The Water Is Wide TAB
24/12/2011

Tablature, manuscript notation and chord charts for the Scottish folk song The Water Is Wide for the mountain dulcimer in Ionian DAA tuning.

 
Captured by Cecil Sharp, the Water Is Wide is a Scottish folk song, dating back to the 1600s. It is also known as 'Waly Waly'.

There are two arrangements of the song here, one as an instrumental or air - the other as a song accompaniment.

Here is the TAB for The Water Is Wide arranged as an air ... 

 
This can be used as an accompaniment, interlude and outro to the song version.

It is one of the simplest pieces I play and yet one of the most beautiful. I have recorded two versions of the Water Is Wide on my Autumn Dance CD , as an air and as a song, using the air in the song arrangement.

 
I like the tune so much that I have also recorded it on my Let It Be Me album as part of a Scots medley.

Although I live in England and have visited Scotland many times, I worked out this arrangement  in a motel in Kentucky in 2000, passing the time between festivals.     

Please note the air version is played freely in 3/4 timing, whereas the song is in 4/4 or common time. By setting the air in 3/4 it adds depth and interest to the composition, when both arrangements are played together.        

Here is the song arrangement ... 

 
And here are the associated chord charts ...

 
see more dulcimer chord charts

Here are the finger picking patterns picking pattern for most of the song and also measure 9, where the pattern is stopped momentarily. You could gently strum the chords if you don't fingerpick. 
 

read my article Singing With The Dulcimer with similar TAB for Bogie's Bonnie Belle