As recorded by Buddy Holly and The Crickets
(From the 1957 Album THE "CHIRPING" CRICKETS)
Words and Music by Charles Hardin and Norman Petty
Arranged by Buddy Holly and The Crickets
x x 7 6 5 5
2 4 4 2 2 2
x x 7 7 7 5
x x 9 9 9 7
A(type 2)
x 0 2 2 2 0
x x 0 2 3 2
0 2 2 1 0 0
D(type 2)
x x x 7 7 x
E(type 2)
x x x 9 9 x
A(type 3)
x x x 2 2 x
D/A(type 2)
x x x 2 3 2
A(type 4)
x x x 2 2 0
x x x 2 2 3
Gtr I (E A D G B E) - 'Buddy Holly-Lead'
Gtr II (E A D G B E) - 'Niki Sullivan-Rhythm'
Q=130
4/4
Gtr II
+E +E
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Gtr I
E E E E E E E E E E E E +E E E E Q E E E E E E E E E E +E E E E
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|-------------------|
|-----------------|-------------------|-----------------|-------------------|
|-------------2---|-------------------|-------------2---|-------------------|
|-------2-5-5---5-|-------------------|-------2-5-5---5-|-------------------|
|-0-0-4-----------|-4-4-4-4-(4)-4-4---|-0---4-----------|-4-4-4-4-(4)-4-4---|
|-----------------|-2-2-2-2-(2)-2-5---|-----------------|-2-2-2-2-(2)-2-5---|
+E
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Q
|------------------|-----------------|
|------------------|-----------------|
|--------------2---|-2-2-------------|
|--------2-5-5---5-|-4-4---2-2-2-2-2-|
|-0---4------------|-------2-2-2-2-2-|
|------------------|-----------------|
A(type 2D A(tyEe 2)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Q E E E E E E S E S E S S +S S E E E
|-----------------|----------------------------|
|-----------------|----------------------------|
|---------2-2-2-2-|----------------------------|
|-2---2-2-0-0-0-0-|-2-2------------------------|
|-0---0-0---------|-4-2---2-2-2-2-(2)-2-2-2-2--|
|-----------------|-------0-0-0-0-(0)-0-0-0-0--|
A(type 2) F#min A(type 2) F#min
Q Q
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Q Q
||-----------------|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|
||o----------------|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|
||-----------------|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|
||-----------------|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|
||o-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2--|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-2-|
||--0-0-0-0-0-0-0--|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-0-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0--|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-0-|
1.
D E A(type 2D A(typeE2)
S S
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
E E E E E E Q E E E E E S S E E E E E E E E E E
|-----------------|-------------------|-0----------------||
|-----------------|-------------------|-2---------------o||
|-2-2-2-2---------|---------2-2-2-2---|-2----------------||
|-0-0-0-0-2-2-2---|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0-2-|------------------||
|---------2-2-2---|-0-0-0-0---------0-|---2-2-2-2-2-2-2-o||
|-----------------|-------------------|---0-0-0-0-0-0-0--||
2.
A(type 2) D A(type 2D
E S S E E S S E E E Q E E Q E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
E S S E E S S E E E Q E E Q E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
|---------------------|---------------|-----------------|------------------|
|---------------2-2-2-|---------------|-----------------|------------------|
|---------------2-2-2-|-2--2-2-2--2-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|---------2-2-2-2--|
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-0--0-0-0--0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0--|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|---------------|-----------------|-0-0-0-0----------|
|---------------------|---------------|-----------------|------------------|
A(type 2) D
Q Q
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Q Q
|-----------------|---------------|
|-----------------|---------------|
|-----------------|-2--2-2-2--2-2-|
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-0--0-0-0--0-0-|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|---------------|
|-----------------|---------------|
Q E E E E E E Q Q Q Q Q Q E E E E
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Q E E E E E E Q Q Q Q Q Q E E E E
|----------------|-------------|-----------------
|----------------|-------------|-----------------
|-2--2-2-2-2-2-2-|-------------|-----------------
|-0--0-0-0-0-0-0-|-------------|-----------------
|----------------|-2--2--2--2--|-2--2--2-2-2-2---
|----------------|-0--0--0--0--|-0--0--0-0-0-0---
A(Eype 2) A(type 2)
E S S E E S S E E E E E E E E E E E
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
E S S E E S S E E E E E E E E E E E
|---------------------|-----------------|
|---------------------|-----------------|
|---------------------|-------2-----2---|
|-2-------------------|-2-2-----5-5---5-|
|-0-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-0-0-4-----------|
|---0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-----------------|
F#min A(type 2)
S S
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
E E E E +S S E E E E E E S S E E E E
|---------------------|--------------------|
|---------------------|--------------------|
|---------------------|---------2-----2----|
|---------------------|-2-2-2-2---5-5---5--|
|-4-4-4-4-(4)-4-4-4-4-|-0-0-0--------------|
|-2-2-2-2-(2)-2-2-2-2-|--------------------|
2) 2)
E S S E E E +E E E E E E E E S S E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / o / / / / / o / / / / / /
E S S E E E +E E E E E E E E S S E E E E E E E E E E Q E E E E E E
|---------------------|---0---0---0-0-0-0-|---2-------------|------------------|
