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WHEN THE SAINTS
​GO MARCHING IN

Traditional, dating from early 1900's,
perhaps based on the 1896 song by Katharine Purvis and  James M Black.  
​Popularized by Louis Armstrong & his Orchestra (1938).
​
 
Accordion Notation
Return to BA1-Unit 8
Beats per bar = 2
Beat symbol =  period  ( . )     

Either row (low):   Buttons  3 - 5  

Verse 1 (of several)

 .3   |   .4      .4*   |    :5~ | ~:~ | ~. 
Oh,   when  the        saints___      


  .3   |      .4         .4*   |    :5~ | ~:~ | ~. 
Go    march - ing      in_______ 

.3    |   .4     .4*   |    :5    |    :4   |    :3     |   :4    |    :3*~ | ~:~ | ~:   | 
Oh,  when  the     saints      go    march -  ing         in___ ,    /

  .4    .3*   |     :3~ | ~.    .3    |   :4   |   .5    .5    |   .5       .4*~ | ~:~ | ~:   |
Lord   I         want___    to        be       in  that      num - ber___ , /


   .4      .4*    |     :5     :4   |     :3       :3*   |   :3~ | ~:~ | ~.      
When  the       saints  go     march - ing        in_______ 



In the final verse, many performers hold the final note for extra beats  (one, three or five)



Embedded youTube VIDEOS

Some of these videos include an introductory verse (or more) with a different accordion notation than is given above.

Key:   A

Group:  Laurie Berkner Band

​Posted by:  The Laurie Berkner Band

Begins and ends with "When the saints go marching in".  Some other tunes are thrown into the middle.

Key:  F 
​
Tempo:  ~225 bpm

Group:  The Weavers:  

​Posted by:  Carlo Shena

Alternate version, in which the accordion notation above corresponds to a chorus.

Key:   C

Performer:  M.Susuzi

Posted by:  Hirockn'

Key:  C

Tempo:  ~170 bpm

Performer:    ?

​Posted by:  ​MrGingerHands

A short piece, but one of the very few in the key ofC.

Key:  C  from  time  0  to  0:48
          D  from  0:48 to 1:42  (end)
​
Tempo:  ~200 bpm

Singer:  ?

​Posted by:  Kids Songs English

Key:  G

Tempo: ~225 bpm
​
Performers:  Bob and Hector
​                     Our talented Australian friends.  


Posted by:  bertosvids

Hector, on the button accordion, plays "When the Saints ...", while Bob, on the piano accordion, plays "Red River Valley".  Brilliant!  

​You will need to focus on the button accordion.


Key:   G

Pianist:  Steven Smith

​Posted by:  steven smith

​A short instrumental - only one verse

Key:  D from time 0 to 1:07
          Eb from 1:07 to 2:06 (end)
​
Tempo:  ~210 bpm.

Singers:  ?

Posted by:  Muffin Songs




Key:  F 

Tempo:  ~235 bpm

Group:  Andre Rieu Concert  

​Posted by: Andre Rieu 

​

Key:  F
​

Tempo:  ~210 bpm

Group:  Dublin Gospel Choir  

Posted by:  Niamh Smith

Key:    G   from time 0 to 1:
            A   from 1:   to  End

Performers:

​Posted by: Nursery Rhyme Express

Key:  This is jazzed up, so I'm not sure of the
          key, but  I play along in D, just for the fun
          of it.

Tempo:  ~235 bpm

Singers:  Louis Armstrong & Danny Kaye  

​Posted by:  Alex Suzano

They do "When The Saints" at beginning and end, and with its theme running throughout in a "jazz" kind of way.  Fun to listen to, and play along (sort of play-along).



Key:  ?

Group:  ?

​Posted by:  Mnet - Official

Great performance

Background Materials, Information & Links

​Lyrics:

There are many different versions of this song.  Wikipedia gives this common standard version on its site.

​I've added guitar chords (in key of C) for the first verse.

​Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Oh, when the drums begin to bang
Oh, when the drums begin to bang
I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Oh, when the stars fall from the sky
Oh, when the stars fall from the sky
I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Oh, when the moon turns red with blood
Oh, when the moon turns red with blood
I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Oh, when the trumpet sounds its call
Oh, when the trumpet sounds its call
I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Oh, when the horsemen begin to ride
Oh, when the horsemen begin to ride
I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Oh, when the fire begins to blaze
Oh, when the fire begins to blaze
I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh, when the saints go marching in
I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.
​
​
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Return to BA1-Unit 8
Background Links:
Click HERE for additional info about this gospel song.