Sam Hall chords

Paddy Reilly

Song Key: E Major

Time Signature: 4/4

Tempo: 110 bpm


Guitar Tuning: E A D G B e

Skill Level: Beginner

Guitar Chords in D Major: D, Dsus4, G, A, Asus4

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

Arrangement Song Details
Play-Along Video
Starts at 0:25
R-H Chord Charts Chord Chart Legend
D Major Dsus4 G Major A Major Asus4
L-H Chord Charts Lefties Chord Chart Legend
D Major-LH Dsus4-LH G Major-LH A Major-LH Asus4-LH
Speed: x0.1

Sam Hall

Capo on 2 if playing with the video.
Song Key is highlighted - Transpose to any other key 
  
Intro: 4/4
         D              G              D                A    Asus4    A
1. Oh me name it is Sam Hall  Chim-ney sweep  Chim-ney  sweep      |     |
         D              G                D    Dsus4    D
   Oh me name it is Sam Hall   Chim-ney  sweep      |     |
         G                             D                     A    Asus4    A
   Oh me name it is Sam Hall  And I've robbed both great and small      |     |
          D                 G            D            A   Asus4     A   
   And my neck will pay for all   When I die   When I die        |     | 
          D                 G              D    Dsus4    D  
   And my neck will pay for all   When  I  die        |     |

          D                 G                 D                A   Asus4    A
2. I have twen-ty pounds in store  That's not all   That's not all       |     |
          D                 G                  D   Dsus4    D
   I have twen-ty pounds in store   That's not all       |     |
          G                                   D              A    Asus4    A
   I have twen-ty pounds in  store   And I'll rob for twenty more       |     |
           D                  G              D            A   Asus4    A
   For the rich must help the poor   So must I    So must I         |     |
           D                  G              D  Dsus4    D
   For the rich must help the poor   So must I        |     | 

          D             G                 D                 A    Asus4    A
3. Up the lad-der I did grope   That's no joke    That's no joke       |     |
          D             G                   D   Dsus4    D
   Up the lad-der I did grope   That's  no  joke      |     |
          G                             D                   A   Asus4    A  
   Up the lad-der I did grope   And the hang-man pulled the rope      |     |
     D                G                 D                 A   Asus4    A
   I ne'eard a word I spoke   Tumb-ling down    Tumb-ling down      |     |
     D                G                 D   Dsus4    D
   I ne'eard a word I spoke   Tumb-ling down      |     |

           D                   G           D            A   Asus4    A
4. Oh they brought me to Coote-hill   In a cart    In a cart      |     |
           D                   G           D   Dsus4    D
   Oh they brought me to Coote-hill   In a cart      |     |
           G                                D                  A   Asus4    A
   Oh they brought me to Coote-hill   And I stopped to make my will      |     |
           D                    G              D            A   Asus4    A
   Say the best of friends must part   So must I    So must I         |     |
           D                    G              D   Dsus4    D
   Say the best of friends must part   So must I         |     |

         D              G               D                A   Asus4    A
5. Oh me name it is Sam Hall   Chim-ney sweep   Chim-ney sweep      |     |
         D              G               D    Dsus4    D
   Oh me name it is Sam Hall   Chim-ney sweep      |     |
         G                              D                     A    Asus4    A
   Oh me name it is Sam Hall   And I've robbed both great and small      |     |
          D                 G            D             A   Asus4    A
   And my neck will pay for all   When I die    When I die       |     |
          D                 G            D
   And my neck will pay for all   When I die...

Arrangement Details:

  • Key Signature: E Major – 4 sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#)
  • Piano chords set: E, Esus4, A, B, Bsus4
  • Time Signature: 4/4 — Four quarter-note beats per measure
  • Tempo: Moderately
  • Metronome: ♩ = 110
  • Voice Range: B3 – C#5
  • Chord Types in This Arrangement:
    • Major chords: D, G, A
    • Suspended 4th chords: Dsus4, Asus4
  • Paddy adds an extra bar of music at the end of lines 1, 3 and 4 of each verse, which adds a nice touch.

    Wherever you see | A  Asus4 | or | D  Dsus4 | towards the end of each line of the song, you play A for 3 beats, and Asus4 for 1 beat of the bar. The same applies for D and Dsus4.
  • Paddy Reilly plays a fingerpicking style throughout the song. It is important when using this style that you can hear each string clearly.

    With the more difficult chords like B Major and Bsus4, you can often play muffled strings which you want to avoid in this style of playing.

    Using a capo and playing open chords that are simple to play like D, Dsus4, A, Asus4 is a much better alternative, resulting in a sound that is crisp and clear.
  • If you are not playing along with the video, you can use whatever key you like... use the Transposer above for all key transpositions.

Song Details:

The Life Of Paddy Reilly Album Cover
Album Cover
  • Author:  Unknown (Traditionali)
  • Date: early 19th century
  • Lyrics Begin: Oh me name it is Sam Hall, Chimney sweep, Chimney sweep
  • Genre: Traditional folk song
  • Featured Artists: Paddy Reilly
  • Album: The Life Of Paddy Reilly
    Released: 1971
    Country: Ireland
    Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
    Label: Dolphin Records
  • Other Albums:
    Paddy Reilly – Live: (1983 IE - Vinyl, LP - RTÉ Ltd)
    Legends Of Irish Folk Trilogy: (2007 IE - 3 x CD, Compilation - Dolphin Records)
    The Paddy Reilly Collection: (2007 IE - CD, Compilation, Promo - Voice Newspapers)
    Paddy Reilly At The National Stadium Dublin: (2008 XE - CD - Entertain Me Ltd)
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