How do you find out what a piece of music is called when you only know the tune?

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It's a classical piece and it goes 'da da da da da da da da, da da da da da da dahhhhhh'

Help?

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:05 (nineteen years ago)

There's some site where you tap the space bar in time to the music, and it tells you it's Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary".

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:06 (nineteen years ago)

I think yours is the theme to The Dambusters, rumpsy.

― C J (C J), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:09 (nineteen years ago)

Go and sing it to the clerk at a record shop. They love that!

― Breaking Under The Crush (kate), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:10 (nineteen years ago)

no it's clearly 'Eye Level'

― 2 american 4 u (blueski), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:10 (nineteen years ago)

Where have you heard it recently? Is it on an advert? Lift muzak? Mobile phone ringtone?

― C J (C J), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:12 (nineteen years ago)

I wish I could describe it in words.

It's very powerful and rousing...

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:12 (nineteen years ago)

Nimrod fro the enigma variations by Elgar

― Ed (dali), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:13 (nineteen years ago)

Eye Level would be "da-da-da da da-da da da-d- da-da-da-da, da-da-da-dada-dada-daaaaa" followed by a splash as van der valk fell in a canal.

― C J (C J), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:14 (nineteen years ago)

that's the jaws themetune ou're thinking about

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:16 (nineteen years ago)

I first heard it years ago on holiday - it was the music that accompanied the Dancing Fountains.

I then heard it on the telly - some figure skaters had chosen it but I missed the announcement of the piece.

It's a good tune if that helps....

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:18 (nineteen years ago)

BATMAAAAAAN

― 2 american 4 u (blueski), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:24 (nineteen years ago)

batdance

― jhoshea megafauna (scoopsnoodle), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:25 (nineteen years ago)

Bolero by ravel?

Although that is more of a

bom-biddly-bom-biddly-bom-bom-biddly-bom-biddly-bom-bom-biddly-bom
..............................................bah-bahbah-bahbah-bah-bah-bahbah-bah bah

― Ed (dali), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:26 (nineteen years ago)

sk8r boi

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:26 (nineteen years ago)

Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons' innit

― ONIMO feels teh NOIZE (GerryNemo), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:28 (nineteen years ago)

Nah, there's no biddlys, I'm almost sure of that.

I don't know if this is any clearer:

Dum Dum dumdum Dum Dum Dum dumdum, Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Duuuummmmm,
Dum Dum dumdum Dum Dum Dum dumdum, Dum Dum Dum Dum DUM DUM

Then it changes.

My partner says it's more like:

Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah

But he's tone deaf.

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:31 (nineteen years ago)

Odds on it's Beethoven's Ninth.

xpost or not

― lurker #2421, inc. (lurker-2421), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:32 (nineteen years ago)

4'33

― you win again, gravity! (tissp), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:36 (nineteen years ago)

There's some site where you tap the space bar in time to the music, and it tells you it's Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary".

TEH SONGTAPPER!!!

― g00blar (gooblar), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:41 (nineteen years ago)

With all those dum dum dumdums, I'm just thinking of the Anvil Chorus now.

― C J (C J), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:41 (nineteen years ago)

there was an absoultely amazing piece of music on Classic the other day. I think the DJ said it was a Divertimento (?) by possibly Alec Wilder (but maybe not him). Everything I've managed to track down (very little) by Wilder so far sounded like shit Jazz though and not this beautiful call-and-response Gothic fairytale music I heard.

― wogan lenin (dog latin), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:44 (nineteen years ago)

Is it one of those classical pieces which has been revamped for an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical?

― C J (C J), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:45 (nineteen years ago)

on the off chance does anyone know the classical piece that Shut Up & Dance sampled for 'The Green Man'? i think it's a fairly famous piece.

― 2 american 4 u (blueski), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

The Anvil Chorus? That sounds like an apt name for this tune I must admit.

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Monday, 20 November 2006 13:54 (nineteen years ago)

tat songtapper thing is crap. it didn't even recognise "Scentless Apprentice"

― wogan lenin (dog latin), Monday, 20 November 2006 14:07 (nineteen years ago)

Beethoven's Ninth spot on - 'Hymn To Joy'

― NickB (NickB), Monday, 20 November 2006 14:13 (nineteen years ago)

haha it recognised my Enter Sandman tap, I'm impressed!

