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St. James Infirmary — Sheet Music, Tab & Chord Directory

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About St. James Infirmary

St. James Infirmary is a trad jazz tune in F major — beginner-friendly, running from D to d and staying in first position on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.

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

St. James Infirmary — 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

D F | A A A G G A | F D D | A A d d B♭ A A D F | A A A A G A | F D D D F | F F E E E D D D F | A A A G A | F D D D | A A d d B♭ A A D F | A A G A | F D D D D D D | F D F E E D D

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St. James Infirmary — tab

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

St. James Infirmary — Tenor banjo tab

G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position

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

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

St. James Infirmary — Mandolin tab

G D A E · open position

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

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

St. James Infirmary — fiddle fingering

G D A E · first position — finger numbers

E|------|-------------|--------|--------------|
A|------|-0-0-0-----0-|--------|-0-0-3-3-L1-0-|
D|-0-L2-|-------3-3---|-L2-0-0-|--------------|
G|------|-------------|--------|--------------|
E|--------|-------------|-------------|---------------|
A|-0------|-0-0-0-0---0-|-------------|---------------|
D|---0-L2-|---------3---|-L2-0-0-0-L2-|-L2-L2-1-1-1-0-|
G|--------|-------------|-------------|---------------|
E|--------|-----------|----------|--------------|
A|--------|-0-0-0---0-|----------|-0-0-3-3-L1-0-|
D|-0-0-L2-|-------3---|-L2-0-0-0-|--------------|
G|--------|-----------|----------|--------------|
E|--------|---------|----------------|---------------|
A|-0------|-0-0---0-|----------------|---------------|
D|---0-L2-|-----3---|-L2-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-L2-0-L2-1-1-0-|
G|--------|---------|----------------|---------------|
E|---|
A|---|
D|-0-|
G|---|

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

St. James Infirmary — Guitar tab

E A D G B E · open position

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

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

St. James Infirmary — Ukulele tab

G C E A (high G) · open position

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

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

St. James Infirmary chords

F major · 3 chords: Dm, A7, B♭7

pickup
Dm A7
Dm
Dm B♭7
A7
Dm A7
Dm
B♭7 A7
Dm
Dm A7
Dm
Dm B♭7
A7
Dm A7
Dm
B♭7 A7
Dm

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

Guitar chords for St. James Infirmary

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

Dm××A7×B♭7×

Ukulele chords for St. James Infirmary

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

DmA7B♭7

Tenor banjo & mandolin chords for St. James Infirmary

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

DmA7B♭7

More jazz tunes and tunes like 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.

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