Down By The Riverside — Banjo & Mandolin Tab, Chords

▶ Learn it in the Melody Trainer See every note of Down By The Riverside on your banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, ukulele or piano — then play along: the music listens and waits for you. Open Down By The Riverside →

About Down By The Riverside

Down By The Riverside is a trad jazz tune in G major — beginner-friendly, running from D to C and staying in first position on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.

Type: Jazz tune
Key: G major · 4/4
Range: D to C · first position
Notes used: C D E F♯ G G♯ A A♯ B
Level: Beginner-friendly

Down By The Riverside — sheet music

G 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

B A♯ | B D E | G G B B | B B A♯ B A G G | A A G♯ | A G F♯ F♯ | B B A♯ B A G G B A♯ | B D E | G G B B | B B A♯ B A G G | A A C | B A | G G A B B | C C C C C | C C G A A | B B B B A G G G G G | A A A | G A | B G A B B | C C C C C | C C G A A | B B B B A G G G G | A C | B A | G G

▶ Play along in the Melody Trainer

Down By The Riverside — tab

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

Down By The Riverside — Tenor banjo tab

G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position

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

E|---------|-------|---------|-------|
A|-2-0-----|-0-0---|-0-------|-2-2-1-|
D|-----5-5-|-----6-|---5-4-4-|-------|
G|---------|-------|---------|-------|

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

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

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

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

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

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

E|---|
A|---|
D|-5-|
G|---|

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

Down By The Riverside — Mandolin tab

G D A E · open position

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

E|---------|-------|---------|-------|
A|-2-0-----|-0-0---|-0-------|-2-2-1-|
D|-----5-5-|-----6-|---5-4-4-|-------|
G|---------|-------|---------|-------|

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

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

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

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

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

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

E|---|
A|---|
D|-5-|
G|---|

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

Down By The Riverside — fiddle fingering

G D A E · first position — finger numbers

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

E|---------|--------|---------|--------|
A|-1-0-----|-0-0----|-0-------|-1-1-L1-|
D|-----3-3-|-----H3-|---3-2-2-|--------|
G|---------|--------|---------|--------|

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

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

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

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

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

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

E|---|
A|---|
D|-3-|
G|---|

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

Down By The Riverside — Guitar tab

E A D G B E · open position

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

e|---|
B|---|
G|-0-|
D|---|
A|---|
E|---|

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

Down By The Riverside — Ukulele tab

G C E A (high G) · open position

A|-2-1-|-2-----|-----2-2-|-2-2-1-|
E|-----|-----0-|---------|-------|
C|-----|---2---|---------|-------|
G|-----|-------|-0-0-----|-------|

A|-2-0-----|-0-0---|-0-------|-2-2-1-|
E|---------|-------|-----2-2-|-------|
C|---------|-------|---------|-------|
G|-----0-0-|-----1-|---0-----|-------|

A|-2-0-----2-1-|-2-----|-----2-2-|-2-2-1-|
E|-------------|-----0-|---------|-------|
C|-------------|---2---|---------|-------|
G|-----0-0-----|-------|-0-0-----|-------|

A|-2-0-----|-0-0-3-|-2-0-|---|
E|---------|-------|-----|---|
C|---------|-------|-----|---|
G|-----0-0-|-------|-----|-0-|

A|---0-2-2-|-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3---0-0-|-2-2-2-2-0-|
E|---------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
C|---------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
G|-0-------|-----------|-----0-----|-----------|

A|-----------|-0-0-0-|---0-|-2-|
E|-----------|-------|-----|---|
C|-----------|-------|-----|---|
G|-0-0-0-0-0-|-------|-0---|---|

A|---0-2-2-|-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3---0-0-|-2-2-2-2-0-|
E|---------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
C|---------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
G|-0-------|-----------|-----0-----|-----------|

A|---------|-0-3-|-2-0-|---|
E|---------|-----|-----|---|
C|---------|-----|-----|---|
G|-0-0-0-0-|-----|-----|-0-|

A|---|
E|---|
C|---|
G|-0-|

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

Down By The Riverside chords

G major · 5 chords: G, D7, G7, C, G/D

pickup

G/D D7

G G7

G/D D7

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 G/D means play G with D as the lowest note.

Guitar chords for Down By The Riverside

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

Ukulele chords for Down By The Riverside

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

Tenor banjo & mandolin chords for Down By The Riverside

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

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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.