About Buffalo Gals
Buffalo Gals is a two-part old-time fiddle reel in A major — beginner-friendly, running from A to a and staying in first position on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.
- Type
- Reel, two parts, each usually played twice
- Key
- A major · C|
- Range
- A to a · first position
- Notes used
- C♯ D E F♯ G♯ A B
- Level
- Beginner-friendly
Buffalo Gals — sheet music
A major · C|
The notes
Letter names, bar by bar · capitals up to C in the third space, lower case from the D on the 4th line
A A C♯ e e | f♯ e e C♯ | e d d B e | f♯ e e C♯ A A C♯ e e | f♯ e e C♯ | e e e d C♯ B | A a g♯ f♯ e | f♯ e e C♯ | e d d B e | f♯ e e C♯ a g♯ f♯ e | f♯ e e C♯ | e e e d C♯ B | A
Buffalo Gals — tab
Tenor banjo · mandolin · fiddle · guitar · ukulele — tap one to open it
Buffalo Gals — Tenor banjo tab
G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position
E|-------0-0-|-2-0-0---|-0-------0-|-2-0-0---| A|-0-0-4-----|-------4-|---5-5-2---|-------4-| D|-----------|---------|-----------|---------| G|-----------|---------|-----------|---------|
E|-------0-0-|-2-0-0---|-0-0-0-------|---| A|-0-0-4-----|-------4-|-------5-4-2-|-0-| D|-----------|---------|-------------|---| G|-----------|---------|-------------|---|
E|-5-4-2-0-|-2-0-0---|-0-------0-|-2-0-0---| A|---------|-------4-|---5-5-2---|-------4-| D|---------|---------|-----------|---------| G|---------|---------|-----------|---------|
E|-5-4-2-0-|-2-0-0---|-0-0-0-------|---| A|---------|-------4-|-------5-4-2-|-0-| D|---------|---------|-------------|---| G|---------|---------|-------------|---|
Numbers are frets. Tenor banjo sounds an octave below the written notes.
Buffalo Gals — Mandolin tab
G D A E · open position
E|-------0-0-|-2-0-0---|-0-------0-|-2-0-0---| A|-0-0-4-----|-------4-|---5-5-2---|-------4-| D|-----------|---------|-----------|---------| G|-----------|---------|-----------|---------|
E|-------0-0-|-2-0-0---|-0-0-0-------|---| A|-0-0-4-----|-------4-|-------5-4-2-|-0-| D|-----------|---------|-------------|---| G|-----------|---------|-------------|---|
E|-5-4-2-0-|-2-0-0---|-0-------0-|-2-0-0---| A|---------|-------4-|---5-5-2---|-------4-| D|---------|---------|-----------|---------| G|---------|---------|-----------|---------|
E|-5-4-2-0-|-2-0-0---|-0-0-0-------|---| A|---------|-------4-|-------5-4-2-|-0-| D|---------|---------|-------------|---| G|---------|---------|-------------|---|
Numbers are frets. Same strings as the fiddle, so the same notes fall in the same places.
Buffalo Gals — fiddle fingering
G D A E · first position — finger numbers
E|-------0-0-|-1-0-0---|-0-------0-|-1-0-0---| A|-0-0-2-----|-------2-|---3-3-1---|-------2-| D|-----------|---------|-----------|---------| G|-----------|---------|-----------|---------|
E|-------0-0-|-1-0-0---|-0-0-0-------|---| A|-0-0-2-----|-------2-|-------3-2-1-|-0-| D|-----------|---------|-------------|---| G|-----------|---------|-------------|---|
E|-3-2-1-0-|-1-0-0---|-0-------0-|-1-0-0---| A|---------|-------2-|---3-3-1---|-------2-| D|---------|---------|-----------|---------| G|---------|---------|-----------|---------|
E|-3-2-1-0-|-1-0-0---|-0-0-0-------|---| A|---------|-------2-|-------3-2-1-|-0-| D|---------|---------|-------------|---| G|---------|---------|-------------|---|
0 = open string · 1–4 = finger · L = low (half step back), H = high.
Buffalo Gals — Guitar tab
E A D G B E · open position
e|-------0-0-|-2-0-0---|-0-------0-|-2-0-0---| B|-----2-----|-------2-|---3-3-0---|-------2-| G|-2-2-------|---------|-----------|---------| D|-----------|---------|-----------|---------| A|-----------|---------|-----------|---------| E|-----------|---------|-----------|---------|
e|-------0-0-|-2-0-0---|-0-0-0-------|---| B|-----2-----|-------2-|-------3-2-0-|---| G|-2-2-------|---------|-------------|-2-| D|-----------|---------|-------------|---| A|-----------|---------|-------------|---| E|-----------|---------|-------------|---|
e|-5-4-2-0-|-2-0-0---|-0-------0-|-2-0-0---| B|---------|-------2-|---3-3-0---|-------2-| G|---------|---------|-----------|---------| D|---------|---------|-----------|---------| A|---------|---------|-----------|---------| E|---------|---------|-----------|---------|
e|-5-4-2-0-|-2-0-0---|-0-0-0-------|---| B|---------|-------2-|-------3-2-0-|---| G|---------|---------|-------------|-2-| D|---------|---------|-------------|---| A|---------|---------|-------------|---| E|---------|---------|-------------|---|
Numbers are frets; the bottom line is the low E string.
Buffalo Gals — Ukulele tab
G C E A (high G) · open position
A|-0-0-4-7-7-|-9-7-7-4-|-7-5-5-2-7-|-9-7-7-4-| E|-----------|---------|-----------|---------| C|-----------|---------|-----------|---------| G|-----------|---------|-----------|---------|
A|-0-0-4-7-7-|-9-7-7-4-|-7-7-7-5-4-2-|-0-| E|-----------|---------|-------------|---| C|-----------|---------|-------------|---| G|-----------|---------|-------------|---|
A|-12-11-9-7-|-9-7-7-4-|-7-5-5-2-7-|-9-7-7-4-| E|-----------|---------|-----------|---------| C|-----------|---------|-----------|---------| G|-----------|---------|-----------|---------|
A|-12-11-9-7-|-9-7-7-4-|-7-7-7-5-4-2-|-0-| E|-----------|---------|-------------|---| C|-----------|---------|-------------|---| G|-----------|---------|-------------|---|
Numbers are frets; the top line is the A string, the bottom line the high G.
Buffalo Gals chords
A major · 2 chords: A, E7
One box per bar, in the same order as the sheet music. A faded chord carries on from the bar before.
Guitar chords for Buffalo Gals
Strings E A D G B E, low to high · o = open string, × = don't play it
Ukulele chords for Buffalo Gals
Strings G C E A, low to high · o = open string, × = don't play it
Tenor banjo & mandolin chords for Buffalo Gals
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.