The Bonnie Lass Of Fyvie Guitar Chords And Lyrics By The Corries
A traditional Scottish song, also recorded by The Dubliners. Bonnie Lass of Fyvie tenor guitar tab in CGDAadded. The video reminds me of what Folk music is really all about, two lads sitting by the fireside and teling the stories of bygone days. The sheet music and tin whistle notes are included. This is an easy three chord song.
Here's the list of Corries songs on the site .The bonnie lass of Fyvie sheet music notes in solfege [ Do re mi ] style now added plus the mandolin tab and tin whistle notes..
Here's the list of Corries songs on the site .The bonnie lass of Fyvie sheet music notes in solfege [ Do re mi ] style now added plus the mandolin tab and tin whistle notes..
[A]There once was a troop of Irish dragoons
Come marching down thru [E]Fyvie-O
And the [A]captain fell in love wi' a very bonnie [D]lass
And he called her by [A]name, [E]pretty [A]Peggy-O
There's many a bonnie lass in the glen of Auchterlass
There's many a bonnie lass in Gairioch-oO
There's many a bonnie Jean in the streets of Aberdeen
But the flower of them all lives in Fyvie, O
Come trippin' down the stair, Pretty Peggy, my dear
Come down the stairs, Pretty Peggy-O
Come trippin' down the stairs, combin' back your yellow hair
Bid a long farewell to your mammy-O
It's braw, aye it's braw, a captain's lady for to be
And it's braw to be a captain's lady-O
It's braw to ride around and to follow the camp
And to ride when your captain he is ready-O
O I'll give you ribbons, love, and I'll give you rings
I'll give you a necklace of amber-O
I'll give you a silken petticoat with flounces to the knee
If you'll convey me doon to your chamber-O
What would your mother think if she heard the guineas clink
And saw the haut-boys marching all before you-O
O little would she think gin she heard the guineas clink
If I followed a soldier laddie-O
I never did intend a soldier's lady for to be
A soldier shall never enjoy me-O
I never did intend to gae tae a foreign land
And I will never marry a soldier-O
I'll drink nae more o your claret wine
I'll drink nae more o your glasses-O
Tomorrow is the day when we maun ride away
So farewell tae your Fyvie lasses-O
The colonel he cried, mount, boys, mount, boys, mount
The captain, he cried, tarry-O
O tarry yet a while, just another day or twa
Til I see if the bonnie lass will marry-O
Twas in the early morning, when we marched awa
And O but the captain he was sorry-O
The drums they did beat on the merry braes o' Gight
And the band played the bonnie lass of Fyvie-O
Long ere we came to the glen of Auchterlass
We had our captain to carry-O
And long ere we won into the streets of Aberdeen
We had our captain to bury-O
Green grow the birks on bonnie Ethanside
And low lie the lowlands of Fyvie-O
The captain's name was Ned and he died for a maid
He died for the bonny lass of Fyvie-O
Come marching down thru [E]Fyvie-O
And the [A]captain fell in love wi' a very bonnie [D]lass
And he called her by [A]name, [E]pretty [A]Peggy-O
There's many a bonnie lass in the glen of Auchterlass
There's many a bonnie lass in Gairioch-oO
There's many a bonnie Jean in the streets of Aberdeen
But the flower of them all lives in Fyvie, O
Come trippin' down the stair, Pretty Peggy, my dear
Come down the stairs, Pretty Peggy-O
Come trippin' down the stairs, combin' back your yellow hair
Bid a long farewell to your mammy-O
It's braw, aye it's braw, a captain's lady for to be
And it's braw to be a captain's lady-O
It's braw to ride around and to follow the camp
And to ride when your captain he is ready-O
O I'll give you ribbons, love, and I'll give you rings
I'll give you a necklace of amber-O
I'll give you a silken petticoat with flounces to the knee
If you'll convey me doon to your chamber-O
What would your mother think if she heard the guineas clink
And saw the haut-boys marching all before you-O
O little would she think gin she heard the guineas clink
If I followed a soldier laddie-O
I never did intend a soldier's lady for to be
A soldier shall never enjoy me-O
I never did intend to gae tae a foreign land
And I will never marry a soldier-O
I'll drink nae more o your claret wine
I'll drink nae more o your glasses-O
Tomorrow is the day when we maun ride away
So farewell tae your Fyvie lasses-O
The colonel he cried, mount, boys, mount, boys, mount
The captain, he cried, tarry-O
O tarry yet a while, just another day or twa
Til I see if the bonnie lass will marry-O
Twas in the early morning, when we marched awa
And O but the captain he was sorry-O
The drums they did beat on the merry braes o' Gight
And the band played the bonnie lass of Fyvie-O
Long ere we came to the glen of Auchterlass
We had our captain to carry-O
And long ere we won into the streets of Aberdeen
We had our captain to bury-O
Green grow the birks on bonnie Ethanside
And low lie the lowlands of Fyvie-O
The captain's name was Ned and he died for a maid
He died for the bonny lass of Fyvie-O
Here are the guitar chords for the key of G.
