Scarborough Fair

SCARBOROUGH FAIR

Time signature: 3 / 4 (played in minor key)
Typical tempo: ~ 100 bpm

Traditional

Accordion Notation

Beats per bar = 3
Dots (or equivalent) per beat = 1

Inside row (high): Buttons 5 to 9* (plus o10*)
Inside row (low): Butttons 2 to 5* (plus o3* & o6*)

:5* .5* | "7 ;7 .7 | .6* .6 .6* | .:5* |
:o3* .o3* | "4 ;4 .4 | .2* .3 .2* | .:o3* |
Are you go - ing to Scar- bor - ough Fair? /

.r .7 .8 | :9* .8 | "7 ;o10* .7* | .:7 | .:r |
.r .4 .5 | :5* .5 | "4 ;o6* .3* | .:4 | .:r |
Par-sley, sage, rose - ma - ry and thyme. /

.9* .9* .9* | :8 "7 "7 | .7 .7* .6 | "6* "5* :5 |
.5* .5* .5* | :5 "4 "4 | .4 .3* .3 | "2* "o3* :2 |
Re-mem-ber me to the one who lives there, /

:5* .7 | :7* .6 | .6* .5* .5 | .:5* | .:r |
:o3* .4 | :3* .3 | .2* .o3* .2 | .:o3* | .:r |
She once was a true love of mine. /

Embedded youTube VIDEOS

I'm not really certain about some of these minor keys,
as noted with a "?" mark; perhaps OK, perhaps not.

Key: E minor (can be played on the G row on
a D-G accordion)

Tempo: ~ 95 bpm

Singer: Art Garfunkel & Paul Simon

Posted by: Dualswords1

Because of the accidental in the second line (6th note), there is a problem playing this tune on the outside G row of a G-C accordion.

Key: E minor (can be played on the G row
on a D-G accordion)

Tempo: ~135 bpm

Tin Whistle Player: ?

Posted by: Frodo sings

Key: Not sure, but perhaps
Db minor (on E row) for 1st
two verses; then
Eb minor (on F# row?) for
last two verses.
Also sure about interludes.

Tempo: ~ 95 bpm

Singer: Hayley Westenra

I've never seen a normal button accordion with F# row.

Posted by: Vijay Rohilla

Key: Eb minor - could be played on the F#
row of a button accordion, if
such can be found.

Tempo: ~ 95 bpm

Singer: Andy Williams with Simon & Garfunkel

Posted by: yootami

Electronic accordions, such as the Roland , and chromatic buttons accordions, such as the Irish double-row B-C accordions, can play in any key, including F# and its Eb minor counterpart.

Key: A minor (played on the
C row on a G-C
accordion

Tempo: ~ 105 bpm

Singer: Asher Quinn

Posted by: Asher Quinn

Key: C minor (Can be played on the Eb row
of an F-Bb-Eb accordion)

Tempo: ~ 125 bpm.

Performers: Gothard Sisters

Posted by: TheGothardSisters

Singing begins at video time 0:33.
I havn't checked the key(s) of the musical interludes.

Key: E minor (played on the G row on a D-G
accordion.)

Tempo: ~ 90 bpm.

Singers: Gregorian ??

Posted by: corvo malkovick

Because of the accidental (6th note in the second line), there is a problem playing this tune on the outside G row of a G-C accordion.

Key: D minor (can be played
on the F row on
a C-F accordion)

Tempo: ~ 95 bpm

Singer: Amy Nuttall

Posted by: sic36

Singing begins about one minute into the video.

Key: E minor (can be played
on the G row on a
D-G accordion.)
Tempo: ~ 100 bpm

Performers: Mike Masse &
Sterlilng Cottam
Posted by: Mike Masse

Because of the accidental in the second line (6th note), there is a problem playing this tune on the outside G row of a G-C accordion.

Key: D minor (played on the F row on a C-F
or on a G-C-F accordion.)

Tempo: ~ 130 bpm

Accordionist: ?

Posted by: Tregarron7

Scarborough Fair is played during the first minute (or so), then switches to another tune. This Horner Morgane is probably keyed to C-F and this selection is played mainly on the inside (or F) row.

BACKGROUND MATERIALS, INFORMATION & LINKS

Lyrics:
Source: wikipedia

This song was popularized by Simon & Garfunkel with a version that was musically beautiful but lyrically incomplete.

In this version:
the man sets three impossible tasks (all related traditionally to a women's work),
and the woman replies with four impossible tasks (all related traditionally to a man's work),
and in the final verse says that he will get his "shirt" when he has completed the tasks she has set.

The final verse of the female part brings completeness to the lyrics, but not resolution to the conflict between the two. Hence, it is played and sung in a minor key.

See the background link below for more info.

Male part:

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Remember me to the one who lives there,
For once she was a true love of mine.

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Without any seam or needlework,
Then she shall be a true love of mine.

Tell her to wash it in yonder well,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Where never sprung water or rain ever fell,
And she shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell her to dry it on yonder thorn,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Which never bore blossom since Adam was born,
Then she shall be a true lover of mine.

Female part:

Now he has asked me questions three,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
I hope he'll answer as many for me,
Before he shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell him to buy me an acre of land,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
Between the salt water and the sea sand,
Then he shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell him to plough it with a ram's horn,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
And sow it all over with one pepper corn,
And he shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell him to sheer't with a sickle of leather,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;
And bind it up with a peacock's feather,
And he shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell him to thrash it on yonder wall,
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme,
And never let one corn of it fall,
Then he shall be a true lover of mine.

When he has done and finished his work.
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme:
Oh, tell him to come and he'll have his shirt,
And he shall be a true lover of mine.

Background:

Click HERE for Wikipedia background information. This opens in a separate window to make it easy to return to this site.

Click HERE for one person's explanation of what the song is about. Though the article is interesting, the site's text and background color choices make it hard to read, a common problem in early web sites.