The Ash Grove, a Welsh Song from Long Ago

The Ash Grove, with bass clef, treble clef and viola clef lead sheets, as well as two easy Middle-C shared-hands melody versions for beginner piano students!

See the lead sheets and beginning piano versions below.  The vocal music with piano accompaniment and the guitar tabs are farther down the page!

   Print out "Down yonder green valley" for beginning piano 

Here is Laura Wright singing The Ash Grove:

This hand arrangement works out perfectly - a 10-finger song - as long as the right hand does not try to play Middle C (a definite temptation for your beginners).

Here is the same arrangement, using lettered keyboard music notes:

Ash Grove with made-easy keyboard music notes

This song will make a beautiful piano duet, if the secondo players follows the chord symbols above the lines of music, and knows how to use chords..

Now the lead sheets:

Download Welsh song in A

Download Welsh song "Down yonder green valleys" in Bb

Download "Down yonder green valleys" in C

Download song "Down yonder green valleys" in D

Download "Down yonder green valleys" in the key of F

Download Welsh song in the key of G

The key of Bb seems particularly beautiful on the piano, to me...

And lead sheets for bass clef instruments (my cello!):

Download the Ash Grove for bass clef in D


Download the Ash Grove for bass clef in G

Let's have a look at the viola clef free lead sheets, page 1:

Download the Ash Grove lead sheet in D

Download the Ash Grove lead sheet in G

Now... for the vocal and guitar sheets!

Ever since seeing Elizabeth Bennett singing the Ash Grove (in one of the BBC versions of Pride and Prejudice), I have loved this song. It is not very difficult, but it has a few features that make it one of those songs that teach vocalists how to sing better.

For example, on page 2, the second line has a bit of a rallentando, and the temptation is to drop the energy of the voice just when it needs to be carrying through, even surging, at "the joy of my heart..." Also, there are long phrases in the first half of the song, where beginning singers will want to take lots of breaths.

Don't let them! Teach them what "breathing for singing" means, by encouraging them to make their air last all the way to "meander," and again until after "rove." 

Download free vocal sheet music The Ash Grove in the key of A 


Download free vocal music in the key of G 


Download free sheet music in the key of F 


I like to have songs available in several different keys, as I plan the singing for beginners whose range may be quite limited at first.

Here is a version with tablature for guitar: 

The Ash Grove for guitar, in the key of G 

Here is a choir singing The Ash Grove in Welsh.  Go here to see the Welsh lyrics and read comments for this video...

This is an old melody that continues to live -- I hope you and your students enjoy it! 

Danielle:
What a lovely, generous site! Many thanks from a fellow singer and music teacher in New York State. Loved the inclusion of the video for "The Ash Grove," a song I just recommended to an adult voice student today. I was pleased to be able to send her the link to not only the sheet music, but a charming performance of the song as well.

Emily:
I printed "Flower Duet" off at church this morning, and it looks GREAT!!! :) Thank you so much for sending it on again - it's going to be so beautiful for my wedding! Also, thanks for even making this music available!  I'm a music teacher, so this website was a great find! :) By the way, the friend singing the Lakme part of the duet is very happy that you arranged it in G! :)

Amber:
Thank you! THANK YOU!!! For keeping the beautiful art of Opera alive! I stumbled upon this site and I'm so happy I did! 

Kelli:
I am so relieved to have found this site!! I have been struggling as a music student, not having any previous instruction in high school. I am starting from scratch and this is a wonderful tool!! Kudos to you!! God Bless you!

Susie:
Wow! I cannot thank you enough for the free collection of piano sheet music that you created here. My daughter and I are following everything you wrote and we LOVE it. It is super fun!!! She loves to play because of your website. We have a small binder now that is slowly growing! THANK YOU!!!!

Toni:
Thank you for your wonderful website. I also teach piano, voice and guitar - spooky! My absolute passion is opera, and have opened many a singing student's ear to the beautiful melodies and voices in the repertoire. Thank you for the wonderful warm-ups which I have downloaded, and will be using at the earliest opportunity - I will let you know how they go! Looking forward to more warmup ideas, too.

Carrie,Voice and Piano Teacher:
This site is FABULOUS. For all the reasons you explain on the site itself--this is exactly what piano teachers need! (I still need to go look at the vocal music). Wow. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Deb:
... I watched your video "Wondrous Love" with your eight gals - Magnificent! So refreshing to see good harmonies sung a capella these days; it seems to be rare!

California Student:
Hi, I want to thank you for such a wonderful and educational website. I have found all the information you have posted and your comments immensely helpful, and I am grateful for your posting it. I am sure you are an awesome teacher and person. I am a beginner piano student, so many thanks and Happy New Year.

Joy:
I bought your Halloween Songs, wrote teacher accompaniment for some, and performed with 17 of my students in costume at an assisted living facility. It was a "win-win" situation. The kids and residents loved it and the parents were very pleased with the service aspect of their children's performance as well. Thank you for sharing these lovely pieces that introduce the minor key in a very simple and interesting way to early elementary students. 

Darla:
Thank you for sharing the free downloads of piano music for piano students.  I use your site frequently.  My son has decided that the Keegan's Waltz arrangement you have is the best song ever written for piano.

Sylvain:
I found great ideas for my guitar unit on your site, as I didn't know where to begin. Thanks to you I will survive my next 6 weeks. I also teach choir to middle school, and I love your little morning warmups. Looking forward to more of that in the future. Keep up the great work, it is very inspirational for us beginner teachers.