Potato Flutepotatoflute.com/packs/french/il-etait-une-bergere/ · 12-hole transverse ocarina
Scan to play it
Potato Flute › Song packs › French children's & folk songs › Il était une bergère (There Was a Shepherdess)
How to play Il était une bergère (There Was a Shepherdess) on the ocarina
Pick another ocarina above to see its fingerings.
From the French children's & folk songs song pack. Free for now
Il était une bergère (There Was a Shepherdess) ocarina notes with color coding & letters, sheet music, fingering diagrams, and interactive audio practice.
It uses 7 notes: F, G, A, B♭, C′, D′, F′.
The notes & rhythm
FB♭C′D′C′B♭FFGGFFFGGFFB♭C′D′C′B♭FF′D′B♭C′AB♭B♭B♭F′D′B♭C′AB♭
Longer blocks are longer notes; a vertical line marks each bar.
Sheet music
Standard treble clef notation with letter guides below each note.
The notes as letters
F B♭ C′ D′ C′ B♭ F F G G F F F G G F F B♭ C′ D′ C′ B♭ F F′ D′ B♭ C′ A B♭ B♭ B♭ F′ D′ B♭ C′ A B♭
Ocarina fingerings
Select your ocarina type to see the right fingerings. Filled holes are covered; white holes are open.
G · G
A · A
B♭ · B♭
C′ · high C
D′ · high D
F′ · high F
Playing tips for Il était une bergère (There Was a Shepherdess)
- Start each note cleanly with a gentle tongue stroke (whisper "too" or "doo").
- Seal every hole completely with the soft pads of your fingers, not your fingertips.
- The ocarina's pitch follows your breath: blowing softer lowers the pitch, blowing harder raises it.
- The highest notes need firm, focused breath. Raise your breath slightly and keep the ocarina level so the airstream splits cleanly.
- B♭ uses a cross-fingering pattern. Keep the open hole free and blow with a steady, relaxed breath.
Play Il était une bergère (There Was a Shepherdess) in Potato Flute
More songs to learn
- Sur le pont d'Avignon (On the Bridge of Avignon)7 notes · A little challenge
- À la claire fontaine (At the Clear Fountain)4 notes · Easy
- Le bon roi Dagobert (Good King Dagobert)5 notes · Easy
- Malbrough s'en va-t-en guerre (Malbrook Goes to War (For He's a Jolly Good Fellow))7 notes · A little challenge
- Il pleut, il pleut, bergère (It's Raining, Shepherdess)8 notes · A little challenge
- Dansons la capucine (Let's Dance the Capucine)4 notes · Easy
- Nous n'irons plus au bois (We'll Go to the Woods No More)8 notes · A little challenge