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Editorβs notes
Hey friends - hereβs 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 Bandβs 1970 cover, if youβre 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 β but even for the more difficult chords (F and D7/F#), Iβll show you some hints to simplify things. I hope you enjoy!
Timestamps for this lesson:
- 0:00 Lesson overview
- 2:10 Capo & chords shapes
- 8:59 Strumming patterns
- 14:41 Chord progressions
- 18:46 Full playthrough (capo 2)
- 23:49 Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffett, and Key West
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 βββ0βββββ0βββββ0βββββ0βββββ1βββββ3βββββ0βββββ0βββββ2βββββ3βββββ3βββ
B βββ1βββββ1βββββ1βββββ1βββββ1βββββ0βββββ0βββββ0βββββ1βββββ0βββββ0βββ
G βββ0βββββ0βββββ2βββββ0βββββ2βββββ0βββββ1βββββ0βββββ2βββββ0βββββ0βββ
D βββ2βββββ0βββββ2βββββ2βββββ3βββββ0βββββ2βββββ2βββββ0βββββ2βββββ3βββ
A βββ3βββββ2βββββ0βββββxβββββ3βββββ2βββββ2βββββ2βββββ0βββββββββββββββ
E βββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββ1βββββ3βββββ0βββββ0βββββ2βββββββββββββββ
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 β1β count.
[ see PDF for diagrams ]
G-G6-G7 Riff
Normal version: Normal, with optional A-minor walkdown:
e ββββ3β3ββββ3β3βββββ3β3βββββ3β3ββ e ββββ3β3ββββ3β3βββββ3β3βββββ3βββββ|βββ0ββ
B ββββ0β0ββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββ0β0ββ B ββββ0β0ββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββ0βββββ|βββ1ββ
G ββββ0β0ββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββ0β0ββ G ββββ0β0ββββ0β0βββββ0β0βββββ0βββββ|βββ2ββ
D βββββββββ2βββββββ3βββββββ2ββββββ D βββββββββ2βββββββ3βββββββ2βββ2β0β|βββ2ββ
A ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ A βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β0ββββ
E ββ3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ E ββ3ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββββββ
G G6 G7 G6 G G6 G7 G6 Am
Advanced Jerry Jeff intro strum
The trick here is in the 2nd and 4th measure, youβre going to do an up-strum that accents either the high-E or B string. Listen to Jerry Jeffβs version of the song β 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 β which means three beats per measure. Generally, weβll be emphasizing the β1β count of each measure, spoken as βONE two three, ONE two three, ONE two threeβ etc. Hereβs 3 strumming patterns to try, starting with the easiest:
[ see PDF for diagrams ]
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