About Singin' The Blues
Singin' The Blues is a blues in E♭ major — intermediate, running from E♭ to e♭ and staying in first position on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.
- Type
- Blues
- Key
- E♭ major · 4/4
- Range
- E♭ to e♭ · first position
- Notes used
- C C♯ D♭ D E♭ E F F♯ G♭ G A♭ A B♭ B
- Level
- Intermediate
Singin' The Blues — sheet music
E♭ 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♭ e♭ | e♭ C e♭ C C | C e♭ C B♭ F♯ G C | C C C C C | C A♭ C A♭ A♭ | A♭ C C♯ d C♯ B♭ G | G G G F♯ G | d B A | G G♭ F | E G B♭ d d d C B C | e♭ F♯ G | d F | B♭ B♭ e♭ | e♭ C e♭ C C | C e♭ C B♭ F♯ G C | C C C B C | d♭ B♭ G E E | E♭ d♭ C G | F F G A♭ G F F E F | e♭ e♭ | e♭ e♭ | e♭ C F♯ G B♭ C B♭ d♭ C B♭ B♭ | A C A F F | F e♭ C d C B♭ e♭ | e♭
Singin' The Blues — tab
Tenor banjo · mandolin · fiddle · guitar · ukulele — tap one to open it
Singin' The Blues — Tenor banjo tab
G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position
E|-------|-----------|---------------|---| A|-6-6-6-|-6-3-6-3-3-|-3-6-3-1-----3-|-3-| D|-------|-----------|---------4-5---|---| G|-------|-----------|---------------|---|
E|---------|-----------|---------------|---| A|-3-3-3-3-|-3---3-----|---3-4-5-4-1---|---| D|---------|---6---6-6-|-6-----------5-|-5-| G|---------|-----------|---------------|---|
E|---------|-------|-------|-----------| A|---------|-5-2-0-|-------|-----1-5-5-| D|-5-5-4-5-|-------|-5-4-3-|-2-5-------| G|---------|-------|-------|-----------|
E|---------|-------|-----|---| A|-5-3-2-3-|-6-----|-5---|-1-| D|---------|---4-5-|---3-|---| G|---------|-------|-----|---|
E|-----|-----------|---------------|---| A|-1-6-|-6-3-6-3-3-|-3-6-3-1-----3-|-3-| D|-----|-----------|---------4-5---|---| G|-----|-----------|---------------|---|
E|---------|-----------|---------|-----------| A|-3-3-2-3-|-4-1-------|---4-3---|-----------| D|---------|-----5-2-2-|-1-----5-|-3-3-5-6-5-| G|---------|-----------|---------|-----------|
E|---------|-----|-----|---------------| A|---------|-6-6-|-6-6-|-6-3-----1-3-1-| D|-3-3-2-3-|-----|-----|-----4-5-------| G|---------|-----|-----|---------------|
E|---------|-----------|---------------|---| A|-4-3-1-1-|-0-3-0-----|---6-3-5-3-1-6-|-6-| D|---------|-------3-3-|-3-------------|---| G|---------|-----------|---------------|---|
Numbers are frets. Tenor banjo sounds an octave below the written notes.
