This page features the fingerstyle guitar tab (chord melody) and sheet music (chords, melody & lyrics) for “Yankee Doodle.”
Yankee Doodle
“Yankee Doodle” is an American traditional song. The melody can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Europe. Early versions of the lyrics date back the French and Indian Wars.
The lyrics were written around 1755 by a British doctor, and the British troops sang it to make fun of the American soldier, whom they called “Yankees” at the time. Later, the Americans added verses that got mocked the British and honored George Washington.
The video below demonstrates the solo arrangement for “Yankee Doodle.”
“Yankee Doodle” Guitar Tab
This is a fingerstyle solo guitar arrangement (aka chord melody) for “Yankee Doodle.”
Try learning the chords and melody (the high notes on the tablature below) before approaching the solo arrangement. For the chord diagrams scroll down or click here for the sheet music.
The tablature for “Yankee Doodle” is free but also available for download as a PDF to support the website. Thank you for your purchases.
Download “Yankee Doodle” Chord Melody as a PDF
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A Brief History
“Yankee Doodle” is an American traditional song. The melody can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Europe. Early versions of the lyrics date back the French and Indian Wars.
“Yankee Doodle” Lyrics
Yankee Doodle went to town
A-riding on a pony,
Stuck a feather in his cap
And called it macaroni.
Yankee Doodle keep it up,
Yankee Doodle Dandy,
Mind the music and the step,
And with the girls be handy.
Father and I went down to camp,
Along with Captain Gooding,
And there we saw the men and boys
As thick as hasty pudding.
And there we saw a thousand men
As rich as Squire David,
And what they wasted every day,
I wish it could be saved.
The 'lasses they eat every day,
Would keep a house a winter;
They have so much, that I'll be bound,
They eat it when they've a mind to.
And there I see a swamping gun
Large as a log of maple,
Upon a deuced little cart,
A load for father's cattle.
And every time they shoot it off,
It takes a horn of powder,
And makes a noise like father's gun,
Only a nation louder.
I went as nigh to one myself
As 'Siah's underpinning;
And father went as nigh again,
I thought the deuce was in him.
Cousin Simon grew so bold,
I thought he would have cocked it;
It scared me so I shrinked it off
And hung by father's pocket.
And Cap'n Davis had a gun,
He kind of clapt his hand on't (
And stuck a crooked stabbing iron
Upon the little end on't.
And there I see a pumpkin shell
As big as mother's basin,
And every time they touched it off
They scampered like the nation.
I see a little barrel too,
The heads were made of leather;
They knocked on it with little clubs
And called the folks together.
And there was Cap'n Washington,
And gentle folks about him;
They say he's grown so 'tarnal proud
He will not ride without 'em.
He got him on his meeting clothes,
Upon a slapping stallion;
He sat the world along in rows,
In hundreds and in millions.
The flaming ribbons in his hat,
They looked so tearing fine, ah,
I wanted dreadfully to get
To give to my Jemima.
I see another snarl of men
A-digging graves, they told me,
So 'tarnal long, so 'tarnal deep,
They 'tended they should hold me.
It scared me so, I hooked it off,
Nor stopped, as I remember,
Nor turned about till I got home,
Locked up in mother's chamber.
Sheet Music
This is a lead sheet (chords, melody & lyrics) for “Yankee Doodle.” I’ve included chord diagrams below the title for guitar players.
This sheet music is free but also available for download as a PDF to support the website. The complete lyrics are on a separate page.
Download “Yankee Doodle” Lead Sheet as a PDF
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