Bonnie Kate — Mandolin Tab

Mandolin tab and sheet music with synced audio · Key of G · 180 BPM · 4/4 time · Irish Traditional · Beginner

Chords used in this arrangement: G, D, C, Em, Am, G7, Bm.

"Bonnie Kate" actually started life in Perthshire, Scotland, written by a composer named Daniel Dow around 1773 under the title "The Bonny Lass of Fisherrow," and somewhere along the way it crossed the Irish Sea, picked up an Irish name (Cáit, or "Cáit Álainn"), and got so thoroughly absorbed into the tradition that, as one researcher put it, it's been in Ireland "as long as most of the indigenous repertory." It was first recorded in 1916, but the version most people know today comes from the great Irish-American fiddler Michael Coleman, whose 1934 recording — paired with "Jenny's Chickens" — became the definitive template. One thing worth knowing is that the tune leans heavily on repeated phrases, which means the magic really comes from what you do with ornamentation — rolls, triplets, little variations — so as you get comfortable with the notes, that's where you can start having fun and making it your own.

This page includes mandolin tablature, standard music notation, and a chord chart — printable as PDF and playable in sync with the original recording. Change the key, slow the tempo down, and loop the bars you want to practise.