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.