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

Traditionnel (France) · Level 1 (Novice) · traditional · Piano

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. An easy arrangement in A minor: the right hand plays the tune, the left hand only plays the bass of each chord, one held note at a time.

▶ 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.
• Start with the right hand alone in Wait mode: the tune lies almost entirely under the five fingers, with no shifting. Then add the left hand, which only changes note with the chord.

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)
• À la claire fontaine (At the Clear Fountain)
• Auprès de ma blonde (Beside My Fair-Haired Girl)
• Aux marches du palais (On the Palace Steps)

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