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The Rolling Waves — Sheet Music, Tab & Chord Directory

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About The Rolling Waves

The Rolling Waves is a two-part Irish jig in D major — beginner-friendly, running from D to f♯ and staying in first position on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.

Type
Jig, two parts, each usually played twice
Key
D major · 6/8
Range
D to f♯ · first position
Notes used
C♯ D E F♯ G A B
Level
Beginner-friendly

The Rolling Waves — sheet music

D major · 6/8

The notes

Letter names, bar by bar · capitals up to C in the third space, lower case from the D on the 4th line

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

The Rolling Waves — tab

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

The Rolling Waves — Tenor banjo tab

G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position

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

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

The Rolling Waves — Mandolin tab

G D A E · open position

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

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

The Rolling Waves — fiddle fingering

G D A E · first position — finger numbers

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

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

The Rolling Waves — Guitar tab

E A D G B E · open position

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

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

The Rolling Waves — Ukulele tab

G C E A (high G) · open position

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

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

More jigs and tunes like it

This setting is a community transcription from thesession.org. The tune itself is traditional. Tabs and letter names worked out by The Music Arcade.

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