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Boston Boy — Sheet Music, Tab & Chord Directory

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About Boston Boy

Boston Boy is a two-part old-time fiddle reel in C major — one for the more experienced, running from G, to a 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 a · first position
Notes used
C D E F F♯ G A B
Level
One for the more experienced

Boston Boy — 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 F G E | F E F G F E D F♯ | G F♯ G A B C d B C d C A G F E D | C B, C D E F G E | F E F G F E D F♯ | G F♯ G A B C d B C E E E G, B, | C E E E d e | e g e d C d e f | g e g a g e d C B C B A G A B C | d E E d E C d | e g e d C d e f | g e g a g e d C B C B A G A B C | d E E d E C d | C E E E

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Boston Boy — tab

Tenor banjo · mandolin · fiddle · guitar · ukulele — tap one to open it

Boston Boy — Tenor banjo tab

G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position

E|-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----|-----------------|-----------------|-------0-2-3-5-2-|
D|-----|-------0-2-3-5-2-|-3-2-3-5-3-2-0-4-|-5-4-5-----------|
G|-0-4-|-5-4-5-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-3-5-3-0---------|-----------------|-----------------|-------0-2-3-5-2-|
D|---------5-3-2-0-|-------0-2-3-5-2-|-3-2-3-5-3-2-0-4-|-5-4-5-----------|
G|-----------------|-5-4-5-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-------------|-----------0-|-0-3-0-------0-1-|-3-0-3-5-3-0-----|
A|-3-----------|-3-------5---|-------5-3-5-----|-------------5-3-|
D|---2-2-2-----|---2-2-2-----|-----------------|-----------------|
G|---------0-4-|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|---------------|-0-3-0-------0-1-|-3-0-3-5-3-0-----|
A|-2-3-2-0---0-2-3-|-5-----5---3-5-|-------5-3-5-----|-------------5-3-|
D|---------5-------|---2-2---2-----|-----------------|-----------------|
G|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|---------------|---------|
A|-2-3-2-0---0-2-3-|-5-----5---3-5-|-3-------|
D|---------5-------|---2-2---2-----|---2-2-2-|
G|-----------------|---------------|---------|

Numbers are frets. Tenor banjo sounds an octave below the written notes.

Boston Boy — Mandolin tab

G D A E · open position

E|-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----|-----------------|-----------------|-------0-2-3-5-2-|
D|-----|-------0-2-3-5-2-|-3-2-3-5-3-2-0-4-|-5-4-5-----------|
G|-0-4-|-5-4-5-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-3-5-3-0---------|-----------------|-----------------|-------0-2-3-5-2-|
D|---------5-3-2-0-|-------0-2-3-5-2-|-3-2-3-5-3-2-0-4-|-5-4-5-----------|
G|-----------------|-5-4-5-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-------------|-----------0-|-0-3-0-------0-1-|-3-0-3-5-3-0-----|
A|-3-----------|-3-------5---|-------5-3-5-----|-------------5-3-|
D|---2-2-2-----|---2-2-2-----|-----------------|-----------------|
G|---------0-4-|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|---------------|-0-3-0-------0-1-|-3-0-3-5-3-0-----|
A|-2-3-2-0---0-2-3-|-5-----5---3-5-|-------5-3-5-----|-------------5-3-|
D|---------5-------|---2-2---2-----|-----------------|-----------------|
G|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|---------------|---------|
A|-2-3-2-0---0-2-3-|-5-----5---3-5-|-3-------|
D|---------5-------|---2-2---2-----|---2-2-2-|
G|-----------------|---------------|---------|

Numbers are frets. Same strings as the fiddle, so the same notes fall in the same places.

Boston Boy — fiddle fingering

G D A E · first position — finger numbers

E|-----|------------------|--------------------|------------------|
A|-----|------------------|--------------------|-------0-1-L2-3-1-|
D|-----|-------0-1-L2-3-1-|-L2-1-L2-3-L2-1-0-2-|-3-2-3------------|
G|-0-2-|-3-2-3------------|--------------------|------------------|
E|--------------------|------------------|--------------------|------------------|
A|-L2-3-L2-0----------|------------------|--------------------|-------0-1-L2-3-1-|
D|-----------3-L2-1-0-|-------0-1-L2-3-1-|-L2-1-L2-3-L2-1-0-2-|-3-2-3------------|
G|--------------------|-3-2-3------------|--------------------|------------------|
E|--------------|------------0-|-0-L2-0--------0-L1-|-L2-0-L2-3-L2-0------|
A|-L2-----------|-L2-------3---|--------3-L2-3------|----------------3-L2-|
D|----1-1-1-----|----1-1-1-----|--------------------|---------------------|
G|----------0-2-|--------------|--------------------|---------------------|
E|-------------------|----------------|-0-L2-0--------0-L1-|-L2-0-L2-3-L2-0------|
A|-1-L2-1-0---0-1-L2-|-3-----3---L2-3-|--------3-L2-3------|----------------3-L2-|
D|----------3--------|---1-1---1------|--------------------|---------------------|
G|-------------------|----------------|--------------------|---------------------|
E|-------------------|----------------|----------|
A|-1-L2-1-0---0-1-L2-|-3-----3---L2-3-|-L2-------|
D|----------3--------|---1-1---1------|----1-1-1-|
G|-------------------|----------------|----------|

0 = open string · 1–4 = finger · L = low (half step back), H = high.

