About Billy In The Lowground
Billy In The Lowground is a two-part old-time fiddle reel in C major — intermediate, running from G, to b and staying in first position on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.
- Type
- Reel, two parts, each usually played twice
- Key
- C major · 4/4
- Range
- G, to b · first position
- Notes used
- C D E F G A B
- Level
- Intermediate
Billy In The Lowground — sheet music
C major · 4/4
The notes
Letter names, bar by bar · capitals up to C in the third space, lower case from the D on the 4th line
G, B, | C B, C D E G A B | C B C d C A G | A A C A G E G e e g e d C | C B, C D E G A B | C B C d C A G | A A C A G E D F E D B, C C | e g a g e d | C B C d C G | e a e a a a b a g e d C d | e g a g e d | C B C d C G | A B A G E G A B C A G E C
Billy In The Lowground — tab
Tenor banjo · mandolin · fiddle · guitar · ukulele — tap one to open it
Billy In The Lowground — Tenor banjo tab
G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position
E|-----|-----------------|---------------|---------------| A|-----|-------------0-2-|-3-2-3-5-3-0---|-0-0-3-0-------| D|-----|-------0-2-5-----|-------------5-|---------5-2-5-| G|-0-4-|-5-4-5-----------|---------------|---------------|
E|-0-0-3-0-----|-----------------|---------------|---------------| A|---------5-3-|-------------0-2-|-3-2-3-5-3-0---|-0-0-3-0-------| D|-------------|-------0-2-5-----|-------------5-|---------5-2-0-| G|-------------|-5-4-5-----------|---------------|---------------|
E|-------------|-0-3-5-3-0---|-------------|-0-5-0-5-5-| A|-------------|-----------5-|-3-2-3-5-3---|-----------| D|-3-2-0-------|-------------|-----------5-|-----------| G|-------4-5-5-|-------------|-------------|-----------|
E|-5-7-5-3-0-------|-0-3-5-3-0---|-------------|-----------------| A|-----------5-3-5-|-----------5-|-3-2-3-5-3---|-0-2-0-------0-2-| D|-----------------|-------------|-----------5-|-------5-2-5-----| G|-----------------|-------------|-------------|-----------------|
E|-----------| A|-3-0-------| D|-----5-2---| G|---------5-|
Numbers are frets. Tenor banjo sounds an octave below the written notes.
Billy In The Lowground — Mandolin tab
G D A E · open position
E|-----|-----------------|---------------|---------------| A|-----|-------------0-2-|-3-2-3-5-3-0---|-0-0-3-0-------| D|-----|-------0-2-5-----|-------------5-|---------5-2-5-| G|-0-4-|-5-4-5-----------|---------------|---------------|
E|-0-0-3-0-----|-----------------|---------------|---------------| A|---------5-3-|-------------0-2-|-3-2-3-5-3-0---|-0-0-3-0-------| D|-------------|-------0-2-5-----|-------------5-|---------5-2-0-| G|-------------|-5-4-5-----------|---------------|---------------|
E|-------------|-0-3-5-3-0---|-------------|-0-5-0-5-5-| A|-------------|-----------5-|-3-2-3-5-3---|-----------| D|-3-2-0-------|-------------|-----------5-|-----------| G|-------4-5-5-|-------------|-------------|-----------|
E|-5-7-5-3-0-------|-0-3-5-3-0---|-------------|-----------------| A|-----------5-3-5-|-----------5-|-3-2-3-5-3---|-0-2-0-------0-2-| D|-----------------|-------------|-----------5-|-------5-2-5-----| G|-----------------|-------------|-------------|-----------------|
E|-----------| A|-3-0-------| D|-----5-2---| G|---------5-|
Numbers are frets. Same strings as the fiddle, so the same notes fall in the same places.
Billy In The Lowground — fiddle fingering
G D A E · first position — finger numbers
E|-----|-----------------|------------------|----------------| A|-----|-------------0-1-|-L2-1-L2-3-L2-0---|-0-0-L2-0-------| D|-----|-------0-1-3-----|----------------3-|----------3-1-3-| G|-0-2-|-3-2-3-----------|------------------|----------------|
E|-0-0-L2-0------|-----------------|------------------|----------------| A|----------3-L2-|-------------0-1-|-L2-1-L2-3-L2-0---|-0-0-L2-0-------| D|---------------|-------0-1-3-----|----------------3-|----------3-1-0-| G|---------------|-3-2-3-----------|------------------|----------------|
E|--------------|-0-L2-3-L2-0---|----------------|-0-3-0-3-3-| A|--------------|-------------3-|-L2-1-L2-3-L2---|-----------| D|-L2-1-0-------|---------------|--------------3-|-----------| G|--------2-3-3-|---------------|----------------|-----------|
E|-3-4-3-L2-0--------|-0-L2-3-L2-0---|----------------|-----------------| A|------------3-L2-3-|-------------3-|-L2-1-L2-3-L2---|-0-1-0-------0-1-| D|-------------------|---------------|--------------3-|-------3-1-3-----| G|-------------------|---------------|----------------|-----------------|
E|------------| A|-L2-0-------| D|------3-1---| G|----------3-|
0 = open string · 1–4 = finger · L = low (half step back), H = high.