|---------------------|---2---2---2-2-2-2-|---3-------------|------------------|
|---------------------|---2---2---2-2-2-2-|---2-------------|---------2-2-2-2--|
|---------------------|---2---2-----------|-0---0-2-2-2-2---|-2---2-2-0-0-0-0--|
|-4-4-4-4-4-4-(4)-4---|-0---0---0---------|-------2-2-2-2---|-0---0-0----------|
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-(2)-2---|-------------------|-------0-0-0-0-0-|------------------|
A A7 D A(type 2D
Q Q
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Q Q
|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|------------------|
|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|------------------|
|-----------------|-2--2-2-2--2-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|---------2-2-2-2--|
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-0--0-0-0--0-0-|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-2-2-2-2-0-0-0-0--|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|---------------|-----------------|-0-0-0-0----------|
|-----------------|---------------|-----------------|------------------|
A(type 2) D E
E E E E E E E E Q E E Q E E Q Q Q E E E E Q Q Q
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
E E E E E E E E Q E E Q E E Q Q Q E E E E Q Q Q
|-----------------|---------------|--------------|---------------|
|-----------------|---------------|--------------|---------------|
|-----------------|-2--2-2-2--2-2-|-2--2--2--2-2-|-2-2-----------|
|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-0--0-0-0--0-0-|-0--0--0--0-0-|-0-0-----------|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|---------------|--------------|-----2--2--2---|
|-----------------|---------------|--------------|-----0--0--0---|
E A(type 2) F#min
Q Q Q E E E E E E E E E E Q E E E E E E
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Q Q Q E E E E E E E E E E Q E E E E E E
|--------------|-----------------|----------------|
|--------------|-----------------|----------------|
|--------------|-----------------|----------------|
|--------------|-----2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2--------------|
|-2--2--2--2-2-|-2-2-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0--4-4-4-4-4-4-|
|-0--0--0--0-0-|-0-0-------------|----2-2-2-2-2-2-|
A(type 2) F#min
Q
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Q
|-----------------|------------------|
|-----------------|------------------|
|-----------------|------------------|
|-----2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2----------------|
|-4-2-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0--4-4-4-4-4-4---|
|-2-0-------------|----2-2-2-2-2-2---|
F#miA(type 2) D E A(type 2)D A(tyEe 2)
E E E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q Q E E E E S S E E S E S E. S +S S
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
E E E E E E E E Q E E E E E E Q Q E E E E S S E E S E S E. S +S S
|-----------------|----------------|---------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------|----------------|---------------|--------------------------|
|-----------------|----2-2-2-2-----|-------------2-|-2-2-2---------1----------|
|-----2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2--0-0-0-0-2-2-|-2--2--2-2-2-0-|-0-0-0-2-2-----2--2-(2)---|
|-4-2-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-0----------2-2-|-2--0--0-0-0---|-------0-0-2-2-2--2-(2)-2-|
|-2-0-------------|----------------|---------------|-----------0-0----------0-|
A(type 2) D E A(type 2D A
Q +Q
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /
Q +Q
|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------*|
|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------*|
|----------------|-----2-2-2-2-----|-------------2-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-(2)---*|
|-----2--2-2-2-2-|-2-2-0-0-0-0-----|-----2-2-2-2-0-0-|-0-0-2-2-2-2-(2)---*|
|-2-2-0--0-0-0-0-|-0-0---------2-2-|-2-2-0-0-0-0-----|-----0-0-0-0-(0)---*|
|-0-0------------|-------------0-0-|-0-0-------------|-------------------*|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Duration Legend
---------------
W - whole; H - half; Q - quarter; E - 8th; S - 16th; T - 32nd; X - 64th; a - acciaccatura
+ - note tied to previous; . - note dotted; .. - note double dotted
Uncapitalized letters represent notes that are staccato (1/2 duration)
Irregular groupings are notated above the duration line
Duration letters will always appear directly above the note/fret number it represents the
duration for. Duration letters with no fret number below them represent rests. Multi-
bar rests are notated in the form Wxn, where n is the number of bars to rest for. Low
melody durations appear below the staff
Tablature Legend
----------------
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
b - bend
pb - pre-bend
r - bend release (if no number after the r, then release immediately)
/\ - slide into or out of (from/to "nowhere")
s - legato slide
S - shift slide
<n>
- natural harmonic
[n] - artificial harmonic
n(n) - tapped harmonic
~ - vibrato
tr - trill
T - tap
TP - trem. picking
PM - palm muting
/ - tremolo bar dip; n = amount to dip
- tremolo bar down
n/ - tremolo bar up
/n\ - tremolo bar inverted dip
= - hold bend; also acts as connecting device for hammers/pulls
<> - volume swell (louder/softer)
x - on rhythm slash represents muted slash
o - on rhythm slash represents single note slash
Misc Legend
-----------
| - bar
|| - double bar
||o - repeat start
o|| - repeat end
*| - double bar (ending)
: - bar (freetime)
$ - Segno
& - Coda
Tempo markers -
<e .="">
= BPM(8/16=s8/s16), where s8 = swing 8ths, s16 = swing 16ths
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</e>
</n>