The World Is Waiting — Banjo & Mandolin Tab, Chords

▶ Learn it in the Melody Trainer See every note of The World Is Waiting on your banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, ukulele or piano — then play along: the music listens and waits for you. Open The World Is Waiting →

About The World Is Waiting

The World Is Waiting is a trad jazz tune in C major — beginner-friendly, running from D to e and staying in first position on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.

Type: Jazz tune
Key: C major · 4/4
Range: D to e · first position
Notes used: C D D♯ E F G A
Level: Beginner-friendly

The World Is Waiting — sheet music

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

▶ Play along in the Melody Trainer

The World Is Waiting — tab

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

The World Is Waiting — Tenor banjo tab

G D A E (Irish tuning) · open position

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

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

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

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

E|---|
A|---|
D|-5-|
G|---|

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

The World Is Waiting — Mandolin tab

G D A E · open position

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

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

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

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

E|---|
A|---|
D|-5-|
G|---|

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

The World Is Waiting — fiddle fingering

G D A E · first position — finger numbers

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

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

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

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

E|---|
A|---|
D|-3-|
G|---|

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

The World Is Waiting — Guitar tab

E A D G B E · open position

e|---|-----|-----|---------|
B|---|-----|-----|-------1-|
G|---|---0-|-2-0-|---0-2---|
D|-1-|-2---|-----|-2-------|
A|---|-----|-----|---------|
E|---|-----|-----|---------|

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

e|-----|-----|-----|---------|
B|-----|-----|-----|-------1-|
G|-----|---0-|-2-0-|---0-2---|
D|-0-1-|-2---|-----|-2-------|
A|-----|-----|-----|---------|
E|-----|-----|-----|---------|

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

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

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

The World Is Waiting — Ukulele tab

G C E A (high G) · open position

A|---|-----|-0---|-----0-3-|
E|---|-0---|-----|-0-------|
C|-3-|-----|-----|---------|
G|---|---0-|---0-|---0-----|

A|-7-5-|-3-0-|-----|-------|
E|-----|-----|---1-|-0---0-|
C|-----|-----|-----|---2---|
G|-----|-----|-0---|-------|

A|-----|-----|-0---|-----0-3-|
E|-----|-0---|-----|-0-------|
C|-2-3-|-----|-----|---------|
G|-----|---0-|---0-|---0-----|

A|-7-5-|-3-0-|-----|-----|
E|-----|-----|---0-|-1---|
C|-----|-----|-----|-----|
G|-----|-----|-0---|---0-|

A|---|
E|---|
C|---|
G|-0-|

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

The World Is Waiting chords

C major · 8 chords: C, G7♯5, E7, F, D7, G7, A7, Dm7♭5

pickup

C G7♯5

G7 G7♯5

C G7♯5

F G7

C A7

Dm7♭5 G7

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 World Is Waiting

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

Ukulele chords for The World Is Waiting

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

Tenor banjo & mandolin chords for The World Is Waiting

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