Guitar lesson for

Mr. Bojangles

by Jerry Jeff Walker  •  Lesson #307

Video lesson

Get the PDF chord sheet (2 pages)

  • Support me on Patreon.com to get access to this and 200+ other PDF chord sheets I've made, plus new PDFs I make going forward (1-2 added each week).
  • The cost is $3/month (one month minimum, cancel anytime). Annual plans also available. Here's a free sample if you're on the fence. Thanks!
Download the PDF on Patreon

After clicking the button and logging in to Patreon, look for the PDF attached to the bottom of the post.

Editor’s notes

Hey friends - here’s a guitar lesson teaching you how to play Mr. Bojangles, originally written and released by Jerry Jeff Walker in 1968. This tutorial will give you the chords, strumming patterns, and chord progressions that will also work for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s 1970 cover, if you’re more familiar with that one. This song is in the key of C, and uses a very common descending bass-note walkdown in 3/4 time. Nothing too complicated – but even for the more difficult chords (F and D7/F#), I’ll show you some hints to simplify things. I hope you enjoy!

Timestamps for this lesson:

Lyrics with chord shapes

* Capo 2 to play along with Jerry Jeff Walker
* Capo 7 to play along with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

INTRO
  C     C/B   Am    C/G     x 4

VERSE
      C             C/B               Am            C/G   F    F        G      G
    I knew a man, Bojangles, and he'd dance for you.........in worn out shoes
    C              C/B               Am          C/G   F      F        G      G
    Silver hair, a ragged shirt, and baggy pants..........the old soft shoe

PRE-CHORUS
        F       F       C              E       Am     C/G
        ...He'd jump so high, and he'd jump so high...
        D7/F#      D7/F#           G     G6   G7   G6
        ........He lightly touched down
      
CHORUS
            Am   Am    Em      Em  Am   Am    Em      Em  Am   Am    Em       Em
            .....Mr. Bojangles..........Mr. Bojangles..........Mr. Bojangles
               C     C/B   Am    C/G
            ...Dance

    I [C] met him in a [C/B] cell in New Or[Am]leans, I was [C/G]...[F] [F] down and [G] out [G]
    He [C] looked to me to [C/B] be-- the [Am] eyes of age [C/G]...[F] he [F] spoke right [G] out [G]

        [F]... He [F] talked of [C] life, he [E] talked of [Am] life...[C/G]
        [D7/F#]... He laughed, [D7/F#] slapped his leg-- [G] stale [G6] [G7] [G6]

    He [C] said the name Bo[C/B]jangles and he [Am] danced a lick [C/G] [F] [F] across the [G] cell [G]
    He [C] grabbed his pants, a [C/B] better stance, he [Am] jumped up high [C/G] [F] [F] clicked his [G] heels [G]
        
        [F]... He [F] let go a [C] laugh, he [E] let go a [Am] laugh [C/G]
        [D7/F#]...Shook [D7/F#] back his clothes all [G] around [G6] [G7] [G6]

            [Am]...[Am] Mr. Bo--[Em]jangles [Em]  [Am]... [Am] Mr. Bo--[Em]jangles [Em]
            [Am]...[Am] Mr. Bo--[Em]jangles [Em], [C] Dance [C/B] [Am] [C/G]

    He [C] danced for those at [C/B] minstrel shows and [Am] county fairs [C/G] [F] [F] throughout the [G] south [G]
    He [C] spoke with tears of [C/B] 15 years, how his [Am] dog and him [C/G] [F]... they [F] travelled [G] about [G]

        [F]...His [F] dog up and [C] died, he [E] up and--- [Am] died [C/G]
        [D7/F#]...After [D7/F#] 20 years he still [G] grieves [G6] [G7] [G6]

    He [C] said, I dance now at [C/B] every chance at [Am] honky-tonks [C/G] [F]... for [F] drinks and [G] tips [G]
    But [C] most of the time I [C/B] spend behind these [Am] county bars [C/G] [F] 'cause [F] I drink a [G] bit [G]

        [F]... [F] He shook his [C] head, yes, he-- [E] shook his [Am] head [C/G]
        [D7/F#]... I heard [D7/F#] someone ask, [G] please [G6] [G7] [G7]

            [Am]...[Am] Mr. Bo--[Em]jangles [Em]  [Am]... [Am] Mr. Bo--[Em]jangles [Em]
            [Am]...[Am] Mr. Bo--[Em]jangles [Em], [C] Dance [C/B] [Am] [C/G]

    [ instrumental verse / pre-chorus / chorus ]

    [ Repeat first verse / pre-chorus / chorus, end on C ]

Chord shapes

e –––0–––––0–––––0–––––0–––––1–––––3–––––0–––––0–––––2–––––3–––––3–––
B –––1–––––1–––––1–––––1–––––1–––––0–––––0–––––0–––––1–––––0–––––0–––
G –––0–––––0–––––2–––––0–––––2–––––0–––––1–––––0–––––2–––––0–––––0–––
D –––2–––––0–––––2–––––2–––––3–––––0–––––2–––––2–––––0–––––2–––––3–––
A –––3–––––2–––––0–––––x–––––3–––––2–––––2–––––2–––––0–––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––3–––––1–––––3–––––0–––––0–––––2–––––––––––––––
     C    C/B    Am   C/G    F     G     E    Em   D7/F#   G6    G7

Chord progressions

Three beats per measure! Chord changes always happen on the “1” count.

[ see PDF for diagrams ]

G-G6-G7 Riff

Normal version:                         Normal, with optional A-minor walkdown:

e ––––3–3––––3–3–––––3–3–––––3–3––      e ––––3–3––––3–3–––––3–3–––––3–––––|–––0––
B ––––0–0––––0–0–––––0–0–––––0–0––      B ––––0–0––––0–0–––––0–0–––––0–––––|–––1––
G ––––0–0––––0–0–––––0–0–––––0–0––      G ––––0–0––––0–0–––––0–0–––––0–––––|–––2––
D –––––––––2–––––––3–––––––2––––––      D –––––––––2–––––––3–––––––2–––2–0–|–––2––
A ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––      A –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–0––––
E ––3–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––      E ––3––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|––––––
    G      G6      G7      G6               G      G6      G7      G6        Am

Advanced Jerry Jeff intro strum

The trick here is in the 2nd and 4th measure, you’re going to do an up-strum that accents either the high-E or B string. Listen to Jerry Jeff’s version of the song – you can hear these notes being emphasized.

[ see PDF for tab ]

Strumming patterns

This song is played at 168 beats per minute (about 3 beats every second), and is in three-quarter time – which means three beats per measure. Generally, we’ll be emphasizing the “1” count of each measure, spoken as “ONE two three, ONE two three, ONE two three” etc. Here’s 3 strumming patterns to try, starting with the easiest:

[ see PDF for diagrams ]

Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!

If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).

You can also support me on Patreon. For only $3/month you'll get access to a print-friendly PDF of my notes for each new lesson (view free sample).

Thanks!

Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!

Recent video lessons:

📝 Print-friendly PDFs now available for all new lessons I make, including all those listed below. Get a free sample »

Browse my all lessons

By lesson type

By song decade

By musical genre

By guitar technique

By musical key

By popular artist

← back to lesson list