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Deep River — Sheet Music, Tab & Chord Directory

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About Deep River

Deep River is a spiritual in F major — intermediate, running from C to a and staying in first position on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.

Type
Spiritual
Key
F major · 4/4
Range
C to a · first position
Notes used
C D E F G A B♭
Level
Intermediate

Deep River — sheet music

F 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

A A G F | G D F | F F f d | C A G A A G F | G D F F | F F A G F D D | F F A A G F | G D F | F F f d | C A G A A G F | G D D D | D D F F D C D | F F d d e f e d | C A C C | d f e d | C A C a a g f | g d f | f C B♭ | A A A A G F | G D D D | D D F F D C D | F F F

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Deep River — tab

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

Deep River — Tenor banjo tab

G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position

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

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

Deep River — Mandolin tab

G D A E · open position

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

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

Deep River — fiddle fingering

G D A E · first position — finger numbers

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

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

Deep River — Guitar tab

E A D G B E · open position

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

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

Deep River — Ukulele tab

G C E A (high G) · open position

A|-0-0-----|-------|-----8-5-|-3-0---|
E|-------1-|-----1-|-1-1-----|-------|
C|---------|---2---|---------|-------|
G|-----0---|-0-----|---------|-----0-|
A|-0-0-----|---------|-----0---------|-----|
E|-------1-|-----1-1-|-1-1-----1-----|-1-1-|
C|---------|---2-----|-----------2-2-|-----|
G|-----0---|-0-------|-------0-------|-----|
A|-0-0-----|-------|-----8-5-|-3-0---|
E|-------1-|-----1-|-1-1-----|-------|
C|---------|---2---|---------|-------|
G|-----0---|-0-----|---------|-----0-|
A|-0-0-----|---------|---------------|-----|
E|-------1-|---------|-----1-1-------|-1-1-|
C|---------|---2-2-2-|-2-2-----2-0-2-|-----|
G|-----0---|-0-------|---------------|-----|
A|-5-5-7-8-7-5-|-3-0-3-3-|-5-8-7-5-|-3-0-3-|
E|-------------|---------|---------|-------|
C|-------------|---------|---------|-------|
G|-------------|---------|---------|-------|
A|-12-12-10-8-|-10-5-8-|-8-3-1-|-0-0-|
E|------------|--------|-------|-----|
C|------------|--------|-------|-----|
G|------------|--------|-------|-----|
A|-0-0-----|---------|---------------|-----|
E|-------1-|---------|-----1-1-------|-1-1-|
C|---------|---2-2-2-|-2-2-----2-0-2-|-----|
G|-----0---|-0-------|---------------|-----|
A|---|
E|-1-|
C|---|
G|---|

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

Deep River chords

F major · 21 chords: F, B♭, A+, G7, Am/C, Dm/C, Gm/C, B♭7, Dm, Gm7, C7, Fmaj7, F6, D7, B♭6, Am, C7/G, F7, F/C, A7/C♯, B♭m6

F
B♭
A+ G7
Am/C Dm/C Am/C Gm/C
F
B♭ B♭7
Dm Gm7 C7
F
F
B♭
A+ G7
Am/C Dm/C Am/C Gm/C
Fmaj7 F6
B♭ D7
G7 B♭6 C7
F
Dm
Am
Dm G7
Am C7/G
F F7
B♭ B♭7
F/C C7
A7/C♯ Dm Am/C
F
B♭ D7
G7 B♭6 C7
F B♭m6
F

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 Am/C means play Am with C as the lowest note.

Guitar chords for Deep River

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

FB♭×A+×G7Am/C×Dm/C×Gm/C×B♭7×Dm××Gm7C7×Fmaj7F6D7××B♭6×Am×C7/GF7F/C×A7/C♯B♭m6×

Ukulele chords for Deep River

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

FB♭A+G7Am/CDm/CGm/CB♭7DmGm7C7Fmaj75F6D7B♭6AmC7/GF7F/CA7/C♯B♭m6

Tenor banjo & mandolin chords for Deep River

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

FB♭A+G7Am/CDm/CGm/CB♭7DmGm7C7Fmaj7F6D7B♭6AmC7/GF7F/CA7/C♯4B♭m6

More spirituals and tunes like it

Joshua Fit The Battle Of JerichoSwing Low, Sweet ChariotGo Down, MosesNobody Knows The Trouble I've SeenGo Tell It On The MountainMichael, Row The Boat AshoreAmazing GraceWere You There?

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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