― Ste (Fuzzy), Monday, 20 November 2006 14:22 (nineteen years ago)

This is the thread where I sing along to "Da Funk"

― stoked for the madness (nickalicious), Monday, 20 November 2006 14:30 (nineteen years ago)

Dum Dum dumdum Dum Dum Dum dumdum, Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Duuuummmmm,
Dum Dum dumdum Dum Dum Dum dumdum, Dum Dum Dum Dum DUM DUM

I bet you this is Jupiter from Holst's The Planets. The slow hymnal bit that all public school Tory students play to pretend they're in Brideshead Revisited.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 20 November 2006 14:45 (nineteen years ago)

Also, get one Shazam.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 20 November 2006 14:46 (nineteen years ago)

Matt - you may be bloody right. I can't listen to anything (in work bah) but when I get home I'll find snippets of all these suggestions and play them.

But Hymnal - that's a word I SHOULD have thought of to describe it.

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Monday, 20 November 2006 14:50 (nineteen years ago)

Is it relatively slow, and stately, and then perks up at the change and gets much faster and sprightlier?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 20 November 2006 14:53 (nineteen years ago)

Yes Matt, it is but I'm sad to report it's none of the above.

I'm going to search for music used by figure skating (or is it ice dance?) pairs during the winter olympics.

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Monday, 20 November 2006 19:59 (nineteen years ago)

Whoa, songtapper is awesome! I did "Jingle Bells" and it came up with:
Shout At The Devil
Motley Crue

Holy Diver
Dio

Eye Of The Tiger

Ah Shut Uo Your Face

― Abbott (Abbott), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 07:41 (nineteen years ago)

Hmmph. I'm so frustrated. I've been humming this tune for years, to friends, to strangers, in work to see if anybody says "Oh, is that _____?"

No joy.

I went through the Winter Olympics Free Dance Music and searched for midis of everything. Not one tune listed was mine, although I'm 100% convinced that's where I heard it last.

I tried to search for the Musical Fountains to see if there's any way of finding the music from there but no, foiled again.

My only option is to release this piece of music and see who sues me.

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 08:24 (nineteen years ago)

Can you post a wav file of you humming it?

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 09:16 (nineteen years ago)

Where is that fountain?

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 09:18 (nineteen years ago)

No CJ, I lack the equipment I'm afraid.

The Dancing Fountain is in Tenerife, I thought it was part of the Mare Nostrum Concert Hall and Resort but Google says it's not.

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 09:41 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.holidayaccommodation4u.com/TorresDelSol.html :

One way you reach Playa de las Americas, where all the posh 5-star hotels are situated, such as the Mare Nostrum Resort. There is also a fantastic shopping centre, Zone Zentral where you will find the musical fountain display each evening at around 9pm.

Okay, this hasn't solved the problem yet, but we're halfway there...

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 09:50 (nineteen years ago)

I saw some dancing fountains at Walzing Waters on the Isle of Wight. They set their water action to Disney tunes, mostly. (This is not much help, I know).

Can you hazard a guess at the notes? Perhaps write it as a piece of music?

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 09:50 (nineteen years ago)

Mail the tourism department of http://www.tenerife.es and ask them?

(musical fountain = "fuente musical")

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 09:59 (nineteen years ago)

It's opposite Harry's Bar and it's classical music, but that's as far as my Spanish goes :-(

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 10:09 (nineteen years ago)

Were they these musical fountains?

http://www.ourtenerife.co.uk/california18.jpg

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 10:09 (nineteen years ago)

I'm shit at music CJ, 'fraid I don't have a clue.

As for emailing the tourist department, that's a good idea, I may give it a go.

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 10:20 (nineteen years ago)

Yes CJ! That's them! Awww, the memories!!

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 10:20 (nineteen years ago)

I've just emailed Harry's Bar, to ask them about the music! I wonder if they'll reply?

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 10:21 (nineteen years ago)

It can't NOT be on YouTube. If you search Tenerife: 2244 videos!
(Tenerife + fountain = another fountain :-( )

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 10:29 (nineteen years ago)

This one feels very close, but still... nothing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhvZ2DhqnZk

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 10:30 (nineteen years ago)

Ha ha, well done CJ!

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 10:33 (nineteen years ago)

If you have the courage, there are 173 videos of musical fountains on YouTube (but none if you search for musical & fountain & tenerife) :
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22musical+fountain%22&search=Search

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 10:35 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe Steve remembers?

http://mackemsteve.typepad.com/eat_carrots/2006/03/back_from_holid.html

http://mackemsteve.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/tenerife_11032006_211152.JPG

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 10:42 (nineteen years ago)

I wish I'd taken a day off to 'research' this.

