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The Devil's Dream — Sheet Music, Tab & Chord Directory

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About The Devil's Dream

The Devil's Dream is a two-part old-time fiddle reel in A major — beginner-friendly, running from A to a and staying in first position on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.

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

The Devil's Dream — 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 | a g♯ a e a g♯ a e | a g♯ a e f♯ e d C♯ | d f♯ B f♯ d f♯ B f♯ d f♯ B f♯ a g♯ f♯ e | a g♯ a e a g♯ a e | a g♯ a e f♯ e d C♯ | B C♯ d e g♯ f♯ e d C♯ e B e A e | C♯ e A e C♯ e A e | C♯ e A e f♯ e d C♯ | d f♯ B f♯ d f♯ B f♯ d f♯ B f♯ a g♯ f♯ e | C♯ e A e C♯ e A e | C♯ e A e f♯ e d C♯ | B C♯ d e g♯ f♯ e d C♯ e B e A e

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The Devil's Dream — tab

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

The Devil's Dream — Tenor banjo tab

G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position

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

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

The Devil's Dream — Mandolin tab

G D A E · open position

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

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

The Devil's Dream — fiddle fingering

G D A E · first position — finger numbers

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

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

The Devil's Dream — Guitar tab

E A D G B E · open position

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

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

The Devil's Dream — Ukulele tab

G C E A (high G) · open position

A|-7-|-12-11-12-7-12-11-12-7-|-12-11-12-7-9-7-5-4-|-5-9-2-9-5-9-2-9-|
E|---|-----------------------|--------------------|-----------------|
C|---|-----------------------|--------------------|-----------------|
G|---|-----------------------|--------------------|-----------------|
A|-5-9-2-9-12-11-9-7-|-12-11-12-7-12-11-12-7-|-12-11-12-7-9-7-5-4-|-2-4-5-7-11-9-7-5-|
E|-------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|------------------|
C|-------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|------------------|
G|-------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|------------------|
A|-4-7-2-7-0-7-|-4-7-0-7-4-7-0-7-|-4-7-0-7-9-7-5-4-|-5-9-2-9-5-9-2-9-|
E|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
C|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G|-------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-5-9-2-9-12-11-9-7-|-4-7-0-7-4-7-0-7-|-4-7-0-7-9-7-5-4-|-2-4-5-7-11-9-7-5-|
E|-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
C|-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
G|-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|
A|-4-7-2-7-0-7-|
E|-------------|
C|-------------|
G|-------------|

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

The Devil's Dream chords

A major · 3 chords: A, Bm, E

pickup
A
A
Bm
Bm E
A
A
Bm
E A
A
A
Bm
Bm E
A
A
Bm
E 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 The Devil's Dream

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

A×Bm×E

Ukulele chords for The Devil's Dream

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

ABmE

Tenor banjo & mandolin chords for The Devil's Dream

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

ABmE

More reels and tunes like it

Old Joe ClarkBill 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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