Name That Tune

[Geoff Grace]

I've got a couple of '60s instrumentals in my head, but I don't know the titles. Perhaps someone here can help. Here's the first one:

 

DDDC BBBA GGGF EEED CDEG BBBA DDDC BBBA...

 

...And the second:

 

G C D E C D EF_ B C D B CBCDE G C D E C D EF_ D E G F _ E DC

 

(I don't know what keys they were in, but my crude approximations are in C Major.)

 

It's not that important, just idle curiosity on my part; but thanks, in advance, for any help.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[iLaw]

The second one is definitely "The Syncopated Clock" by Leroy Anderson. Not exactly 60s; I think he wrote it in the 40s.

 

I know the first one, but I'm not coming up with the name. Something in the back of my head says it's Leroy Anderson too.

 

Larry.

 

Edited to add: Wouldn't it be great if there were a convenient way to write standard notation into these messages?

[VLH]

Reply,

Somehow the name "Symphony for Strings" or [insert Alliterative Word Here] "for Strings" comes to mind for the first tune, and it made me think of Leroy Anderson as well--also some kind of commercial involving high speed shopping sprees by women in skirts with pearl necklaces and white gloves, early 60s kind of look. I got so curious I googled and listened to a bunch of Leroy Anderson's stuff but still couldn't find this one--however, I sure can hear it.

 

You know, listening to his stuff, I realized how light and cheery it all was, and rather than turning up my nose at it as I might have say 30 years ago, I just enjoyed those clean melodies, transparent orchestrations and painless, happy moods. It's good to be mellow.

 

Someone, SOON, find the name of that first melody.

[Dave Horne]

The first one is David Rose's Holiday For Strings I believe. Can someone here verify that? I could be wrong ... it's been a very long time since I've heard that.

[VLH]

Ahh, thank you Sir Horne, for easing my anguish!

Holiday for Strings it is!

 

http://www.amazon.com/American-Light-Music-Classics-Anderson/dp/samples/B00000AE0F/ref=dp_tracks_all_1/105-5390619-6767659#disc_1

[iLaw]

My thanks as well, Dave! I've had that tune going through my head all morning trying to remember the name.

 

Larry.

[soundscape]

http://www.songtapper.com/

 

Identifies the song by tapping the melody's rhythm on your computer keyboard. (No, it doesn't work for me!)

[iLaw]

That's hilarious, soundscape. I tapped in "Holiday for Strings," essentially eighth notes for four measures, with some rhythmic variety in measures 5-8. I got ten matches (none of which were "Holiday for Strings" by the way) led by the following:

 

"Days," Kristy McCol;

"Reign of a Thousand Flames," Rhapsody;

"Ceremony," Joe Satriani

"Symphony No. 5," Beethoven

"Meow Mix Cat Food Jingle," Purina.

 

"Meow Mix" I can sort of see, but the Beethoven 5th? Maybe I need to practice my tapping.

 

Larry.

[Dave Horne]

It's interesting how our minds work. I first thought of the last name Rose but I couldn't think of the name of the tune.

 

I googled composer Rose and came up with Billy Rose. I finally came across David Rose and the title Holiday For Strings jumped out to me.

 

I actually have that tune in my Book 1. I have a set of fake books that pretty much has every tune from 1910 or so to 1974.

[Geoff Grace]

Thanks, guys!

 

By the way, Leroy Anderson is also the author of the holiday classic, "Sleigh Ride."

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Byrdman]

Originally posted by iLaw:

That's hilarious, soundscape. I tapped in "Holiday for Strings," essentially eighth notes for four measures, with some rhythmic variety in measures 5-8. I got ten matches (none of which were "Holiday for Strings" by the way) led by the following:

 

"Days," Kristy McCol;

"Reign of a Thousand Flames," Rhapsody;

"Ceremony," Joe Satriani

"Symphony No. 5," Beethoven

"Meow Mix Cat Food Jingle," Purina.

 

"Meow Mix" I can sort of see, but the Beethoven 5th? Maybe I need to practice my tapping.

 

Larry.

Where were you doing this search? I am not familiar with that software, Gives us a synopsis on how it works

[soundscape]

Originally posted by Byrdman:

Where were you doing this search? I am not familiar with that software, Gives us a synopsis on how it works

Just goto http://www.songtapper.com/ and try it out for yourself.

[iLaw]

Another interesting on-line resource (limited to classical music) is the on-line version of Barlow and Morgenstern's Dictionary of Musical Themes:

 

http://www.multimedialibrary.com/barlow/index.asp

 

Use the "Search by Notes (Solfeggio)" option and you can type in the melody just like Geoff did for us at the top of this thread. The nice thing about the on-line version is you don't have to transpose the melody to C or Am like you do with the print version.

 

It's somewhat limited; you'll find Adolphe Adam but no John Adams. Won't find "Blue Rondo à la Turk," but it's got all yer Mozart's greatest hits. Still, when you've got a classical theme rolling in your head oftentimes you get a match.

 

Larry.

[mate stubb]

Har! I went to songtapper.com and tapped in the first two phrases of "twinkle twinkle little star".

 

Dead easy, right? It was not even among the suggested songs, although "I Hate You" by Slayer was.

[Finale]

Originally posted by soundscape:

Just goto http://www.songtapper.com/ and try it out for yourself.

Wow. Great find, Soundscape.

[iLaw]

The on-line Barlow and Morgenstern, however, nailed "twinkle" immediately.

 

... as, you guessed it, the Mozart variations on the theme ("Ah, vous dirai-je, maman").

 

Larry.

[Byrdman]

Originally posted by soundscape:

Originally posted by Byrdman:

Where were you doing this search? I am not familiar with that software, Gives us a synopsis on how it works

Just goto http://www.songtapper.com/ and try it out for yourself.

Ha - I tried Jingle Bells, the Theme from Star Trek, and the first theme from Beethoven Op 57 and it didn't get any of them!