I can only do it from home as I can't hear sound on my works pc. (Well I can but it would only give them an excuse to fire me)

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 10:48 (nineteen years ago)

I tapped out I'll Never Fall In Love Again and it told me it was Never Trust A Klingon by S.P.O.C.K.!!!

― Mädchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 11:37 (nineteen years ago)

The Tapper is wise.

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 11:39 (nineteen years ago)

Ha ha, I wonder how ofter Steve checks his blog?

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 12:42 (nineteen years ago)

Don't blogs automatically email messages straight to the blog-owner?

Harry's Bar haven't replied to my email yet :(

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 12:46 (nineteen years ago)

He'll probably reply with "Yes I remember, it's the one that goes Dum Dum dumdum Dum Dum Dum dumdum, Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Duuuummmmm,
Dum Dum dumdum Dum Dum Dum dumdum, Dum Dum Dum Dum DUM DUM"

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 12:56 (nineteen years ago)

I'm going to email all of these guys and I'll report back.

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 12:58 (nineteen years ago)

Right. Here's the letter for the Italian composers:

Maestro,
le mie scuse per questa posta personale, ma noi stiamo avendo un po'di difficoltà identificare una composizione musicale. È quella che sta giocando nella fontana ballante vicino alla barra del Harry in Tenerife. Siete sembrato comporre una canzone che va dumdum di Dum Dum Dum di dumdum di Dum Dum, Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Duuuummmmm, il dumdum di Dum Dum Dum di dumdum di Dum Dum, Dum Dum Dum Dum DUM DUM, prego? Prego risposta.
Grazie, tutto il la cosa migliore, ILX

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:04 (nineteen years ago)

Okay I'll help you, I'll start at Rachmaninoff and work my way up.

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:04 (nineteen years ago)

Would it help if I emailed Olympic ice dance champions?

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:06 (nineteen years ago)

What the!?

according to Babelfish,

Dumdum di Dum Dum Dum di dumdum di Dum Dum, Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Duuuummmmm, dumdum di Dum Dum Dum di dumdum di Dum Dum, Dum Dum Dum Dum DUM DUM

is the Italian translation of

Dum Dum dumdum Dum Dum Dum dumdum, Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Duuuummmmm,
Dum Dum dumdum Dum Dum Dum dumdum, Dum Dum Dum Dum DUM DUM.

???

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:06 (nineteen years ago)

What do you expect? You're addressing your query to "Maestro", which I happen to know is a debit card.

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:07 (nineteen years ago)

I was trying to bribe them into replying.

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:09 (nineteen years ago)

OK, that Italian translation translated into French for the Romantic composers:

Visa, mes éxcuses pour celle-ci poste personnelle, mais nous avons un peu de difficulté identifier une composition musicale. Elle est celle qui joue dans la fontaine dansante près de barre du Harry en Tenerife. Avez-vous semblé composer une chanson qui va dumdum de Dum Dum Dum de dumdum de Dum Dum, Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Duuuummmmm, le dumdum de Dum Dum Dum de dumdum de Dum Dum, Dum Dum Dum Dum DUM DUM, prie ? Je prie répondue. Merci, tout la la chose meilleure, ILX

Sigh. This isn't going to work, is it? :-(

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:10 (nineteen years ago)

Where's the one you're going to be sending to Beethoven and Mozart?

― Breaking Under The Crush (kate), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:12 (nineteen years ago)

I'm just googling to find a German-speaking medium.

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:14 (nineteen years ago)

I'm still struggling with Babelfish: how can this possibly be the Russian translation? Do they know something about the local music tastes?

English:
Dum Dum dumdum Dum Dum Dum dumdum, Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Duuuummmmm,
Dum Dum dumdum Dum Dum Dum dumdum, Dum Dum Dum Dum DUM DUM.

Russian:
Dumdum Dum Dum Dum dumdum Dum Dum, Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Dum Duuuummmmm,
dumdum Dum Dum Dum dumdum Dum Dum, Dum Dum Dum Dum DUM DUM.

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:29 (nineteen years ago)

Interesting how "Duuuummmmm" is exactly the same in any language.

(Still laughing at "visa" up there, Stan :)

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:34 (nineteen years ago)

Me stupid: the original "da da da da da da da da, da da da da da da dahhhhhh" in Rumpie's very first post here was already Russian!

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:37 (nineteen years ago)

Written by Jon Anderson?

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:40 (nineteen years ago)

Yes!

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:42 (nineteen years ago)

Poor Steve. Imagine him reading this thread now...

