Four Green Fields chords
by Jim McCannSong Key: G Major
Time Signature: 3/4
Tempo: 102 bpm
Standard Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e
Skill Level: Beginner 🟢
Guitar Chords: G, D, C, Em, Am, D7, Dsus2
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Speed: x0.1
Four Green Fields
Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key G
Intro: 3/4 | | % | % | % | % | % |
G D G C G
1. What did I have Said the fine old wo-man
G D G C Am D Dsus2
What did I have This proud old wo-man did say | |
G D Em G C D Dsus2
I had four green fields Each one was a jew-el | |
G D Em C Am D Dsus2
But strang-ers came And tried to take them from me | |
G D Em G C D Dsus2
I had fine strong sons They fought to save my jew-els | |
C D7 G Em G D G
They fought and they died And that was my grief said she | % | % | % |
G D G C G
2. Long time a-go Said the fine old wo-man
G D G C Am D Dsus2
Long time a-go This proud old wo-man did say | |
G D Em G C D Dsus2
There was war and death Plund-er-ing and pill-age | |
G D Em C Am D Dsus2
My child-ren starved By mount-ain vall-ey and sea | |
G D Em G C D Dsus2
And their wail-ing cries They reached the ver-y heav-ens | |
C D7 G Em G D G
My four green fields Ran red with their blood said she | % | % | % |
G D G C G
3. What have I now Said the fine old wo-man
G D G C Am D Dsus2
What have I now This proud old wo-man did say | |
G D Em G C D Dsus2
I have four green fields One of them's in bond-age | |
G D Em C Am D Dsus2
In strang-er's hands Who tried to take it from me | |
G D Em G C D Dsus2
And my sons have sons As brave as were their fath-ers | |
C D7 G Em G D G
My four green fields _ Will bloom once a-gain said she | % |
C D7 G Em G D C G
My four green fields _ Will bloom once a-gain said she | |...Arrangement Details:
- Key Signature: G Major - 1 sharp (F#)
- Time Signature: 3/4 — Three quarter-note beats per measure, therefore the count is
| 1 2 3 | or | 1& 2& 3& | or in this case where you are playing a hammer-on hammer-off on the the 3rd beat of the bar | 1& 2& 3&& | etc. - Tempo: Moderately
- Metronome: ♩ = 102
- Voice Range: B3 - D5
- The Intro | G |... x6 can be played as | G / G-h |... x 6 where you hammer on and off on the 3rd beat of each bar.
- The same applies to the end of verses 1 & 2 where there are 4 bars of the G chord. Instead of playing | G | G | G | G | - you can play | G | G / G-h | G | G |
- Guitar Tutorial - the Hammer (h)
h means to hammer-on: you bring your finger(s) down on the fingerboard sharply, causing a note or chord to sound.
To hammer-off is to simply lift your finger off after a hammer-on, creating a small trill.
In this instance, the hammer-on and hammer-off occur on the + of the 3rd beat of the bar which is played on the C-note located on the 1st fret-string 2. (xxxx1x)
In this example you will count the bar as | 1 + 2+ 3++ |, where the '++' is played in the same time as '+'.
1+ 2+ 3++ | G / G-h | is actually:
G (1+)
G (2+)
G (3)
G hammer-on C note (+)
G hammer-off C note (+)
This means that you play G for 2 beat counts and the 3rd beat count is split in 3 so that the hammer-on-off actually occurs on the ++ of 3++, with the 3 being an open G chord played with fingers 2,3 and 4 while finger 1 plays the hammer-on (C note) & hammer-off (C note).
Play it slowly counting the beats as you go... you will hear this if you are playing with the video. - You don't have to play the hammer on. It simply provides a bit of interest and teaches you a little more about guitar technique.
- If you are not playing with the video, you don't have to play the 4 bars of G at the end of verses 1 & 2 - you may prefer 2 bars.
- We have added a Dsus2 which is included in the video. Again, you can simply continue with a D chord, or you can spice it up a bit using a Dsus4. Whichever chord you decide on, it still sounds fine.
Song Details:
- Songwriter: Tommy Makem
- Date: 1967
- Lyrics Begin: What did I have, said the fine old woman,
- Genre: Irish Folk Song
- Featured Artist: Jim McCann
- Album: The Best of Jim McCann
Released: June 27, 2003 - Album Tracks:
Please Note: Although the album tracks are all perfomed by Jim McCann, links with an asterisk will take you to pages performed by other artists.
Another song by Jim McCann on this site:
