Back to Flatpick Page Santa Claus By Bill Monroe
This is a Bill Monroe banjo tune that is very similar in feeling to "I Don't Love Nobody". The original recording is on his "Bluegrass Instrumentals" album, and is a bit unusual because the melody of the A part played by the banjo is radically different from the A parts played by the fiddle and mandolin.
In the first A part, I've tried to maintain the feel of the banjo melody, but I've modified it to match my feelings about how it fits on the guitar. There is a second A part, down below the B part, that is based on the feel of the mandolin version.
Capo on 2 - Moderate tempo
Part A
G(A) C(D) G(A)
1 | | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | | | 4 | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------3---5-3---|-----------------|-----------------|-----3.---(0)----|
|-4-3h4---------3-|h4-0-----0-------|---0-2h3-2p0-----|-4---4.-(0)-(0)--|
|-----------------|-----2-0-----0-1-|/2-----------2-0-|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G(A) A7(B7) D7(E7)
5 | | | | 6 | | | | 7 | | | | 8 | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----(2)-(2)------|
|-------3---5-3---|-----------------|-------2---------|-3--(3)-(3)------|
|-4-3h4---------3-|h4-0-----0-------|-2---4-----4-2---|-2---------------|
|-----------------|-----2-0---------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G(A) C(D) B(C#)
9 | | | | 10 | | | | 11 | | | | 12 | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------3---5-3---|-----------------|-----------------|-----4----4.-----|
|-4-3h4---------3-|h4-0-----0-------|---0-2h3-2p0-----|---4-4--4-4.-----|
|-----------------|-----2-0-----0-1-|/2-----------2-0-|-----4----4.-0-1-|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
C(D) G(A) E(F#) A7(B7) D7(C7) G(A)
13| | | | 14 | | | | 15 | | | | 16 | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------0-2-|
|-----------------|-----------5---3-|-------0---------|-----------------|
|---0-2-0-3-0-2-0-|-4p2p0-----------|---2h3---2p0-----|-0---------------|
|/2---------------|-------2---------|-------------2-0-|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Part B
G(A) C(D) G(A)
17| | | | 18 | | | | 19 | | | | 20 | | | |
|-3---0-2-3---0-2-|-3-2-0-----------|-----------------|-------------0-2-|
|-----------------|-------3---0-----|-----------------|-----3-----------|
|-----------------|-------------0---|-------0-2-0---0-|-----4-----------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-0-1/2-------2---|-0---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G(A) A7(B7) D7(E7)
21| | | | 22 | | | | 23 | | | | 24 | | | |
|-3---0-2-3---0-2-|-3-2-0-----------|-----------------|----(2)-(2)--0-2-|
|-----------------|-------3---0-----|-------2---------|-3--(3)-(3)------|
|-----------------|-------------0---|-2---4-----4-2---|-2---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G(A) C(D) B(C#)
25| | | | 26 | | | | 27 | | | | 28 | | | |
|-3---0-2-3---0-2-|-3-2-0-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-------3---0-----|-----------------|-----4----4.-----|
|-----------------|-------------0---|-------0-2-0---0-|---4-4--4-4.-----|
|-----------------|-----------------|-0-1/2-------2---|-----4----4.-0-1-|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
C(D) G(A) E(F#) A7(B7) D7(C7) G(A)
29| | | | 30 | | | | 31 | | | | 32 | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------5---3-|-------0---------|-----------------|
|---0-2-0-3-0-2-0-|-4p2p0-----------|---2h3---2p0-----|-0---------------|
|/2---------------|-------2---------|-------------2-0-|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Part A - Variation based on mandolin version
G(A) C(D) G(A)
1 | | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | | | 4 | | | |
|---------3-0-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----7-5-----3-0-|-----------------|-----------------|-----3.---(0)----|
|/7---------------|-2-0-----0-------|---0-2h3-2p0-----|-4---4.-(0)-(0)--|
|-----------------|-----2-0-----0-1-|/2-----------2-0-|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G(A) A7(B7) D7(E7)
5 | | | | 6 | | | | 7 | | | | 8 | | | |
|---------3-0-----|-----------------|-----------------|----(2)-(2)------|
|-----7-5-----3-0-|-----------------|-------2---------|-3--(3)-(3)------|
|/7---------------|-2-0-----0-------|-2---4-----4-2---|-2---------------|
|-----------------|-----2-0---------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G(A) C(D) B(C#)
9 | | | | 10 | | | | 11 | | | | 12 | | | |
|---------3-0-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----7-5-----3-0-|-----------------|-----------------|-----4----4.-----|
|/7---------------|-2-0-----0-------|---0-2h3-2p0-----|---4-4--4-4.-----|
|-----------------|-----2-0-----0-1-|/2-----------2-0-|-----4----4.-0-1-|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
C(D) G(A) E(F#) A7(B7) D7(C7) G(A)
13| | | | 14 | | | | 15 | | | | 16 | | | |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------0-2-|
|-----------------|-----------5---3-|-------0---------|-----------------|
|---0-2-0-3-0-2-0-|-4p2p0-----------|---2h3---2p0-----|-0---------------|
|/2---------------|-------2---------|-------------2-0-|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
==================== == TABLATURE KEY == ==================== ---------- ----2h3--- Hammer-on ---------- ----2p1--- Pull-off ---------- ----1/2--- Slide up ---------- ----(0)--- Very light strum, just to keep timing ---------- ----4.---- Staccato
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