Sheet Music: The Ghost of John

TitleThe Ghost of John
Alternate titlesHave You Seen the Ghost of Tom?
ComposerTraditional American
InstrumentationFlute solo
KeyA minor
RangeE4–G5
Time signature4/4
Tempo76 BPM
Performance time0:55
Difficulty leveleasy
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (53 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (428 kB)
Date added2010-10-31
Last updated2010-10-31
Download popularity index☆☆☆☆☆ 0.5 (below average)
Categories
Canons, Halloween music, Traditional/Folk

Performances

See here for instructions on how to submit your own recording!

Sunday 31 October 2010

Tune of the Day: The Ghost of John

A traditional Halloween song, playable as a round

This folk tune appears to be of American origin. The lyrics are well-known:

Have you seen the ghost of John?
Long white bones and the flesh all gone?
Ooh, ooh, ooh, oo-ooh ooh ooh ooh!
Wouldn’t it be chilly with no skin on?

The best thing about this tune is that it can be played as a round, that is, it can be played by up to four players, all playing the same exact melody but at two bars' distance. The resulting harmony creates a very scary atmosphere! To make it even creepier, try introducing sudden changes in dynamics (playing softer/louder) and tempo (playing slower/faster).