Dhun
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Here is Somewhere Over the Rainbow written the way we write a tune on the board in class: the rhythm on top, the scale degree under it, then the swara. 1 is Sa, an apostrophe after a number takes it up an octave (5’) and a comma in front takes it down (,5). Read it, sing it, and you have the song in every key at once.
- 4/4
- Major
- 8 bars
- 23 notes
- Free to use
Read it in three languages
Scale degrees
1 1' 7 5 6 7 1' 1 6 5 ,6 4 3 1 2 3 4 2 ,7 1 2 3 1Swaras (sargam)
s s' n p d n s' s d p ,d m g s r g m r ,n s r g sMovable-do solfège
do do' ti so la ti do' do la so ,la fa mi do re mi fa re ,ti do re mi doA line under a swara means it is komal (flattened).
Somewhere Over the Rainbow note names, key by key
The numbers never change. Only the letters do. That is the whole point of learning a tune by its degrees.
| Key | Notes |
|---|---|
| C major | C C B G A B C C A G A F E C D E F D B C D E C |
| G major | G G F# D E F# G G E D E C B G A B C A F# G A B G |
| D major | D D C# A B C# D D B A B G F# D E F# G E C# D E F# D |
| F major | F F E C D E F F D C D Bb A F G A Bb G E F G A F |
The app has all twelve keys, and it will also turn this tune into natural minor, harmonic minor, Dorian, Mixolydian or Mayamalavagowla while you listen.
The Joker’s clue: “A farm girl wonders what is on the far side of wet sunshine.”
How to practise it
- Guess it by reading. Sing the numbers in your head before you play a single note.
- Hear it. Play it back and check whether what you sang matches what it does.
- Play it in all twelve keys. Same numbers, twelve sets of letters.
- Write it out. In each key, name every note. That is when it sticks.