When My Cat Came Back: Mandolin Tab
Mandolin tab and sheet music with synced audio · Harry S. Miller · Key of G · 120 BPM · 2/2 time · Old-timey · Beginner
Chords used in this arrangement: G, C, D7.
When my cat came back started out as a Tin Pan Alley novelty song at Christmas 1893, written by a guy named Harry S. Miller and popularized by Broadway impresario Tony Pastor, before old-time fiddlers grabbed it and made it their own. Fiddlin' Doc Roberts is the version most players in the old-time world trace back to, and his 1927 recording is the real template for what you're about to learn. Legend has it he learned it from an African-American fiddler named Owen Walker out of Madison County, Kentucky. One folklorist writing in the 1970s even noted it was "played by a few Missouri fiddlers in the early 1930's, but is seldom heard any more," so you're actually keeping something pretty rare alive by picking it up. The melody is straightforward and feels great on mandolin in G.
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 When My Cat Came Back PDF.
When My Cat Came Back: questions and answers
What key is When My Cat Came Back in?
When My Cat Came Back 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 When My Cat Came Back?
The chords in this arrangement are G, C, D7. The chord chart on this page shows each shape and highlights the current chord as the tune plays.
How fast is When My Cat Came Back played?
This recording is at 120 BPM in 2/2 time. Use the speed control to slow it down without changing the pitch, then work back up to full tempo.
Is When My Cat Came Back a good tune for beginners?
Yes. When My Cat Came Back is rated beginner, so it suits players who are still learning their first tunes.
Can I download When My Cat Came Back as sheet music?
Yes. A printable PDF with the mandolin tab and standard notation is free at /tab/when-my-cat-came-back.pdf, and there is a download button on this page.
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