Boston Boy — Guitar tab

E A D G B E · open position

e|-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B|-----|-----------------|-----------------|---------0-1-3-0-|
G|-----|-------------0---|-------0---------|-0---0-2---------|
D|-----|-------0-2-3---2-|-3-2-3---3-2-0-4-|---4-------------|
A|---2-|-3-2-3-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-3---|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B|-1-3-1-----------|-----------------|-----------------|---------0-1-3-0-|
G|-------2-0-------|-------------0---|-------0---------|-0---0-2---------|
D|-----------3-2-0-|-------0-2-3---2-|-3-2-3---3-2-0-4-|---4-------------|
A|-----------------|-3-2-3-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e|-------------|-----------0-|-0-3-0-------0-1-|-3-0-3-5-3-0-----|
B|-1-----------|-1-------3---|-------3-1-3-----|-------------3-1-|
G|-------------|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|---2-2-2-----|---2-2-2-----|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------2-|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|---------3---|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e|-----------------|---------------|-0-3-0-------0-1-|-3-0-3-5-3-0-----|
B|-0-1-0-------0-1-|-3-----3---1-3-|-------3-1-3-----|-------------3-1-|
G|-------2-0-2-----|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|---2-2---2-----|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
e|-----------------|---------------|---------|
B|-0-1-0-------0-1-|-3-----3---1-3-|-1-------|
G|-------2-0-2-----|---------------|---------|
D|-----------------|---2-2---2-----|---2-2-2-|
A|-----------------|---------------|---------|
E|-----------------|---------------|---------|

Numbers are frets; the bottom line is the low E string.

Boston Boy — Ukulele tab

G C E A (high G) · open position · played an octave up, as the tune dips below the lowest string

A|---2-|-3-2-3-5-7-8-10-7-|-8-7-8-10-8-7-5-9-|-10-9-10-12-14-15-17-14-|
E|-----|------------------|------------------|------------------------|
C|-----|------------------|------------------|------------------------|
G|-0---|------------------|------------------|------------------------|
A|-15-17-15-12-10-8-7-5-|-3-2-3-5-7-8-10-7-|-8-7-8-10-8-7-5-9-|-10-9-10-12-14-15-17-14-|
E|----------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------------|
C|----------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------------|
G|----------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------------|
A|-15-7-7-7---2-|-15-7-7-7-17-19-|-19-22-19-17-15-17-19-20-|-22-19-22-24-22-19-17-15-|
E|--------------|----------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
C|--------------|----------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
G|----------0---|----------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-14-15-14-12-10-12-14-15-|-17-7-7-17-7-15-17-|-19-22-19-17-15-17-19-20-|-22-19-22-24-22-19-17-15-|
E|-------------------------|-------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
C|-------------------------|-------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
G|-------------------------|-------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
A|-14-15-14-12-10-12-14-15-|-17-7-7-17-7-15-17-|-15-7-7-7-|
E|-------------------------|-------------------|----------|
C|-------------------------|-------------------|----------|
G|-------------------------|-------------------|----------|

Numbers are frets; the top line is the A string, the bottom line the high G.

Boston Boy chords

C major · 3 chords: C, F, G

pickup
C
F
G
C
C
F
G
C
C
C
C
G
C
C
C
G
C
C

One box per bar, in the same order as the sheet music. A faded chord carries on from the bar before.

Guitar chords for Boston Boy

Strings E A D G B E, low to high · o = open string, × = don't play it

C×FG

Ukulele chords for Boston Boy

Strings G C E A, low to high · o = open string, × = don't play it

CFG

Tenor banjo & mandolin chords for Boston Boy

Strings G D A E, low to high · o = open string, × = don't play it

CFG

More reels and tunes like it

Billy In The LowgroundCold Frosty MorningBack Up and PushTennessee WagonerSoldier's JoyArkansas TravelerOld Joe ClarkBlackberry Blossom

This traditional setting comes from Jim’s Roots & Blues. The tune itself is traditional. Tabs and letter names worked out by The Music Arcade.

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