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Greensleeves: guitar chords and tab for beginners
England, 16th century
Greensleeves
by Traditional
- Tempo
- 100beats per minute
- Count
- 3beats in each bar
- Key
- A minorthe home note
- Level
- 1 of 3easiest
Level 1. Strum one chord per beat. Start here.
Chord names above, strum arrows below. Down arrow = strum down toward the floor, up arrow = back up.
Hold this chord
How to read it
- Red cross: don’t play that string. Skip it when you strum.
- Green circle: play that string open, with no finger on it.
- Number: press there with that finger. 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky.
- Letters: the strings, thickest (low E) on the left to thinnest (high e) on the right.
Space bar plays and pauses. Left and right arrows jump a bar.
The chords
The chords in Greensleeves
4 chords, all open shapes: Am, C, G, E. 3 beats in each bar, 100 beats per minute, in A minor.
A minor
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →C major
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →G major
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →E major
3 fingers
Fingers, notes, sound →
In words: A minor is x 0 2 2 1 0. C major is x 3 2 0 1 0. G major is 3 2 0 0 0 3. E major is 0 2 2 1 0 0. Numbers are frets, thick string to thin, and x means do not play that string.
About the song
Nobody knows who wrote Greensleeves. It was already famous in the 1580s and it has never gone away. Four open chords carry the whole verse, and the tune above them is the first thing many players learn to fingerpick.
Questions people ask
- What chords are in Greensleeves?
- Four chords: Am, C, G and E. All of them are open shapes, so some strings ring without a finger on them.
- What key is Greensleeves in?
- A minor. The key control on this page moves it up or down, and tells you where to put a capo so you can keep the same easy shapes.
- Is Greensleeves easy to play on guitar?
- It is a step up from the first songs here: four chords at 100 beats per minute. Slow it to 50 percent, and try Ode to Joy and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star first if it fights back.
- What is the strumming pattern for Greensleeves?
- Five strums in each bar: down, down, up, down, up. There are 3 beats in every bar. The arrows above the chord boxes move with the sound, so you can see the pattern as you hear it.
- How do I play Greensleeves on guitar?
- Three ways on this page, all from the same arrangement. Chords mode strums one chord at a time, Melody mode picks the tune from the tab, and Fingerstyle mode plays the bass with your thumb under the tune. Start in Chords mode at 60 percent speed.
- Who wrote Greensleeves?
- Traditional. England, 16th century. The music is old enough to be in the public domain, so it is free to learn, play and record.
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