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Charleston — Sheet Music, Tab & Chord Directory

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About Charleston

Charleston is a trad jazz tune in B♭ major — intermediate, running from E to d and staying in first position on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.

Type
Jazz tune
Key
B♭ major · 4/4
Range
E to d · first position
Notes used
C C♯ D E F F♯ G♭ G A B♭
Level
Intermediate

Charleston — sheet music

B♭ 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

F F F | F♯ F♯ F♯ | G G G F♯ G | d G G G d d | G d d | G B♭ B♭ | A C A G G A G G♭ F F F | F♯ F♯ F♯ | G G G F♯ G | d d d A A A A G F | G G G G F E | A A A A G F♯ | A A A A G F F F F | F♯ F♯ F♯ | G G G F♯ G | d G G G G G d d C♯ d | G d d | G B♭ B♭ B♭ | A C A G G F B♭ B♭ B♭ | C C B♭ C | B♭ B♭ B♭ | B♭ C C B♭ C G G G | F G A A G F | B♭

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Charleston — tab

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

Charleston — Tenor banjo tab

G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position

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

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

Charleston — Mandolin tab

G D A E · open position

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

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

Charleston — fiddle fingering

G D A E · first position — finger numbers

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

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

Charleston — Guitar tab

E A D G B E · open position

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

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

Charleston — Ukulele tab

G C E A (high G) · open position

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

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

Charleston chords

B♭ major · 16 chords: B♭, D7/A, G7, C7, F7, Gm7/D, D♭dim, C9, F/A, A7, D7, Gm, B♭7, E♭, F♯7, E♭m6

B♭
D7/A
G7
G7
C7
F7
Gm7/D D♭dim
F7
B♭
D7/A
G7
C9
F/A
A7
D7
F7
B♭
D7/A
G7
G7
C7
F7
Gm7/D D♭dim
F7
Gm
B♭7
E♭
F♯7
Gm7/D D♭dim
F7
B♭ B♭7 E♭m6
B♭

One box per bar, in the same order as the sheet music. A faded chord carries on from the bar before. A slash chord like D7/A means play D7 with A as the lowest note.

Guitar chords for Charleston

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

B♭×D7/A×G7C7×F7Gm7/D6××D♭dimC9×F/A×A7×D7××Gm3B♭7×E♭6×F♯7E♭m6××

Ukulele chords for Charleston

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

B♭D7/AG7C7F7Gm7/DD♭dimC9F/AA7D7GmB♭7E♭F♯7E♭m6

Tenor banjo & mandolin chords for Charleston

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

B♭D7/AG7C7F7Gm7/DD♭dimC9F/AA7D7GmB♭7E♭F♯7E♭m6

More jazz tunes and tunes like it

Ain't Nobody's Biz-nessJust A Closer Walk With Thee(The Original) Second LineAt The Jazz Band BallRunnin' WildBallin' The JackThere'll Be Some Changes MadeCareless Love

This melody comes from The Public Domain Song Anthology (David Berger & Chuck Israels), released CC0. The song is in the public domain. Tabs and letter names worked out by The Music Arcade.

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