Frieze Britches — Mandolin Tab

Mandolin tab and sheet music with synced audio · Key of D · 120 BPM · 6/8 time · Irish Jig - Traditional · Intermediate

Chords used in this arrangement: D, C, Am, G, A.

The name "frieze" here refers to a rough woolen cloth, so this tune is literally named after a pair of coarse wool trousers, the kind worn by the jig dancers of rural Ireland in the 1800s. They used to show up to fairs in frieze coats, knee breeches, green stockings, and a shillelagh. One old County Clare fiddler's father reportedly heard a man playing this melody at a fair and was so happy he called it "the first tune that was ever played in heaven", which is a high bar to live up to!

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.