by John Phillip Souza
a.k.a. the theme song of Monty Python's Flying Circus
autoharp arrangement by Ben Stallings
This tune has no lyrics, but here's the fully orchestrated tune in case you're unfamiliar. Note that this recording is in the key of F while the transcription below is in G... unless your 'harp has an A#7 (Bb7) chord button, you won't be able to hit all the melody notes in F. But you could practice playing backup along with the music, if you like.
...and here's an MP3 of my version. I usually play only the first two parts of the tune (marked with repeats :||) because most people aren't familiar with the rest (since the Monty Python theme ended abruptly at the end of the second part) and because I run out of chords at the very end. But I'll provide the third and fourth parts here in case you want to try them...
Although this is a march, it's so syncopated that I've transcribed it with six beats per measure ... otherwise half the chords would have (parentheses). This means you can slow it down and play it as the "Liberty Bell Waltz" and see if anybody recognizes it! To help identify where the measures are, I've added |s between them.
chords: G | G - - - C7 G | G - - - - - | C - G C - G | C - - - - melody: D4 | B B B A# B | G D D B | C B C D | E - | D - - - E7 D | D - C - - - | G - C7 G - C | G - - - - C | A A A G#3 A4 | F# E E C | B A# B C | D - | G - - - C7 G | G - - - - - | A7 - - - - - | A7 - - - - D | B B B A# B | B5 G4 G D | C# A5 A A | A - | D - - - E7 D | A - - - E7 A | D - A D - A7 | D7 - - - - G4 | F# A5 A G#4 A5 | E A5 A G#4 A5 | D C# D C# | D C :|| - | G C7 G C - G | G - - - - - | C - - D - - | G - - - - | B A# B E D | B G3 | E A4 | G3 - | D G C D - A | D - - G - - | D - - A7 - - | D7 - - - - G | A4 B C F# E | D G | F# E | D - | Am - - - B7 Am | B7 - - - - - | Em - - B7 Em B7 | Em - - - - D | E E E D# E | F# F# | G G A5 G4 A5 | B - | Am - G C - - | G - - - - - | D - - D7 - - | G - - - - B | A G E C | B G3 | A4 F#3 | G :|| - | C - - G7 - - | D7 - - C - - | C - - - - F7 | C - - - - G3 | E F | F# G | E4 E E D# | E - | C - - G7 - - | D7 - - C - - | G7 - - - - C | G7 - - - - G3 | E F | F# G | F4 F F E | F C | G7 - - A7 - - | G7 - - D7 - G7 | C - - F7 - - | C - - D7 - E | D C# | D G3 F# G | E4 D# | E G3 F# 1st_____________________________________________________________ C | G - - - - - | D7 - - - - - | G - D7 - - G | G - D7 G7 - G | B4 D | C D A C | B C A B | G3 A4 F3 :|| 2nd___________________________________________________ C | F - - - - - | C - - G7 - - | C - - - - - - | G - G | A4 F | E C D B | C | || fine [this bridge doesn't really work, but if you like a challenge...] C - G Am | E7 - - - - - | Am - - - E7 Am | E7 - - - - - | Am - C C B A | G#3 | A4 C C B A | G#3 | A4 - Am E7 Am | E7 - - - - - | Am - - G Am G | E7 - - - - - | E7 - C C B A | G#3 | A4 C D C D | E E | E C - G C | G7 - - - - - | C - - - G C | G7 - - - - - | C - E E D C | B | C E E D C | B | C C - G C | G7 - - - - - | C - - D7 C D7 | G - - - - - | - - E E D C | B | C E F# E F# | G G | G [And here it all falls apart - suggestions welcome!] [two lines missing for lack of chords] d.c. al fine