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The tune behind the children’s song “Baby Bumblebee” goes back to the mid-1800s. Originally titled “The Arkansas Traveller and Rackinsac Waltz” and later shortened to just “The Arkansas Traveller,” the lyrics tell the story of a humorous encounter between a man travelling down the road and a squatter living in a run-down shack. If you are interested, you can find the full lyrics and more about the history of the song here.
The tune of “The Arkansas Traveller” has been used for several different sets of lyrics over the years, with “Baby Bumblebee” probably the most familiar to people these days. I couldn’t find a clear origin for the bee-squishing lyrics or the accompanying hand motions. It seems to be something that has survived the test of time mostly because little kids find it funny (I know I did when I first learned it in my preschool days).
“Baby Bumblebee” Playing Tips
This tune makes great use of different note types for an interesting rhythm, and it can be played either straight or with a bit of a swing, especially in the eighth note runs.
Let’s take a look at the opening measures and then break down how to play it either straight or swung with rhythm syllables:
If you played this as written, the rhythm syllables would be:
TA | ti ti ti ti TA TA | TA TA TA-A
But if you play the eighth notes with a swing or “dotted” feel, you get:
TA | TIM-ri TIM-ri TA TA | TA TA TA-A
You can switch in the TIM-ri‘s anywhere you see four eighth notes together. The second time through the tune in the sheet music, I added some extra filler notes to make the entire thing one long string of eighth notes so you can add a bounce to the entire thing.
These added notes are all open strings, so things only get trickier for the right hand, especially in measure 12 where you’ll have to jump over the E string to his the open A for the added notes. You can do this with a pick with practice, but it might be easier at first to play with your fingers and alternate between your thumb and index finger.
Click the link or the ‘Download’ button below to see the sheet music if your browser doesn’t display the embedded PDF.
Don’t have a low G uke? Not a problem. I’ve included a standard (high G) TAB for this song as well. Find the link at the bottom on the post. Happy picking!
“Baby Bumblebee” Low G Sheet Music Download
“Baby Bumblebee” High G Sheet Music Download
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