4. Take a full breath after the four-beat G halfway through. The second half starts low on C again; breathe after the long G's in bars 10 and 12, so there is air left for the four-beat C at the end.
Which ocarina can play Holy, Holy, Holy?
Any 12-hole, 6-hole or 4-hole ocarina in C plays Holy, Holy, Holy in this key. On an ocarina in G or F, use the same fingerings: the tune sounds in a different key, which is fine when you play alone. Each linked chart has every fingering for its ocarina, and you can check your notes with a tuner such as our free ocarina tuner.
The 8 notes here, on a 12-holeHoles in words, with a picture
| Note | Holes to cover | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| C | Cover every main hole | |
| E | Cover every main hole but the right ring and right pinky | |
| G | Cover every main hole but the right index, right middle, right ring and right pinky | |
| A | Cover the left pinky, left middle, left index, left thumb and right thumb | |
| high C | Cover the left pinky, left thumb and right thumb | |
| B | Cover the left pinky, left index, left thumb and right thumb | |
| D | Cover every main hole but the right pinky | |
| F | Cover every main hole but the right middle, right ring and right pinky |
Drawn as you see it while playing: mouthpiece towards you, left hand on the left.
| Note | Holes to cover | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| C | Cover every hole | |
| E | Cover every hole but the right index | |
| G | Cover every hole but the left middle and right middle | |
| A | Cover the left index, left thumb and right thumb | |
| high C | Cover the left thumb and right thumb | |
| B | Cover the right middle, left thumb and right thumb | |
| D | Cover every hole but the right middle | |
| F | Cover every hole but the right middle and right index |
Drawn as you see it while playing: mouthpiece towards you, left hand on the left.
| Note | Holes to cover | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| C | Cover every hole | |
| E | Cover every hole but the right index | |
| G | Cover the left index and right index | |
| A | Cover the left index | |
| high C | All holes open | |
| B | Cover the right middle | |
| D | Cover every hole but the right middle | |
| F | Cover the left middle and left index |
Drawn as you see it while playing: mouthpiece towards you, left hand on the left.
Who wrote the tune for Holy, Holy, Holy?
John Bacchus Dykes, a minor canon of Durham Cathedral, wrote it for the first edition of Hymns Ancient and Modern in 1861 and named it Nicaea, after the church council of 325 that set out the doctrine of the Trinity. Reginald Heber wrote the words for Trinity Sunday while he was vicar of Hodnet in Shropshire, and they were printed in 1826, the year he died. Our tabs follow Hymn 135 in the 1861 book, printed under the heading "Trinity Sunday" in E major and in long half notes; we play each half note as a quarter and set the tune in C. The page writes two matching spots differently, a plain two-beat A in bar 3 and a dotted rhythm on the same A in bar 11, and we keep both as printed. Dykes died in 1876. We show the melody only. Music: the tune "Nicaea" by John Bacchus Dykes (1823-1876), printed 1861; words by Reginald Heber (1783-1826).