Cricket on the Hearth: Mandolin Tab
Mandolin tab and sheet music with synced audio · Key of D · 120 BPM · 4/4 time · Folk - American · Beginner
Chords used in this arrangement: D, G, A.
In old English dialect, a "cricket" was actually a low wooden footstool, the kind you'd park by the fireplace, so the tune's name is less about chirping insects and more about a cozy hearthside seat. The tune itself is an Ozark and east Tennessee breakdown, documented by folklorist Vance Randolph in his 1954 survey of traditional Appalachian tunes, and bluegrass fiddler Kenny Baker learned his version from Kentucky fiddler Art Wooten off a late 1940s radio broadcast. It's part of a surprisingly sprawling tune family that includes cousins with names like "Drunken Billy Goat" and "Mud Fence," so you'll notice that bouncy, rollicking DNA all through it. At 120 BPM it sits in that sweet spot, fast enough to groove but not so fast that you can't settle into the rhythm before the B-part picks up and pushes you along.
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 Cricket on the Hearth PDF.
Cricket on the Hearth: questions and answers
What key is Cricket on the Hearth in?
Cricket on the Hearth 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 Cricket on the Hearth?
The chords in this arrangement are D, G, A. The chord chart on this page shows each shape and highlights the current chord as the tune plays.
How fast is Cricket on the Hearth 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 Cricket on the Hearth a good tune for beginners?
Yes. Cricket on the Hearth is rated beginner, so it suits players who are still learning their first tunes.
Can I download Cricket on the Hearth as sheet music?
Yes. A printable PDF with the mandolin tab and standard notation is free at /tab/cricket-on-the-hearth.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)
- Banks of the Ohio (D, 120 BPM)
- Quince Dillons High D (D, 120 BPM)
- Frieze Britches (D, 120 BPM)
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