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Full Of Joy polka

There are 4 recordings of this tune.

Full Of Joy has been added to 5 tunebooks.

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Two settings

1
X: 1
T: Full Of Joy
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
d d/e/ d B/A/|d d/e/ d B/A/|d/e/d/A/ d/e/d/A/|B<A G/A/B|
d d/e/ d B/A/|d d/e/ d B/A/|d/e/d/A/ d/e/d/A/|G/A/E/D/ GD|
B B/d/ A A/d/|B B/d/ A A/d/|c/d/c/B/ A/B/A/d/|F/G/A/d/ A/B/A/G/|
F F/G/ F F/G/|A A/d/ c c/B/|A/B/d/e/ B/A/G/d/|G2 gz|
d3 e/g/|d3 e|g a/g/ e c|d2 z2|
d3/2 e/ g3/2 a/|d'a ~ag|e e/d/ c/d/e|d2 z2||
g2 ge|d>e/ ga|d/e/g/a/ d/g/e/d/|c3 B/A/|
dd dg|~d3c/B/|A/B/A/G/ F/G/A|G2 z2|
d d/e/ d B/A/|d d/e/ d B/A/|d/e/d/A/ d/e/d/A/|B<A G/A/B|
d d/e/ d B/A/|d d/e/ d B/A/|d/e/d/A/ d/e/d/A/|G/A/E/D/ G D|
B B/d/ A A/d/|B B/d/ A A/d/|c/d/c/B/ A/B/A/d/|F/G/A/d/ A/B/A/G/|
F F/G/ F F/G/|A A/d/ c c/B/|A/B/d/e/ B/A/G/d/|G2 {def}g2|
2
X: 2
T: Full Of Joy
R: polka
M: 2/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
[M:4/4]
d2 de d2 cA|d2 de d2 cA|dedA dedA|c2 BA GA B2|d2 de d2 cA|
ddde d2 cA|dedA dedA|GAED G2 z2||Bc B2 AB A2|GABc A4|c3 B ABAG|
FGAB ABAG|AAAB AAAB|AAAd c3 B|ABcd BcAF|G4 [g2B2D2] z2||
|:d6 eg|d6 e2|g2 ag ed ^c2|d6 z2|d3 e g2 a2|bd' a2 a2 g2|
e3 d ^cd e2|d6 z2|g3 a g2 e2|d3 e g2 a2|dega dged|
A2 =c2c2 BA|d2 d2 d2 eg|d6 cB|ABAG FGAF|G6 z2:|

Nine comments

Full Of Joy

This a chinese tune called Xi Yang Yang. Roughly translated as Full of Joy! Traditionally played during the Chinese New Year. The chieftains learned this one back in the 80’s during a trip to China. It’s a fun little tune! Enjoy!

Re: Full Of Joy

喜洋洋, xiyangyang, radiant, beaming with joy, elated, delighted with life. A very happy word, this, and often associated with moderate alcohol use. Cheers!

Re: Full Of Joy

Gosh that takes me back! I remember sitting in front of a VCR (ask your parents) transcribing this tune from the original Chieftains in China documentary. My transcription is slightly different from yours, Jeff, but I’m NOT saying it’s more correct. It might be of small interest…

Full Of Joy, X:2

This is how I transcribed this tune soon after the documentary "The Chieftains in China" was broadcast on Channel 4 (UK) in 1985.

Re: Full Of Joy

Thanks Nigel!

My wife is from China. Her father plays the erhu, or the chinese two string fiddle. He has a whole book of tunes that he wrote out by hand in the chinese number system. I copied the setting from his book and added a bit of flair. It’s one of the only tunes I can play with my father in law so it was a real joy when I found it in the Chieftains repetoire! Slainte!

Re: Full Of Joy

I remember that programme re The Chieftains in China: might still have it on an old videocassette (and we still have a machine that can play them!). There were some common bonds in the music of Ireland and China, particularly the use of the pentatonic scale.

Re: Full Of Joy

Wow! This has just come back on the radar, having been told there’s going to be a programme of Scottish and Chinese music in St Giles’ Cathedral during the January Burns season, and players are required. Must learn it! (Nigel, thanks for the transcription, but shouldn’t the time sig be 4/4 for the note lengths you have there?)

Re: Full Of Joy

It’s the old problem in that you have to use the time sig that the original poster used, unless you go against the instruction "don’t add any more headers…" Mmm…