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Cumberland Gap — Sheet Music, Tab & Chord Directory

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About Cumberland Gap

Cumberland Gap is a two-part old-time fiddle reel in D major — intermediate, running from A, to g and staying in first position on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.

Type
Reel, two parts, each usually played twice
Key
D major · C|
Range
A, to g · first position
Notes used
C♯ D E F♯ G A B
Level
Intermediate

Cumberland Gap — sheet music

D 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, B, D E | F♯ A B B A | B B A B B A | A F♯ E D B, A, A, B, D E | F♯ A B B A | B B A B B A | A F♯ E D e e d e | f♯ e d B B A | B A B C♯ d B A B | d B A F♯ D d f♯ f♯ f♯ g f♯ e d A | B B A B e | f♯ f♯ f♯ g f♯ e d A | B B A B B A d A d A d B A B | d B A F♯ D

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Cumberland Gap — tab

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

Cumberland Gap — Tenor banjo tab

G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position

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

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

Cumberland Gap — Mandolin tab

G D A E · open position

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

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

Cumberland Gap — fiddle fingering

G D A E · first position — finger numbers

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

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

Cumberland Gap — Guitar tab

E A D G B E · open position

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

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

Cumberland Gap — Ukulele tab

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

A|-0-0-2-5-7-|-9-12-14-14-12-|-14-14-12-14-14-12-|-12-9-7-5-2-|
E|-----------|---------------|-------------------|------------|
C|-----------|---------------|-------------------|------------|
G|-----------|---------------|-------------------|------------|
A|-0-0-2-5-7-|-9-12-14-14-12-|-14-14-12-14-14-12-|-12-9-7-5-|
E|-----------|---------------|-------------------|----------|
C|-----------|---------------|-------------------|----------|
G|-----------|---------------|-------------------|----------|
A|-19-19-17-19-|-21-19-17-14-14-12-|-14-12-14-16-17-14-12-14-|-17-14-12-9-5-17-|
E|-------------|-------------------|-------------------------|-----------------|
C|-------------|-------------------|-------------------------|-----------------|
G|-------------|-------------------|-------------------------|-----------------|
A|-21-21-21-22-21-19-17-12-|-14-14-12-14-19-|-21-21-21-22-21-19-17-12-|-14-14-12-14-14-12-|
E|-------------------------|----------------|-------------------------|-------------------|
C|-------------------------|----------------|-------------------------|-------------------|
G|-------------------------|----------------|-------------------------|-------------------|
A|-17-12-17-12-17-14-12-14-|-17-14-12-9-5-|
E|-------------------------|--------------|
C|-------------------------|--------------|
G|-------------------------|--------------|

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

Cumberland Gap chords

D major · 3 chords: D, G, A

D
D G
D
A D
D
D G
D
A D
A
D
G
D
D
G
D
G
D
A D

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

Guitar chords for Cumberland Gap

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

D××GA×

Ukulele chords for Cumberland Gap

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

DGA

Tenor banjo & mandolin chords for Cumberland Gap

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

DGA

More reels and tunes like it

Soldier's JoyArkansas TravelerWhiskey Before BreakfastThe Redhaired BoyForked DeerMississippi SawyerSaint Anne's ReelLiberty

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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