Singin' The Blues — Mandolin tab
G D A E · open position
E|-------|-----------|---------------|---| A|-6-6-6-|-6-3-6-3-3-|-3-6-3-1-----3-|-3-| D|-------|-----------|---------4-5---|---| G|-------|-----------|---------------|---|
E|---------|-----------|---------------|---| A|-3-3-3-3-|-3---3-----|---3-4-5-4-1---|---| D|---------|---6---6-6-|-6-----------5-|-5-| G|---------|-----------|---------------|---|
E|---------|-------|-------|-----------| A|---------|-5-2-0-|-------|-----1-5-5-| D|-5-5-4-5-|-------|-5-4-3-|-2-5-------| G|---------|-------|-------|-----------|
E|---------|-------|-----|---| A|-5-3-2-3-|-6-----|-5---|-1-| D|---------|---4-5-|---3-|---| G|---------|-------|-----|---|
E|-----|-----------|---------------|---| A|-1-6-|-6-3-6-3-3-|-3-6-3-1-----3-|-3-| D|-----|-----------|---------4-5---|---| G|-----|-----------|---------------|---|
E|---------|-----------|---------|-----------| A|-3-3-2-3-|-4-1-------|---4-3---|-----------| D|---------|-----5-2-2-|-1-----5-|-3-3-5-6-5-| G|---------|-----------|---------|-----------|
E|---------|-----|-----|---------------| A|---------|-6-6-|-6-6-|-6-3-----1-3-1-| D|-3-3-2-3-|-----|-----|-----4-5-------| G|---------|-----|-----|---------------|
E|---------|-----------|---------------|---| A|-4-3-1-1-|-0-3-0-----|---6-3-5-3-1-6-|-6-| D|---------|-------3-3-|-3-------------|---| G|---------|-----------|---------------|---|
Numbers are frets. Same strings as the fiddle, so the same notes fall in the same places.
Singin' The Blues — fiddle fingering
G D A E · first position — finger numbers
E|----------|----------------|--------------------|----| A|-H3-H3-H3-|-H3-L2-H3-L2-L2-|-L2-H3-L2-L1-----L2-|-L2-| D|----------|----------------|-------------2-3----|----| G|----------|----------------|--------------------|----|
E|-------------|----------------|------------------|---| A|-L2-L2-L2-L2-|-L2----L2-------|----L2-2-3-2-L1---|---| D|-------------|----H3----H3-H3-|-H3-------------3-|-3-| G|-------------|----------------|------------------|---|
E|---------|-------|--------|------------| A|---------|-3-1-0-|--------|-----L1-3-3-| D|-3-3-2-3-|-------|-3-2-L2-|-1-3--------| G|---------|-------|--------|------------|
E|-----------|--------|------|----| A|-3-L2-1-L2-|-H3-----|-3----|-L1-| D|-----------|----2-3-|---L2-|----| G|-----------|--------|------|----|
E|-------|----------------|--------------------|----| A|-L1-H3-|-H3-L2-H3-L2-L2-|-L2-H3-L2-L1-----L2-|-L2-| D|-------|----------------|-------------2-3----|----| G|-------|----------------|--------------------|----|
E|------------|------------|-----------|--------------| A|-L2-L2-1-L2-|-2-L1-------|----2-L2---|--------------| D|------------|------3-1-1-|-L1------3-|-L2-L2-3-H3-3-| G|------------|------------|-----------|--------------|
E|------------|-------|-------|--------------------| A|------------|-H3-H3-|-H3-H3-|-H3-L2-----L1-L2-L1-| D|-L2-L2-1-L2-|-------|-------|-------2-3----------| G|------------|-------|-------|--------------------|
E|------------|--------------|---------------------|----| A|-2-L2-L1-L1-|-0-L2-0-------|----H3-L2-3-L2-L1-H3-|-H3-| D|------------|--------L2-L2-|-L2------------------|----| G|------------|--------------|---------------------|----|
0 = open string · 1–4 = finger · L = low (half step back), H = high.
