Scarborough Fair guitar tab
The English ballad in 3/4 and the Dorian mode, on the lower four strings with a bass note where the tune pauses.
- Level
- Easy melody
- Key
- D minor
- Time
- 3/4
- Tempo
- ♩ = 100
- Tuning
- Standard, EADGBE
Scarborough Fair
Traditional · arranged by guitarnotation
How to play it
- The tune starts on the open fourth string and climbs to A on the second fret of the third string in bar 2, held for a dotted quarter.
- Bar 5 begins with a bass A on the open fifth string, where the tune rests, before A and C lead to the high D in bar 6 on the third fret of the second string.
- Bar 7 has the B natural, the open second string, that gives the Dorian mode its colour. Bars 13 to 16 descend to the final D.
About the song
An English ballad descended from “The Elfin Knight” of the 1600s. This is the tune everyone has sung since the 1960s.
The melody is in the public domain. This arrangement is ours, and you're welcome to download, print and play it for your own practice.
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