“Peggy-O” (The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie) is a classic traditional Scottish-Irish ballad (later popularized in American folk and even by The Grateful Dead).
It’s lyrical, storytelling, and works perfectly with a gentle 4/4 folk rhythm — fingerpicked or lightly strummed.
Here’s a full performance guide:
✅ Key of G Major
✅ Strumming pattern (folk 4/4)
✅ Fingerpicking tab for all verses
🎵 Pretty Peggy-O — Key of G Major
Tuning: Standard (EADGBE)
Tempo: ~80 BPM (steady and storytelling pace)
Time Signature: 4/4
🎸 1. Lyrics with Chords
[G]There once was a troop of Irish dragoons,
Come marching down through [D]Fyvie-O,
And the [G]captain fell in love wi’ a very bonnie [C]lass,
And he called her by [G]name, [D]pretty [G]Peggy-O.
🎸 2. Strumming Pattern (4/4 – Folk Ballad Style)
Pattern:
↓ ↓↑ ↑↓↑
Count:
1 2& &3&4&
How to play it:
Beat 1: bass note (lowest string of the chord)
Beat 2: light down-up
Beat 3–4: rolling up-down-up for flow
Keep the movement gentle and consistent — like a storytelling pulse.
Optional variant (for verses):
↓ (pause) ↓↑ ↓↑ — lighter, more “sung” feel
🎶 3. Fingerpicking Tab (for All Verses)
We’ll use a simple, Travis picking or folk arpeggio pattern in 4/4:
T – I – M – I – T – M – I – M
(Thumb = bass; Index = G string; Middle = B string)
Verse Fingerpicking Example
G
e|----------------|----------------|
B|------0---0-----|------0---0-----|
G|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|
D|--------0-------|--------0-------|
A|----------------|----------------|
E|--3-------------|--3-------------|
There once was a troop of Irish dragoons,
D
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------3---3-----|------3---3-----|------3---3-----|------3---3-----|
G|----2---2---2---|----2---2---2---|----2---2---2---|----2---2---2---|
D|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|
A|--0-------------|--0-------------|--0-------------|--0-------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
Come marching down through Fyvie-O,
G C
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------0---0-----|------0---0-----|------1---1-----|------1---1-----|
G|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|
D|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------2-------|--------2-------|
A|----------------|----------------|--3-------------|--3-------------|
E|--3-------------|--3-------------|----------------|----------------|
And the captain fell in love wi' a very bonnie lass,
G D G
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------0---0-----|------3---3-----|------0---0-----|------0---0-----|
G|----0---0---0---|----2---2---2---|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|
D|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|
A|----------------|--0-------------|----------------|----------------|
E|--3-------------|----------------|--3-------------|--3-------------|
And he called her by name, pretty Peggy-O.
💡 Performance Tips
🎵 Tempo:
Keep a steady storytelling pace — not rushed, like you’re singing to a firelight.
🎵 Dynamics:
Start softly on verse 1.
Add stronger strumming or bass emphasis as the song progresses.
🎵 Bass Alternation:
On G, alternate bass strings 6 → 4
On C, alternate 5 → 4
On D, alternate 4 → 5
🎵 Optional Ornamentation:
Add a hammer-on on the A string 0→2 when you change to G
Or slide into the C chord from a B bass note (A string 2→3) for flavor
🎵 Ending idea:
Finish softly by arpeggiating the G chord:
e|--3---0---0---|
B|--0---0---0---|
G|--0---0---0---|
D|--0-----------|
A|--------------|
E|--3-----------|
Let it ring naturally.
