Still, Still, Still on the ocarina
On a 12-hole it starts A, high D, F♯, A. Medium, 49 notes, in D major.
Goes up to high D, so it does not fit a 4-hole.
Still, Still, Still
Bar 1 of 11
What are the notes for Still, Still, Still?
On a 12-hole. Read left to right, a line at a time.
- Tricky spot:Ahigh DF♯ADDF♯EEGC♯C♯EDrestrestE
- EEF♯GEF♯F♯GAF♯EEF♯GEF♯F♯GAF♯
- Ahigh DF♯ADDF♯EEGC♯C♯EDrest
Still, Still, Still is a quiet Christmas carol from Salzburg, in two-beat bars, and it opens A, high D, F sharp, A, then falls to a low D. Here it is in D major, from C sharp up to high D, which a 12-hole or a 6-hole ocarina in C can play: the whole carol as Vinzenz Maria Süß printed it in 1865, where the opening line comes back to close it.
What is the tricky spot in Still, Still, Still?
The first bar, where the tune jumps from A up to high D and drops straight down to F sharp. On a 12-hole, Still, Still, Still goes from high D to F♯: you cover the left ring, left middle, left index, right ring and left thumb. On a 6-hole, you cover the right middle, left index, right index and right thumb.
High D needs firmer air than the A before it, and the F sharp after it needs the air eased back at once, or it squeaks. Play A, high D, F sharp, A slowly until the drop is clean. From bar 2 on, most bars start with an eighth and two sixteenths, a 'tum ta-ta' pattern; keep the two quick notes light and even. In bar 2 the 1865 page moves straight on from the first D without holding it; if you know the carol with a long D there, follow the tabs.
Where do you breathe in Still, Still, Still?
Breathe in the rest after the D in bar 3, where the opening line ends; the next note is a single quick E. The middle part has two short phrases: take a small breath after the F sharp at the end of bar 6 and again at the end of bar 8, before the opening line comes back.
Which ocarina can play Still, Still, Still?
A 4-hole ocarina cannot reach high D, so play Still, Still, Still in this key on a 12-hole or 6-hole ocarina in C. 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 7 notes here, on a 12-holeHoles in words, with a picture
| Note | Holes to cover | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| A | Cover the left pinky, left middle, left index, left thumb and right thumb | |
| high D | Cover the left pinky and right thumb | |
| F♯ | Cover every main hole but the right index, right middle and right pinky | |
| D | Cover every main hole but the right pinky | |
| 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 | |
| C♯ | Cover every main hole but the right pinky, plus the right sub-hole |
Drawn as you see it while playing: mouthpiece towards you, left hand on the left.
| Note | Holes to cover | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| A | Cover the left index, left thumb and right thumb | |
| high D | Cover the left thumb | |
| F♯ | Cover every hole but the left middle | |
| D | Cover every hole but the right middle | |
| E | Cover every hole but the right index | |
| G | Cover every hole but the left middle and right middle | |
| C♯ | Cover the left middle, left index, right index, left thumb and right thumb; half-cover the right middle |
Drawn as you see it while playing: mouthpiece towards you, left hand on the left.
Where do our Still, Still, Still tabs come from?
Still, Still, Still is a folk tune from the district of Salzburg, first printed in 1865 in Vinzenz Maria Süß's collection of Salzburg folk songs. These tabs follow that page, moved from F major to D major, as our own arrangement of the melody. Music: Austrian folk carol from Salzburg, first printed by Vinzenz Maria Süß (1802-1868).