Click here to jump straight to the TAB.
Most of us probably have the song “Alouette” filed away in a corner of our brains alongside “Frère Jacques.” They’re both in French, and we don’t really know what either of them is about. At least with “Frère Jacques,” most of us have heard the English lyrics and know it has something to do with ringing bells, but what the heck is a “gentille alouette?”
Turns out an alouette is a lark, specifically the horned lark native to Canada, and the song was most likely written by French colonists and fur trappers who treated the bird as wild game. The song describes plucking various parts of the bird to prepare it for cooking. Yum.
“Alouette” Playing Tips
French Canadians didn’t just sing about plucking small birds for the fun of it. “Alouette” was a work song, sung by trappers as they paddled their canoes. The song is in 4/4, and it’s easy to imagine the paddles hitting the water on the 1st and the 3rd beat of each measure.
The song only uses 5 different notes in total, so your left hand has it relatively easy. Focus on nailing the varying rhythms in the right hand. Like many work songs, there’s a lot of repetition and even a bit of call-and-response. This one is great practice for mixing together different note durations as it features varying combinations of half notes, quarter notes, dotted quarter notes, and eighth notes.
Click the link or the ‘Download’ button below to see the sheet music if your browser doesn’t display the embedded PDF.
Don’t have a low G uke? Not a problem. I’ve included a standard (high G) TAB for this song as well. Find the link at the bottom on the post. Happy picking!
“Alouette” Low G Sheet Music Download
“Alouette” High G Sheet Music Download
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