Singin' The Blues — Guitar tab
E A D G B E · open position
e|-------|-----------|---------------|---| B|-4-4-4-|-4-1-4-1-1-|-1-4-1-------1-|-1-| G|-------|-----------|-------3---0---|---| D|-------|-----------|---------4-----|---| A|-------|-----------|---------------|---| E|-------|-----------|---------------|---|
e|---------|-----------|---------------|---| B|-1-1-1-1-|-1---1-----|---1-2-3-2-----|---| G|---------|---1---1-1-|-1---------3-0-|-0-| D|---------|-----------|---------------|---| A|---------|-----------|---------------|---| E|---------|-----------|---------------|---|
e|---------|-------|-------|-----------| B|---------|-3-0---|-------|-------3-3-| G|-0-0---0-|-----2-|-0-----|---0-3-----| D|-----4---|-------|---4-3-|-2---------| A|---------|-------|-------|-----------| E|---------|-------|-------|-----------|
e|---------|-------|-----|---| B|-3-1-0-1-|-4-----|-3---|---| G|---------|-----0-|-----|-3-| D|---------|---4---|---3-|---| A|---------|-------|-----|---| E|---------|-------|-----|---|
e|-----|-----------|---------------|---| B|---4-|-4-1-4-1-1-|-1-4-1-------1-|-1-| G|-3---|-----------|-------3---0---|---| D|-----|-----------|---------4-----|---| A|-----|-----------|---------------|---| E|-----|-----------|---------------|---|
e|---------|-----------|---------|-----------| B|-1-1-0-1-|-2---------|---2-1---|-----------| G|---------|---3-0-----|-------0-|-----0-1-0-| D|---------|-------2-2-|-1-------|-3-3-------| A|---------|-----------|---------|-----------| E|---------|-----------|---------|-----------|
e|---------|-----|-----|---------------| B|---------|-4-4-|-4-4-|-4-1-------1---| G|---------|-----|-----|-------0-3---3-| D|-3-3-2-3-|-----|-----|-----4---------| A|---------|-----|-----|---------------| E|---------|-----|-----|---------------|
e|---------|-----------|---------------|---| B|-2-1-----|---1-------|---4-1-3-1---4-|-4-| G|-----3-3-|-2---2-----|-----------3---|---| D|---------|-------3-3-|-3-------------|---| A|---------|-----------|---------------|---| E|---------|-----------|---------------|---|
Numbers are frets; the bottom line is the low E string.
Singin' The Blues — Ukulele tab
G C E A (high G) · open position
A|-6-6-6-|-6-3-6-3-3-|-3-6-3-1-----3-|-3-| E|-------|-----------|---------2-----|---| C|-------|-----------|---------------|---| G|-------|-----------|-----------0---|---|
A|-3-3-3-3-|-3---3-----|---3-4-5-4-1---|---| E|---------|-----------|---------------|---| C|---------|-----------|---------------|---| G|---------|---1---1-1-|-1-----------0-|-0-|
A|---------|-5-2-0-|-------|-----1-5-5-| E|-----2---|-------|---2-1-|-0---------| C|---------|-------|-------|-----------| G|-0-0---0-|-------|-0-----|---0-------|
A|-5-3-2-3-|-6-----|-5---|-1-| E|---------|---2---|---1-|---| C|---------|-------|-----|---| G|---------|-----0-|-----|---|
A|-1-6-|-6-3-6-3-3-|-3-6-3-1-----3-|-3-| E|-----|-----------|---------2-----|---| C|-----|-----------|---------------|---| G|-----|-----------|-----------0---|---|
A|-3-3-2-3-|-4-1-------|---4-3---|-----------| E|---------|-------0-0-|---------|-1-1-------| C|---------|-----------|-3-------|-----------| G|---------|-----0-----|-------0-|-----0-1-0-|
A|---------|-6-6-|-6-6-|-6-3-----1-3-1-| E|-1-1-0-1-|-----|-----|-----2---------| C|---------|-----|-----|---------------| G|---------|-----|-----|-------0-------|
A|-4-3-1-1-|-0-3-0-----|---6-3-5-3-1-6-|-6-| E|---------|-------1-1-|-1-------------|---| C|---------|-----------|---------------|---| G|---------|-----------|---------------|---|
Numbers are frets; the top line is the A string, the bottom line the high G.
Singin' The Blues chords
E♭ major · 10 chords: Fm7, B♭7, E♭, G7, C7, F7, Fm, A♭, Adim, E♭/B♭
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 E♭/B♭ means play E♭ with B♭ as the lowest note.
Guitar chords for Singin' The Blues
Strings E A D G B E, low to high · o = open string, × = don't play it
Ukulele chords for Singin' The Blues
Strings G C E A, low to high · o = open string, × = don't play it
Tenor banjo & mandolin chords for Singin' The Blues
Strings G D A E, low to high · o = open string, × = don't play it
More bluess and tunes like it
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.