Billy In The Lowground — Guitar tab
E A D G B E · open position
e|-----|-----------------|---------------|---------------| B|-----|---------------0-|-1-0-1-3-1-----|-----1---------| G|-----|-----------0-2---|-----------2-0-|-2-2---2-0---0-| D|-----|-------0-2-------|---------------|-----------2---| A|---2-|-3-2-3-----------|---------------|---------------| E|-3---|-----------------|---------------|---------------|
e|-0-0-3-0-----|-----------------|---------------|---------------| B|---------3-1-|---------------0-|-1-0-1-3-1-----|-----1---------| G|-------------|-----------0-2---|-----------2-0-|-2-2---2-0-----| D|-------------|-------0-2-------|---------------|-----------2-0-| A|-------------|-3-2-3-----------|---------------|---------------| E|-------------|-----------------|---------------|---------------|
e|-------------|-0-3-5-3-0---|-------------|-0-5-0-5-5-| B|-------------|-----------3-|-1-0-1-3-1---|-----------| G|-------------|-------------|-----------0-|-----------| D|-3-2-0-------|-------------|-------------|-----------| A|-------2-3-3-|-------------|-------------|-----------| E|-------------|-------------|-------------|-----------|
e|-5-7-5-3-0-------|-0-3-5-3-0---|-------------|-----------------| B|-----------3-1-3-|-----------3-|-1-0-1-3-1---|---0-----------0-| G|-----------------|-------------|-----------0-|-2---2-0---0-2---| D|-----------------|-------------|-------------|---------2-------| A|-----------------|-------------|-------------|-----------------| E|-----------------|-------------|-------------|-----------------|
e|-----------| B|-1---------| G|---2-0-----| D|-------2---| A|---------3-| E|-----------|
Numbers are frets; the bottom line is the low E string.
Billy In The Lowground — Ukulele tab
G C E A (high G) · open position · played an octave up, as the tune dips below the lowest string
A|---2-|-3-2-3-5-7-10-12-14-|-15-14-15-17-15-12-10-|-12-12-15-12-10-7-10-| E|-----|--------------------|----------------------|---------------------| C|-----|--------------------|----------------------|---------------------| G|-0---|--------------------|----------------------|---------------------|
A|-19-19-22-19-17-15-|-3-2-3-5-7-10-12-14-|-15-14-15-17-15-12-10-|-12-12-15-12-10-7-5-| E|-------------------|--------------------|----------------------|--------------------| C|-------------------|--------------------|----------------------|--------------------| G|-------------------|--------------------|----------------------|--------------------|
A|-8-7-5-2-3-3-|-19-22-24-22-19-17-|-15-14-15-17-15-10-|-19-24-19-24-24-| E|-------------|-------------------|-------------------|----------------| C|-------------|-------------------|-------------------|----------------| G|-------------|-------------------|-------------------|----------------|
A|-24-26-24-22-19-17-15-17-|-19-22-24-22-19-17-|-15-14-15-17-15-10-|-12-14-12-10-7-10-12-14-| E|-------------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------------------------| C|-------------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------------------------| G|-------------------------|-------------------|-------------------|------------------------|
A|-15-12-10-7-3-| E|--------------| C|--------------| G|--------------|
Numbers are frets; the top line is the A string, the bottom line the high G.
Billy In The Lowground chords
C major · 4 chords: C, Am, G, F
One box per bar, in the same order as the sheet music. A faded chord carries on from the bar before.
Guitar chords for Billy In The Lowground
Strings E A D G B E, low to high · o = open string, × = don't play it
Ukulele chords for Billy In The Lowground
Strings G C E A, low to high · o = open string, × = don't play it
Tenor banjo & mandolin chords for Billy In The Lowground
Strings G D A E, low to high · o = open string, × = don't play it
More reels and tunes like it
This traditional setting comes from Jim’s Roots & Blues. The tune itself is traditional. Tabs and letter names worked out by The Music Arcade.