Greensleeves is a well-known and well-loved English folk ballad from the 1500s. It is also a very popular Christmas carol known as What Child Is This. The lyrics of What Child Is This were written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix, and combined later with the Greensleeves arrangement and melody.

This is a nice, easy arrangement for beginners and intermediate players. It stands alone, and also sounds good with other instrumental accompaniment. If you have been a guitarist long enough to develop some chops, you can add embellishments and take some cool solos.

Greensleeves ~ What Child Is This

Traditional, tablature arrangement by Sabira Woolley, 3/4 time, key Am

                 Am               C                 G                Em

E |-----------|----------------|---0------1--0---|----------------|-----------------|

B |-----------|---1--------3---|---1-------------|---3--------0---|-------------0---|

G |-------2---|---2------------|---0-------------|---0------------|---0-----2-------|

D |-----------|---2------------|-----------------|---0------------|---2-------------|

A |-----------|---0------------|---3-------------|----------------|---2-------------|

E |-----------|----------------|-----------------|---3------------|-----------------|



     Am                   F                    E                    E

|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

|----1---------------|--------------------|----0---------------|--------------------|

|----2----------2----|----2-------1---2---|---------------1----|---------------2----|

|----2---------------|----3---------------|----2---------------|----2---------------|

|----0---------------|----0---------------|--------------------|----2---------------|

|--------------------|--------------------|----0---------------|----0---------------|



     Am                   C                    G                    Em

|--------------------|----0-------1---0---|--------------------|--------------------|

|----1----------3----|----1---------------|----3----------0----|----------------0---|

|----2---------------|----0---------------|----0---------------|----0-------2-------|

|----2---------------|--------------------|----0---------------|----2---------------|

|----0---------------|----3---------------|--------------------|----2---------------|

|--------------------|--------------------|----3---------------|--------------------|



     F                    E                    Am                   Am

|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

|----1------0--------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

|----2----------2----|----1-----------1---|----2---------------|----2---------------|

|----3---------------|----2-------4-------|----2---------------|----2---------------|

|----0---------------|--------------------|----0---------------|----3---------------|

|--------------------|----0---------------|----0---------------|--------------------|



     C                   C/D                   G                    Em

|----3---------------|----3-------2---0---|--------------------|--------------------|

|----1---------------|----1---------------|----3----------0----|----------------0---|

|----0---------------|----0---------------|----0---------------|----0-------2-------|

|--------------------|----0---------------|--------------------|----2---------------|

|----3---------------|--------------------|--------------------|----2---------------|

|--------------------|--------------------|----3---------------|----3---------------|



      Am                  F                    E                    E

|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

|-----1--------------|--------------------|----0---------------|--------------------|

|-----2---------2----|----2-------1---2---|---------------1----|--------------------|

|-----2--------------|----3---------------|----2---------------|----2---------------|

|-----0--------------|----0---------------|----2---------------|----2---------------|

|--------------------|--------------------|----0---------------|----0---------------|



     C                   C/D                   G                    Em

|----3---------------|----3-------2---0---|--------------------|--------------------|

|----1---------------|----1---------------|----3----------0----|----------------0---|

|----0---------------|----0---------------|--------------------|----0-------2-------|

|--------------------|----0---------------|--------------------|----2---------------|

|----3---------------|--------------------|----2---------------|--------------------|

|--------------------|--------------------|----3---------------|----3---------------|



     Am                   E                    Am                    A

|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|-----0--------------||

|----1-------0-------|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------||

|----2-----------2---|----1-----------1---|----2---------------|-----2--------------||

|----2---------------|------------4-------|----2---------------|-----2--------------||

|----0---------------|--------------------|----0---------------|-----0--------------||

|--------------------|----0---------------|--------------------|--------------------||

When you reach the end, you go back to the beginning and play it through again.

If you are familiar with this song, it will be easy to recognize the timing and phrasing. If you haven't heard Greensleeves or What Child Is This before, there are many audio and video recordings of it available online, by many artists.

Have fun!

If you would like to learn more beautiful Classical guitar songs, or Christmas songs, here are two excellent books, which include tablature and standard notation. The Christmas song book also comes with a CD of the arrangements, which is very helpful.
I received my copies as gifts from my friend and band-member, Ron Nathan. Thanks, Ron!
50 Classical Guitar Pieces - In Tablature and Standard Notation
Mark Hanson's Fingerstyle Christmas Guitar: (Book & CD)12 Beautiful Songs & Carols for Solo Guitar

If you would like to listen to or purchase music by Sabira Woolley, here is her Music Shop.