Bury Me Beneath The Willow

From Vol. 1
Traditional Treasures

SUGGESTED KEY: B

CAPO: Fret 2

CHORD FAMILY: A

TIME SIGNATURE: 4/4

SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate

A Little About This Song…

A long tale with as many as 38 verses, “Barbara Allen” (aka “Barbr’y Allen” and “Barbr’y Ellen”) is documented as Child Ballad #84, one of the earliest folksongs ever archived. Our version confines the story to a dozen verses which remind us that playing hard to get can have unexpected consequences.

Arranging this song in straight time is its biggest challenge. Historically, it was often sung as an a cappella ballad, a long story song, with little attention paid to a steady time signature and more focus on delivery of the lyric. In contemporary times, it has been played in 4/4 time, 3/4 time or 6/8 time. Take your pick.

Check Out These Arrangements

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