Have Thine Own Way, Lord in Tonic Solfa
Have Thine Own Way, Lord in Tonic Solfa to ADELAIDE: the solfa with the words, staff notation, the four verses, and a piano.
The solfa with the words
| mHave-rThine-mown-fway,-----mLord!----- |
| dHave-t,Thine-down-rway!----------- |
| rThou-deart-rthe-mPot------rter,----- |
| rI-dam-t,the-dclay.----------- |
| mMould-rme-mand-fmake-----mme----- |
| saf--feter-sThy-lwill,----------- |
| lWhile-tI-lam-swait------ming,----- |
| ryield--ded-rand-dstill.----------- |
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- Key
- Eb major
- Doh
- Eb
- Time
- 9/4
- Starts on
- m (G)
- Range
- t, to t (D to D, an octave)
- Tune
- ADELAIDE
- Words
- Adelaide A. Pollard
- Music
- George C. Stebbins
Tune ADELAIDE by George C. Stebbins (1846–1945); words by Adelaide A. Pollard (1862–1934). Sources and licences.
The solfa line by line
The same solfa as plain text, a line of the hymn at a time, with the words of the first verse under it — easy to copy into your own notes or a message to the choir. To print it, download the solfa as a PDF.
Doh is Eb · 9/4
Staff notation
The melody on the treble staff in Eb major, with the first verse under the notes.
The staff is drawn here when you scroll to it.
The words
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mould me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Saviour divine.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.
How to sing it from the solfa
- Find doh first. Play or hum Eb and sing d r m f s up from it, so the whole choir has the key in their ears before you start.
- Pitch the first note. The tune starts on m (G).
- Count the time. 9/4 means nine crotchet beats (three dotted minims) in each bar. In the grid every cell is half a crotchet: a dash (–) holds the note before it, and _ is a rest.
- Know the notes. The tune uses d r m f s l t and the chromatic de fe. A comma after a note (s,) is the octave below; an apostrophe (d') is the octave above.
New to solfa? Read how to read Tonic Solfa and how to find the doh of a song.
About the hymn
Adelaide A. Pollard wrote the words; the tune ADELAIDE is by George C. Stebbins (1907).
- Words (1907): Adelaide A. Pollard (1862–1934)
- Music (1907): George C. Stebbins (1846–1945)
Tune ADELAIDE by George C. Stebbins (1846–1945); words by Adelaide A. Pollard (1862–1934).
Questions about Have Thine Own Way, Lord
What is the doh of Have Thine Own Way, Lord?
In this version, in Eb major, doh is Eb. If your choir sings it in another key, doh moves to the new key note and every solfa syllable stays the same — that is what movable doh means.
What note does Have Thine Own Way, Lord start on?
It starts on m (G in Eb major). Find doh first, then sing up or down to m.
Is Have Thine Own Way, Lord in the public domain?
Yes. Adelaide A. Pollard died in 1934, George C. Stebbins died in 1945; the words were first published in 1907 and the music in 1907. Everyone named died before 1955 and both were published before 1929, so the hymn is out of copyright in the UK, the EU, the United States and Nigeria. Modern arrangements and translations can still be under copyright.