Banks of the Ohio: Mandolin Tab
Mandolin tab and sheet music with synced audio · Key of D · 120 BPM · 4/4 time · Bluegrass · Starter
Chords used in this arrangement: D, A7, G.
Banks of the Ohio is actually a murder ballad dressed up in a pretty melody. I used to play this as a kid and had no idea it had such a dark side to it! A 19th-century unknown songwriter wrote Willie's dark little story about him taking his girl for a riverside walk. She turns down his marriage proposal and things go badly from there. What's wild is that it's essentially the same plot as "Pretty Polly," right down to the villain being named Willie. The two songs are so similar that some folklorists think they might actually be the same song that drifted apart over generations. The first recording didn't surface until 1927, when Red Patterson's Piedmont Log Rollers cut it, and from there everyone from Doc Watson to Olivia Newton-John has taken a crack at it. In D on mandolin, the melody sits really comfortably in first position. Enjoy the contrast between how sweetly the tune flows and how dark the lyrics actually are.
This page includes mandolin tablature, standard music notation, and a chord chart, printable as PDF and playable in sync with the original recording. Change the key, slow the tempo down, and loop the bars you want to practise. Download the Banks of the Ohio PDF.
Banks of the Ohio: questions and answers
What key is Banks of the Ohio in?
Banks of the Ohio is in D major. The transpose control on this page moves the tab, notation and chords to any other key.
What chords are used in Banks of the Ohio?
The chords in this arrangement are D, A7, G. The chord chart on this page shows each shape and highlights the current chord as the tune plays.
How fast is Banks of the Ohio played?
This recording is at 120 BPM in 4/4 time. Use the speed control to slow it down without changing the pitch, then work back up to full tempo.
Is Banks of the Ohio a good tune for beginners?
Yes. Banks of the Ohio is rated starter, so it suits players who are still learning their first tunes.
Can I download Banks of the Ohio as sheet music?
Yes. A printable PDF with the mandolin tab and standard notation is free at /tab/banks-of-the-ohio.pdf, and there is a download button on this page.
Related tunes
More in D
- The Lark in the Morning (D, 120 BPM)
- Liberty (John Dickinson and Arthur Lee,, D, 120 BPM)
- Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine (D, 120 BPM)
- Fairy Dance (Nathaniel Gow, D, 120 BPM)
- Briar Picker Brown (D, 120 BPM)
- Quince Dillons High D (D, 120 BPM)
- Frieze Britches (D, 120 BPM)
- Haste to the Wedding (D, 120 BPM)
Browse more: Mandolin tabs, Tunes in the key of D, Bluegrass tunes, Starter mandolin tabs, or see all songs and the chord charts.