The Girl I Left Behind Me: Mandolin Tab
Mandolin tab and sheet music with synced audio · Key of G · 120 BPM · 4/4 time · Folk-English · Beginner
Also known as An Spailpín Fánach, The Wandering Labourer, Brighton Camp.
Chords used in this arrangement: G, C, D, A, D7.
The girl i left behind me almost certainly traces back to an old Irish air called An Spailpín Fánach, meaning "The Wandering Labourer," and British regiments had claimed it as a marching tune by the late 18th century, played whenever troops shipped out or left town. In fact, Edward Bunting, who collected it from an elderly Irish harper in 1800, noted it had already been played "for the last fifty years by the fifes and drums of different regiments." Both Union and Confederate bands played it during the Civil War with their own rival lyrics, and Bugs Bunny famously plays it on a carrot-fife at the end of a 1940 cartoon.
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 The Girl I Left Behind Me PDF.
The Girl I Left Behind Me: questions and answers
What key is The Girl I Left Behind Me in?
The Girl I Left Behind Me is in G major. The transpose control on this page moves the tab, notation and chords to any other key.
What chords are used in The Girl I Left Behind Me?
The chords in this arrangement are G, C, D, A, D7. The chord chart on this page shows each shape and highlights the current chord as the tune plays.
How fast is The Girl I Left Behind Me 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 The Girl I Left Behind Me a good tune for beginners?
Yes. The Girl I Left Behind Me is rated beginner, so it suits players who are still learning their first tunes.
Can I download The Girl I Left Behind Me as sheet music?
Yes. A printable PDF with the mandolin tab and standard notation is free at /tab/the-girl-i-left-behind-me-2.pdf, and there is a download button on this page.
Is The Girl I Left Behind Me known by any other names?
Yes. It is also called An Spailpín Fánach, The Wandering Labourer, Brighton Camp. The same melody often travels under several titles in different regions and collections.
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More in G
- Flower's of Edinburgh (G, 120 BPM)
- When My Cat Came Back (Harry S. Miller, G, 120 BPM)
- Colored Aristocracy (G, 120 BPM)
- Big Mon (Bill Monroe, G, 120 BPM)
- Battering Ram (G, 120 BPM)
- Away in a Manger (G, 120 BPM)
- Big Sciota (G, 120 BPM)
- Blue Moon of Kentucky (Bill Monroe, G, 120 BPM)
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