I Saw Three Ships on the ocarina
On a 12-hole it starts C, F, F, G. Medium, 32 notes, in F major.
I Saw Three Ships
Bar 1 of 6
What are the notes for I Saw Three Ships?
On a 12-hole. Read left to right, a line at a time.
- C FFGAhigh CAGB♭AFFATricky spot:GCCCFFGAhigh CAGB♭
- AFFGAGF
I Saw Three Ships is a short, bouncy Christmas carol in three-beat bars, and almost every beat is a long note followed by a quick one. Here it is in F major, from C up to high C, the whole tune as William Sandys printed it in 1833.
What is the tricky spot in I Saw Three Ships?
The start of the third bar, where the tune drops from G to C and then repeats the low C three times. On a 12-hole, I Saw Three Ships goes from G to C: you cover the right index, right middle, right ring and right pinky. On a 6-hole or 4-hole, you cover the left middle and right middle.
The low C needs all holes covered and gentle air: blow it as hard as the G and it cracks. Tongue the three C's lightly with a 'du' on each so they stay separate, then step back up to F. The rest of the tune is a long-short pattern: each beat is a dotted note and a quick note, so think 'tum-ta, tum-ta' and keep the quick notes really short. The B flat comes twice, each time as a quick note between G and A.
Where do you breathe in I Saw Three Ships?
Most players can play the whole carol in one breath. If you need one, take it after the first 'on Christmas day', on the long F near the end of the second bar, before the short A that starts the next 'on Christmas day'.
Which ocarina can play I Saw Three Ships?
Any 12-hole, 6-hole or 4-hole ocarina in C plays I Saw Three Ships 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 6 notes here, on a 12-holeHoles in words, with a picture
| Note | Holes to cover | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| C | Cover every main hole | |
| F | Cover every main hole but the right middle, 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, right ring, left thumb and right thumb |
Drawn as you see it while playing: mouthpiece towards you, left hand on the left.
| Note | Holes to cover | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| C | Cover every hole | |
| F | Cover every hole but the right middle and 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 index, left thumb and right thumb |
Drawn as you see it while playing: mouthpiece towards you, left hand on the left.
| Note | Holes to cover | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| C | Cover every hole | |
| F | Cover the left middle and left index | |
| G | Cover the left index and right index | |
| A | Cover the left index | |
| high C | All holes open | |
| B♭ | Cover the right index |
Drawn as you see it while playing: mouthpiece towards you, left hand on the left.
Where do our I Saw Three Ships tabs come from?
I Saw Three Ships is a traditional English carol, printed with its tune by William Sandys in 1833. These tabs are our own arrangement of that tune. Music: traditional English carol.