This is sort of a toast set to music and the title, Auld Lang Syne is old Scots for "Of (days) long since." This is by far one of the most popular tunes ever written, and although Robert Burns is given credit for writing the entire song, some experts say he only actually wrote the third and fourth verses and in my travels I've heard that this song was actually an integral part of Hogmanay celebrations for nearly a century before Burns'contribution.
Now, there are two versions of the melody, and, from what I understand (both in my reading as well as from another musician who's big on Burns' music) the one we know by heart and are most familiar wasn't actually the original melody.
I first heard this 'new-Old' version at a gathering of friends after a concert I attended back in September 2003. There was a guitar, a piano -- good malt whisky and of course several musicians present. Eventually as the night drew on one person picked up the guitar, placed it in a DADGAD tuning and began to singing familar words to, what for these ears was a brand new melody. Alas, this instantly captured my ear! As any musician hearing a new piece of music does, I paid close attention (and so I could remember it). Later I eventually arranged it for the banjo (and aye, the arrangement is © (p) 2003 and is also slated for a future book so the Banjo tab won't be included here) so I could totally remember it (the clip from that day is included here). Since I learned this melody employing the "aural tradition" (i.e., ear and memory) it's as accurate as I remember it. Since learning of this melody I heard that one of these two melodies may go by several names including: "Sir Alexander Don's Strathspey", "I fee'd a man at Michaelmans," "The Miller's Wedding," or "The Miller's Daughter," however, I have not sought those either of these tunes out to compare the melodies as of the date this transcription was created.. If anyone knows more about the history of the melody (or alternate names), or if I missed anything about this tune you feel is relevant then please feel free to email the site (by clicking here).
Notice the tempo is much quicker on the more common version (sung on New Year's Eve and to close out Scottish themed gatherings). Again, I like both, but after hearing the original, I'm now more partial to the "New" older version. ;)
Many people use a I VI II V I progression on it. But I found on the older version I found the main chords tend to be G and C with an occasional Em, Am D to G in the cadence... I'll update in the future with perhaps a guitar arrangement.
MPG--Banjo arrangement of original melody (1.4mb)
MPG -- Fretless Bass arrangement
of new melody (1.8mb)
note the larger files take awhile to download on a dial up...
I've not included the lyrics as they're available online on the Robert
Burns website or by entering the words Auld Lang Syne into any search
engine.
There is a Jacobite version online which I may add here later but for now...enjoy!
