The Way I Am Lyrics And Chords By The Thumbling Paddies
The sheet music / tin whistle notes with the intro. is included in the updates tin whistle ebook.
🎵 The Way I Am
Key: G Major
Time: 4/4
Tempo: 195 BPM (feels like 95 BPM in half time)
Style: Modern Irish country / pop-folk
🎸 STRUMMING PATTERN (Main Groove)
For a bright country feel:
↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
Count: 1 2-and 3-and 4-and
Accent the first and fourth beats
Keep it loose and percussive — light palm mute on the lower strings
Alternate bass motion:
G: alternate 6th → 4th
C: 5th → 4th
D: 4th → 3rd
Am / Em: 5th → 4th
If you prefer a driving “train beat,” use:
↓ (mute) ↓ ↑ ↓ (mute) ↑ — very common in Derek Ryan songs.
🎸 FINGERPICKING PATTERN
For the verses and intros (gentle country fingerstyle):
T – I – M – A – M – I
Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Thumb (T): plays alternating bass (E/A/D strings)
Index (I): G string
Middle (M): B string
Ring (A): high E string
This pattern keeps a rolling, melodic texture beneath the vocal.
🪶 FINGERPICKING TAB (for verses and chorus)
🎵 Intro & Verse 1
(“I guess I'm a dreamer but I'm a great believer…”)
G C
e|--------3-----------3-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------1---1-------1---1---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----0-------0---0-------0-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--2-----------2-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--3-----------------------------|
E|--3------------------------------|--------------------------------|
I guess I'm a dreamer, but I'm a great believer,
Em A
e|--------0-----------0-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------2---2-------2---2---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----2-------2---2-------2-------|
D|--2-----------2-----------------|--2-----------2-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--0-----------------------------|
E|--0------------------------------|--------------------------------|
what's meant for you in life will never pass you by.
G C
e|--------3-----------3-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------1---1-------1---1---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----0-------0---0-------0-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--2-----------2-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--3-----------------------------|
E|--3------------------------------|--------------------------------|
I will get to where I’m going, but first there’s not knowing,
D G
e|--------2-----------2-----------|--------3-----------3-----------|
B|------3---3-------3---3---------|------0---0-------0---0---------|
G|----2-------2---2-------2-------|----0-------0---0-------0-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--0-----------0-----------------|
A|--0------------------------------|--2-----------------------------|
E|--2------------------------------|--3-----------------------------|
what’s written in the stars will never pass you by.
🎵 Chorus
(“Spend the weekends over drinking, Monday’s over thinking…”)
G C
e|--------3-----------3-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------1---1-------1---1---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----0-------0---0-------0-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--2-----------2-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--3-----------------------------|
E|--3------------------------------|--------------------------------|
Spend the weekends over drinking, Monday’s over thinking,
Am D
e|--------0-----------0-----------|--------2-----------2-----------|
B|------1---1-------1---1---------|------3---3-------3---3---------|
G|----2-------2---2-------2-------|----2-------2---2-------2-------|
D|--2-----------2-----------------|--0-----------0-----------------|
A|--0------------------------------|--0-----------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|--2-----------------------------|
Will I find a better plan, but I try my best and I’ll die trying,
G D
e|--------3-----------3-----------|--------2-----------2-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------3---3-------3---3---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----2-------2---2-------2-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--0-----------0-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--0-----------------------------|
E|--3------------------------------|--2-----------------------------|
it’s just the way I am.
🎧 PERFORMANCE NOTES
Verses: Fingerpick softly — keep it intimate.
Chorus: Switch to full strumming for dynamic lift.
Bridge (if played live): You can arpeggiate C–Am–D–G gently.
Tempo feel: Though the score says 195, feel it in cut time (95 BPM).
Optional trick: add a short two-bar intro arpeggio (G–C–G–D) to set the tone before the singing starts.