“Peggy-O” (The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie) is a classic traditional Scottish-Irish ballad (later popularized in American folk and even by The Grateful Dead).
It’s lyrical, storytelling, and works perfectly with a gentle 4/4 folk rhythm — fingerpicked or lightly strummed.
Here’s a full performance guide:
✅ Key of G Major
✅ Strumming pattern (folk 4/4)
✅ Fingerpicking tab for all verses
🎵 Pretty Peggy-O — Key of G Major
Tuning: Standard (EADGBE)
Tempo: ~80 BPM (steady and storytelling pace)
Time Signature: 4/4
🎸 1. Lyrics with Chords
[G]There once was a troop of Irish dragoons,
Come marching down through [D]Fyvie-O,
And the [G]captain fell in love wi’ a very bonnie [C]lass,
And he called her by [G]name, [D]pretty [G]Peggy-O.
🎸 2. Strumming Pattern (4/4 – Folk Ballad Style)
Pattern:
↓ ↓↑ ↑↓↑
Count:
1 2& &3&4&
How to play it:
Beat 1: bass note (lowest string of the chord)
Beat 2: light down-up
Beat 3–4: rolling up-down-up for flow
Keep the movement gentle and consistent — like a storytelling pulse.
Optional variant (for verses):
↓ (pause) ↓↑ ↓↑ — lighter, more “sung” feel
🎶 3. Fingerpicking Tab (for All Verses)
We’ll use a simple, Travis picking or folk arpeggio pattern in 4/4:
T – I – M – I – T – M – I – M
(Thumb = bass; Index = G string; Middle = B string)
Verse Fingerpicking Example
G
e|----------------|----------------|
B|------0---0-----|------0---0-----|
G|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|
D|--------0-------|--------0-------|
A|----------------|----------------|
E|--3-------------|--3-------------|
There once was a troop of Irish dragoons,
D
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------3---3-----|------3---3-----|------3---3-----|------3---3-----|
G|----2---2---2---|----2---2---2---|----2---2---2---|----2---2---2---|
D|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|
A|--0-------------|--0-------------|--0-------------|--0-------------|
E|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
Come marching down through Fyvie-O,
G C
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------0---0-----|------0---0-----|------1---1-----|------1---1-----|
G|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|
D|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------2-------|--------2-------|
A|----------------|----------------|--3-------------|--3-------------|
E|--3-------------|--3-------------|----------------|----------------|
And the captain fell in love wi' a very bonnie lass,
G D G
e|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
B|------0---0-----|------3---3-----|------0---0-----|------0---0-----|
G|----0---0---0---|----2---2---2---|----0---0---0---|----0---0---0---|
D|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|--------0-------|
A|----------------|--0-------------|----------------|----------------|
E|--3-------------|----------------|--3-------------|--3-------------|
And he called her by name, pretty Peggy-O.
💡 Performance Tips
🎵 Tempo:
Keep a steady storytelling pace — not rushed, like you’re singing to a firelight.
🎵 Dynamics:
Start softly on verse 1.
Add stronger strumming or bass emphasis as the song progresses.
🎵 Bass Alternation:
On G, alternate bass strings 6 → 4
On C, alternate 5 → 4
On D, alternate 4 → 5
🎵 Optional Ornamentation:
Add a hammer-on on the A string 0→2 when you change to G
Or slide into the C chord from a B bass note (A string 2→3) for flavor
🎵 Ending idea:
Finish softly by arpeggiating the G chord:
e|--3---0---0---|
B|--0---0---0---|
G|--0---0---0---|
D|--0-----------|
A|--------------|
E|--3-----------|
Let it ring naturally.
Sheet Music And Tin Whistle Notes For The Bonny Lass Of Fyvie
Mandolin tab the bonnie lass of Fyvie
Standard tuning guitar tab with chords
Bonnie Lass of Fyvie tenor guitar tab in CGDA below
The bonnie lass of Fyvie tin whistle notes
The bonnie lass of Fyvie sheet music notes in Solfege [ Do Re Mi ] format.
