Entre le bœuf et l’âne gris (Between the Ox and the Grey Donkey)

Traditionnel (France) · Level 1 (Novice) · traditional · Guitar, sheet music and tablature

One of the oldest French carols (16th century), a lullaby in a minor mode: “sleep, sleep, sleep, little son”, then the refrain of the thousand angels. Arranged in E minor: the tune alone in first position, with the chords written above the staff (a second guitarist can strum them).

▶ Play this piece with the interactive score

How to practise it

• Listen first: the site plays it while the score scrolls.
• Wait mode: the score waits for you at every note, at your own pace.
• Tempo challenge: play in time, with a score and a map of the bars you got right.
• Play the tune alternating index and middle fingers (i-m); the tab shows the fret of each note. Start in Wait mode, then sing the tune while playing.

More pieces by Traditionnel (France)

• Angels We Have Heard on High (Les anges dans nos campagnes)
• He Is Born, the Holy Child (Il est né, le divin Enfant)
• Sur le pont d’Avignon (On the Bridge of Avignon)
• Ainsi font, font, font (The Little Puppets)
• Dodo, l’enfant do (French Lullaby)
• Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (Ah ! vous dirai-je, maman)
• À la claire fontaine (At the Clear Fountain)
• Auprès de ma blonde (Beside My Fair-Haired Girl)

Source : Arrangement Note after Note d’après le noël traditionnel français (XVIe s.) · Public Domain