Bookmark and Share

Sheet Music: Greensleeves

TitleGreensleeves
Alternate titlesWhat Child is This?
ComposerTraditional English
InstrumentationFlute and Guitar chords
KeyA minor
RangeE4–G5
Time signature3/4
Tempo112 BPM
Difficulty leveleasy
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (60 kB)
Download audio tracksMIDI (1 kB) MP3 (864 kB)
Play-along accompanimentMIDI (1 kB) MP3 (882 kB)
Date added2009-03-24
Last updated2009-08-30
CategoriesChristmas carols, Traditional/Folk
Tuesday 24 March 2009

Tune of the Day: Greensleeves

Traditional English Folk Song
Greensleeves

This is undoubtedly one of the most famous traditional English folk songs. There is a persistent belief that Greensleeves was composed by King Henry VIII for his lover and future queen consort Anne Boleyn. However, Henry did not write “Greensleeves”, which is probably Elizabethan in origin and is based on an Italian style of composition that did not reach England until after his death.

Both in the sheet music and in the audio tracks we provide a bass line that you can use as an accompaniment, by playing along the MIDI or the MP3 file attached to this post. Or you can ask a friend to accompany you on a piano, a guitar, a cello or a harp.