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Forked Deer — Sheet Music, Tab & Chord Directory

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About Forked Deer

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

Type
Reel, two parts, each usually played twice
Key
D major · 4/4
Range
D to a · first position
Notes used
C♯ D E F♯ G A B
Level
Intermediate

Forked Deer — sheet music

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

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Forked Deer — tab

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

Forked Deer — Tenor banjo tab

G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position

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

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

Forked Deer — Mandolin tab

G D A E · open position

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

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

Forked Deer — fiddle fingering

G D A E · first position — finger numbers

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

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

Forked Deer — Guitar tab

E A D G B E · open position

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

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

Forked Deer — Ukulele tab

G C E A (high G) · open position

A|-0-4-|-5-7-9-10-12-10-9-12-|-10-9-7-10-9-7-5-4-|-5-7-9-10-12-10-9-12-|
E|-----|---------------------|-------------------|---------------------|
C|-----|---------------------|-------------------|---------------------|
G|-----|---------------------|-------------------|---------------------|
A|-10-9-7-5-4-2-0-4-|-5-7-9-10-12-10-9-12-|-10-9-7-10-9-7-5-4-|-5-0-------2-0---|
E|------------------|---------------------|-------------------|-----2-----------|
C|------------------|---------------------|-------------------|-------2---------|
G|------------------|---------------------|-------------------|---------0-----0-|
A|-0-----------0-4-|-0-----------|-0-0-0-0-0-|-2-4-2-0-----|
E|---2-0-2-0-------|---2-0-2-0---|-----------|---------2-0-|
C|-----------2-----|-----------2-|-----------|-------------|
G|-----------------|-------------|-----------|-------------|
A|-0-0-0-2-4-|-5-2-0-----------|-0-0-0-0-0-|-2-4-2-0-----|
E|-----------|-------2-0-2-0---|-----------|---------2-0-|
C|-----------|---------------2-|-----------|-------------|
G|-----------|-----------------|-----------|-------------|
A|-5-0-------2-0---|-0-----------|
E|-----2-----------|---2-0-2-0---|
C|-------2---------|-----------2-|
G|---------0-----0-|-------------|

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

Forked Deer chords

D major · 3 chords: D, G, A

pickup
D
G A
D
G A
D
G A
D G
A D
A D
A
A
A
D
A
A
D G
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 Forked Deer

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

D××GA×

Ukulele chords for Forked Deer

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

DGA

Tenor banjo & mandolin chords for Forked Deer

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 BoyCumberland GapMississippi 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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