Danny Boy chords

Instrumental by Eric Clapton

Song Key: E Major

Time Signature: 4/4

Tempo: 86 bpm


Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e

Skill Level: Beginner (open chord options for Bm7 and BmM7... see charts below)

Guitar Chords in D Major: D, Dsus4, D7, A, Asus2, Asus4, A7, Em, E7, G, Bm, Bm7, BmM7

Capo: 2nd fret (to play along with the video in E Major)

Chord Chart Legend
D Major Dsus4 Dsus2 G Major Em A Major Asus2 A7 A7 D7 E7 Bm Bm barre chord Bm7 Bm7 barre chord BmM7-open BmM7 barre chord
Lefties Chord Chart Legend
D Major-LH Dsus4-LH Dsus2-LH G Major-LH Em-LH A Major-LH Asus2-LH A7-LH A7-LH D7-LH E7-LH Bm-LH Bm barre chord-LH Bm7-LH Bm7 barre chord-LH BmM7-LH BmM7 barre chord-LH

Danny Boy

Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key 
  
Intro: 4/4 |   Drums   |       |        |   (Oh Danny)|
                
   A7        D          D7                   G
1. Oh Dan-ny boy    The pipes the pipes are  cal-ling
                D           Bm7                  A7       Asus2
   From glen to glen    And down the moun-tain | side  -         |
  A              D           D7             G
   The sum-mer's gone    And all the ros-es fal-ling
 E7              D        A7              D        Dsus4
   It's you it's you must go and I must | bide  -        |

       D    G    A7  D         G                D     Dsus2
Chorus: But come ye  back when sum-mer's in the mea - dow
       D   G    A7  Bm        G          D           A7      Asus2
        Or when the val-ley's hushed and white with |snow -        |
      A7             D          G         Em    D     A7
        It's I'll be here    In sun-shine or in sha - dow
      Bm          D                Em    A          D     Dsus4
        Oh Dan-ny boy    Oh Dan-ny boy I love you | so -        |

  D    A7      D           D7                  G
2. But when ye come    And all the flow'rs are dy-ing
  A        D          Bm7               A7     Asus2
   If I am dead    As dead I well may | be  -        |
  A               D            D7               G
   Ye'll come and find   _ The place where I am ly-ing
 E7              D      A7              D     Dsus4
   And kneel and say an Ave there for | me -        |
                 
       D    G  A7    D           G                D     Dsus2
Chorus: And I  shall hear though soft you tread a-bove  me
       D    G   A7  Bm         G       D          A7     Asus2
        And all my  grave will warm-er sweet-er | be  -        |
      A7             D           G       Em       D    A7
        For you will bend    And tell me that you love me
      Bm            D                 Em      A         D    Dsus4
        And I shall sleep in peace un-til you come to | me -       |

       D    G  A7    D           G                D    Dsus2
Chorus: And I  shall hear though soft you tread a-bove me
       D    G   A7  Bm         G       D          A7     Asus2
        And all my  grave will warm-er sweet-er | be  -        |
       A             D           G       Em       D    A7
        For you will bend    And tell me that you love me
     Bm      BmM7      D                 Em      A       Bm7      
        And  I   shall sleep in peace un-til you come to me         
      E7            D                 Em      A         D    Dsus4     D
        And I shall sleep in peace un-til you come to | me -        |     |

Guitar Tutorial: Helpful Tips

  • Level Of Ease: Easy with open chord options for all chords.
  • With so many versions along with variations and subtleties to the song, we have opted for an instrumental version by Eric Clapton. For the practicing guitarist, it's probably one of the easiest versions to play along with... and perhaps one of the best.
  • The original recording of Danny Boy is in the key of D Major
  • This version of the song is in the key of E major. I have retained the original key of D Major, so if you are playing along with the video, you will need to place a capo on the 2nd fret. (D + 2 semitones = E)
  • You will need to know this song to be able to play it, as there are no lyrics in the music video to guide you. There are many versions available for you to listen to on YouTube.
  • A hyphen separating 2 chords in 4/4 time means there are 2 counts for each chord, e.g., A - Asus2 means 2 beat counts on A and 2 beat counts on Asus2. We have only done this for chords at the end of a line, as the chords within the song are correctly placed directly above the lyrics where the changes occur.
  • The song is originally in the format of Verse 1 - Chorus 1 - Verse 2 - Chorus 2. Eric adds an extra Chorus at the end followed by a repeat of the last line. You will see all this on the song sheet, as the lyrics are included.
  • BmM7 is the symbol for a B minor major 7th chord. It can also be written as, Bm+7, Bmmaj7, Bmin(maj7), B-(maj7), or Bm(maj7). The chord formula is 1 - ♭3 - 5 - 7. You don't have to play this chord, but it does add some interest to the arrangement.
  • The Dsus4 and Asus4 can be interchanged with Dsus2 and Asus2 - they both sound good.
  • Capo: Whenever you are using a capo, remember that it becomes your new Nut. Make sure you count the frets upwards from the capo when reading the charts.
  • Visit the guitar chords page for help with any chords.
  • This is a great opportunity to play along with one of the best guitarists in the world. He plays the song beautifully.
  • If you find this arrangement a little hard or even a little confusing, I have included a simplified version for you to download. It won't sound quite right with the video and is in the original format of 2 verses and 2 choruses.

Song Details:

  • Lyricist: Fred E. Weatherly
  • Music: Taken from an old Irish Folk song called Londonderry Air
  • Performing Artist: Eric Clapton
  • Single:
    A-side: Change The World
    Released: July 5, 1996
    B-side: Danny Boy
    Label: Reprise
  • Genre: Irish Folk Song

Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton

Born: Eric Patrick Clapton on the 30th March 1945 in Hackney, Ripley, Surrey, England

Profession: Musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, record producer, artist

Instruments: Guitar, vocals

Active Years: 1962 – present

Music Styles: Rock, Blues rock, Psychedelic rock, Hard rock, Blues

Associations: The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream, George Harrison, Plastic Ono Band, Blind Faith, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, Derek and the Dominos, J. J. Cale, B.B. King

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