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:49 (nineteen years ago)

Steve has emailed me!!!

He said to check his blog for the answer.....

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:54 (nineteen years ago)

HOORAY for STEVE!!!

http://mackemsteve.typepad.com/eat_carrots/2006/11/the_dancing_fou.html

(Oh yeah, the registration thing is acting up again, apparently.)

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:57 (nineteen years ago)

Yay Steve! Wot a top bloke.

I hope he manages to register - his profile says that he likes music, sci-fi, Marvel and star trek. He'd fit right in here.

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

Wow - this is fantastic! I WISH I was at home now to check these tunes out.

What a guy!

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 14:07 (nineteen years ago)

If you just show this thread to your boss I'm sure he'll understand and let you leave early. *excited smiley.gif*

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 14:10 (nineteen years ago)

I'm sure Steve's got it spot on with that Vangelis one .. it sounds just the way you described it with the dum dum dums and the hymnal quality + the ahh ahh bits which you so heartlessly dismissed from your helpful yet tone-deaf partner.

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

I could phone you at work and play it to you down the phone line, if you like!

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 14:12 (nineteen years ago)

Wow, it's nice to see the Internet is actually useful with something!

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 14:13 (nineteen years ago)

Meanwhile, here's that excited smiley.

http://pc1.lc.ncu.edu.tw/chinese/images/smiley/excited02.gif

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 14:15 (nineteen years ago)

Are those its little hands waving about, or its feet? And is that a shadow beneath, or some unfortunate incontinence due to overexcitability?

― C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 14:18 (nineteen years ago)

Ha ha, I'd love that CJ but I'd probably get very over excited and have to have cold water poured over me.

But How Great Is That?

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 14:18 (nineteen years ago)

Electronic Dictionary of Musical Themes, people! Search by Notes!

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 16:38 (nineteen years ago)

Conquest of Paradise it is. I'm listening to it just now with shivers running up and down my spine.

Ha ha, Mr Pumpkins face when I played it to him - priceless!

Thanks guys, you've no idea how thrilled I am.

― Rumpsy Pumpsy (Rumpie), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 19:11 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.uasports.net/forums/images/icons/icon_dance.gif

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 19:18 (nineteen years ago)

After five tries of seemingly obvious melodies, including "Cars," "With or Without You," and several Beatles songs, I finally got the SongTapper to recognize one: "Papa Don't Preach."

― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 20:24 (nineteen years ago)

Instead of just tapping the space bar, they should have you tap letters up and down the middle row in a rough approximation of the tune.

― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 20:25 (nineteen years ago)

It thinks "Danke Shoen" is "She Works Hard for the Money," but when I tap "She Works Hard for the Money" (excluding "dah-dum dah-dum" between lines), it thinks that's either the Used or Gym Class Heroes.

(If you can't get the think to recognize "Danke Shoen," it's kinda back-to-the-drawing-board, no?)

― nabisco (nabisco), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 20:49 (nineteen years ago)

you gotta upload a .wav of yourself humming it

― wordy rappinghood (roxymuzak), Tuesday, 21 November 2006 21:14 (nineteen years ago)

This is so great! Now Rumpie has a new soundtrack for LIFE!!!!!!!!

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 01:04 (nineteen years ago)

I love it when threads all sort out like this =)

Hey that tapping site is weird. I tapped in "Its a long way to the top" by AC/DC and it suggested I'd tapped out some Fallout Boy song.

― Trayce (trayce), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 01:05 (nineteen years ago)

this is the best thread ever.

this week, anyway.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 01:26 (nineteen years ago)

This thread has made me ridiculously happy in all sorts of way I can't quite explain.

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 01:33 (nineteen years ago)

I love it when threads all sort out like this =)

imagine if 'so not gonna happen' had ended with someone making a blog post explaining it all!

― zombierza (tehresa), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 01:38 (nineteen years ago)

oh my god, no. let's hope that never happens.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 01:39 (nineteen years ago)

Seriously, can we give CJ and StanM some sort of official commendation for mentalism beyond the call of duty or something? Immense work, you guys (and, yes, "visa" was definitely top "coffee, meet monitor" moment for the day).

Also hello Steve for when you finally get your password!

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 01:45 (nineteen years ago)

yes, well done, sirs!

― zombierza (tehresa), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 01:46 (nineteen years ago)

The amazing powers of today's modern interweb!

― Breaking Under The Crush (kate), Wednesday, 22 November 2006 10:58 (nineteen years ago)

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