Key: G Major
Time: 4/4
Tempo: 195 BPM (feels like 95 BPM in half time)
Style: Modern Irish country / pop-folk
🎸 STRUMMING PATTERN (Main Groove)
For a bright country feel:
↓ ↓ ↑ ↑ ↓ ↑
Count: 1 2-and 3-and 4-and
Accent the first and fourth beats
Keep it loose and percussive — light palm mute on the lower strings
Alternate bass motion:
G: alternate 6th → 4th
C: 5th → 4th
D: 4th → 3rd
Am / Em: 5th → 4th
If you prefer a driving “train beat,” use:
↓ (mute) ↓ ↑ ↓ (mute) ↑ — very common in Derek Ryan songs.
🎸 FINGERPICKING PATTERN
For the verses and intros (gentle country fingerstyle):
T – I – M – A – M – I
Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
Thumb (T): plays alternating bass (E/A/D strings)
Index (I): G string
Middle (M): B string
Ring (A): high E string
This pattern keeps a rolling, melodic texture beneath the vocal.
🪶 FINGERPICKING TAB (for verses and chorus)
🎵 Intro & Verse 1
(“I guess I'm a dreamer but I'm a great believer…”)
G C
e|--------3-----------3-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------1---1-------1---1---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----0-------0---0-------0-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--2-----------2-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--3-----------------------------|
E|--3------------------------------|--------------------------------|
I guess I'm a dreamer, but I'm a great believer,
Em A
e|--------0-----------0-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------2---2-------2---2---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----2-------2---2-------2-------|
D|--2-----------2-----------------|--2-----------2-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--0-----------------------------|
E|--0------------------------------|--------------------------------|
what's meant for you in life will never pass you by.
G C
e|--------3-----------3-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------1---1-------1---1---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----0-------0---0-------0-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--2-----------2-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--3-----------------------------|
E|--3------------------------------|--------------------------------|
I will get to where I’m going, but first there’s not knowing,
D G
e|--------2-----------2-----------|--------3-----------3-----------|
B|------3---3-------3---3---------|------0---0-------0---0---------|
G|----2-------2---2-------2-------|----0-------0---0-------0-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--0-----------0-----------------|
A|--0------------------------------|--2-----------------------------|
E|--2------------------------------|--3-----------------------------|
what’s written in the stars will never pass you by.
🎵 Chorus
(“Spend the weekends over drinking, Monday’s over thinking…”)
G C
e|--------3-----------3-----------|--------0-----------0-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------1---1-------1---1---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----0-------0---0-------0-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--2-----------2-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--3-----------------------------|
E|--3------------------------------|--------------------------------|
Spend the weekends over drinking, Monday’s over thinking,
Am D
e|--------0-----------0-----------|--------2-----------2-----------|
B|------1---1-------1---1---------|------3---3-------3---3---------|
G|----2-------2---2-------2-------|----2-------2---2-------2-------|
D|--2-----------2-----------------|--0-----------0-----------------|
A|--0------------------------------|--0-----------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|--2-----------------------------|
Will I find a better plan, but I try my best and I’ll die trying,
G D
e|--------3-----------3-----------|--------2-----------2-----------|
B|------0---0-------0---0---------|------3---3-------3---3---------|
G|----0-------0---0-------0-------|----2-------2---2-------2-------|
D|--0-----------0-----------------|--0-----------0-----------------|
A|--2------------------------------|--0-----------------------------|
E|--3------------------------------|--2-----------------------------|
it’s just the way I am.
🎧 PERFORMANCE NOTES
Verses: Fingerpick softly — keep it intimate.
Chorus: Switch to full strumming for dynamic lift.
Bridge (if played live): You can arpeggiate C–Am–D–G gently.
Tempo feel: Though the score says 195, feel it in cut time (95 BPM).
Optional trick: add a short two-bar intro arpeggio (G–C–G–D) to set the tone before the singing starts.
Included below in the pdf is a list of all the songs and tunes in the collection of tin whistle sheet music notes.
The ebooks cost €7.50 and you'll get every song listed. Including The Way I Am by The Thumbling Paddies which is in the ''Updates'' ebook.
The ebooks cost €7.50 and you'll get every song listed. Including The Way I Am by The Thumbling Paddies which is in the ''Updates'' ebook.
