I started learning ‘The Water is Wide’ in my singing lessons and I wanted to be able to practice at home using my guitar for accompaniment, but I couldn’t find any tabs for this song that were simple enough, so I’ve made my own arrangement.
Standard tuning (lowest to highest: EADGBE)
The melody starts on D, so find this note by plucking the D string (3rd from the bottom)
My arrangement only uses 4 chords: G, D, Dsus4 and C
G
The water is wide,
D
I cannot cross o’er
Dsus4 D C
And neither have I
D
The wings to fly...
G
Send me a boat
C
That can carry two
D
And both shall row,
G
My true love and I...
A ship there is
And she sails the sea..
She’s laden deep
As deep can be,
But not so deep
As the love I’m in-
I know not if
I sink or swim...
I leaned my back
Against a young oak,
Thinking it was
A trusty tree,
But first it bent
And then it broke,
So did my love
Prove false to me...
Oh love be handsome
And love be kind,
Gay as a jewel
When first it is new,
But love grows old
And waxes cold
And fades away
Like the morning dew...
The finger picking is easy – use your thumb for low E and A strings, index finger for G, middle finger for B and ring finger for high E strings. The picking starts on the word ‘wide’, so ‘the water is’ is unaccompanied.
E---------------3--------3----------3---------3------------2--------2-------2-------3----2---------
B-----------------0---------0----------0---------0-----------3--------3-------3-------3---3--------
G--------------------0---------0----------0---------0----------2--------2-------2------------------
D--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A----------------------------------------------------------0--------0-------0-------0--------------
E---------------3--------3----------3---------3----------------------------------------------------
The water is wide__________________________I cannot cross o’er_________________And neither have
E----0--------0----------0---------0----------2--------2-------2-------3----2------3---------3--
B-------1--------1----------1---------1----------3--------3-------3-------3---3-------0---------
G----------0--------0----------0---------0----------2--------2-------2-------------------0------
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A---------------------------------------------0--------0-------0-------0------------------------
E----0--------0----------0---------0-----------------------------------------------3---------3--
I________________________The wings to fly_______________________Send me a boat______
E-----------3--------3---------3-----------0--------0-------0-------0-----------2-------2--------
B--0-----------0--------0---------0-----------1--------1-------1-------1-----------3-------3-----
G-----0----------0---------0---------0-----------0--------0-------0-------0-----------2-------2--
D------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------------------------------0-------0--------
E-----------3----------3-------3-----------0--------0-------0-------0----------------------------
_________________________That can carry two___________________And both shall row_______________
E----2-----------2----------3---------3---------3--------3---------------------------------------------
B-------3-----------3----------0---------0---------0--------0------------------------------------------
G----------2-----------2----------0---------0---------0--------0--------------------------------------
D---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A----0-----------0---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E----------------------------3---------3--------3--------3----------------------------------------------
____________My true love and I_______________________ {GO BACK TO BEGINNING}
Repeat for each verse then after the last word of the last verse, strum the G chord slowly for a quick and easy finish like this:
E-----------------3----------------------
B--------------0-------------------------
G-----------0----------------------------
D--------0-------------------------------
A-----2----------------------------------
E--3-------------------------------------