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Old Joe Clark — Sheet Music, Tab & Chord Directory

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About Old Joe Clark

Old Joe Clark is a two-part old-time fiddle reel in A major — intermediate, running from E to g♯ and staying in first position on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.

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

Old Joe Clark — sheet music

A 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

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

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Old Joe Clark — tab

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

Old Joe Clark — Tenor banjo tab

G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position

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

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

Old Joe Clark — Mandolin tab

G D A E · open position

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

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

Old Joe Clark — fiddle fingering

G D A E · first position — finger numbers

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

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

Old Joe Clark — Guitar tab

E A D G B E · open position

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

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

Old Joe Clark — Ukulele tab

G C E A (high G) · open position

A|-7-7-9-11-9-|-7-9-7-5-4-0-4-5-|-7-4-7-9-11-9-11-9-|-7-7-9-7-4-5-|
E|------------|-----------------|-------------------|-------------|
C|------------|-----------------|-------------------|-------------|
G|------------|-----------------|-------------------|-------------|
A|-7-7-9-11-9-11-9-|-7-9-7-5-4-2-0-2-|-4-2-0-4-2-0---2-|-0-0-0-0-|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------|
C|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|---------|
G|-----------------|-----------------|-------------1---|---------|
A|---|-0-0-2-4-2-4-5-|-7-9-7-5-4-2-0-|-0-0-2-4-2-0-|
E|-0-|---------------|---------------|-------------|
C|---|---------------|---------------|-------------|
G|---|---------------|---------------|-------------|
A|-2-2-|-0-0-2-0-2-4-5-|-7-9-7-5-4-2-0-2-|-4-2-0-4-2-0---2-|
E|-----|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
C|-----|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G|-----|---------------|-----------------|-------------1---|
A|-0-0---|-0-0-2-0-|-------0-2-0---|
E|-----0-|---------|---2-----------|
C|-------|---------|---------------|
G|-------|---------|-0---0-------0-|

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

Old Joe Clark chords

A major · 2 chords: A, E

A
A
A
E
A
A
A E
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A E
A
A
A

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

Guitar chords for Old Joe Clark

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

A×E

Ukulele chords for Old Joe Clark

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

AE

Tenor banjo & mandolin chords for Old Joe Clark

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

AE

More reels and tunes like it

The Devil's DreamBill CheathamSally GoodinCherokee ShuffleJune AppleBuffalo GalsGrey EagleBoil The Cabbage Down

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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