Atkins Chet - The Entertainer (theme From The Sting) Chords & Tabs

The Entertainer by Scott Joplin, as played by Chet Atkins

Transcribed by jazzcatgeoff

I've included the beat numbers above the bars to make it easier to read (and write). I've also included some performance 

notes at the side which might help you out.


The tune is played rubato in places (slowing down and speeding up) but I haven't included any directions for this. Listen to 

the recording if you have it and it will give you a good idea. It sounds okay played in stict time though.

Its a good idea to sit in a classical playing position as it makes some of the fingering a bit easier - especially bars 17 & 

24.


The second theme in bars 21-27 is really difficult to play fluidly. The notes sound right and I can't find a different tuning 

which would make this part easier without making the rest really hard, so it must be right!

email me jazzcatgeoff@hotmail.com if you have any corrections or questions.


Drop D tuning - D A D G B E

4/4 time

(Bar number:)
(1)
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|12--14--10----------------------|--------------------------------|	//Intro//
|------------12------14--10------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|9---11--7-----------------------|
|--------------------------------|------------9-------11--7-------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|	


(3)
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|--------------------------------|--------5-----------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------7-----------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------6-----------------------|
|2---4---0-----------------------|--------5-------2-------3-------|
|------------2-------4---2---1---|0---------------4_______4-------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|


(5)
   1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|| --------------------------------|------------------------0---1---|	//Main Theme// - nb. those are repeat marks at the 	
||.----3-----------3-----------3___|3-------------------3-----------|			beginning!
|| ----------------------------0___|0-----------------------0---1---|
||.4-----------4-----------4-------|--------0-----------4-----------|	Use your index finger to bar the chromatic 6ths on
|| --------------------------------|--------------------------------|	strings 1 and 3 at the end of bar 6
|| 0-------0-----------------------|5---------------4---------------|


(7)
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|2-------0---2-----------0-------|--------------------------------|
|----3---------------2-----------|3-------------------------------|
|2-------0---2-----------0-------|--------------------------------|
|----4---------------2-----------|4-----------------------3-------|
|0---------------0---------------|--------0-------2-------4-------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|


(9)
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|----3-----------3-----------3___|3-----------------------0-------|
|----------------------------0___|0----------------------2----2---|
|4-----------4-----------4-------|--------0-------------0---------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|0-------0-----------------------|5---------------4---------------|


(11)
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|------------2-------0-----------|0-------------------------------|
|----0---3---------------3---0---|--------2-----------------------|
|1-------------------------------|--------0-----------------------|
|--------------------------------|----------------2-------3-------|
|--------------------------------|0---------------4_______4-------|
|2---------------2---------------|--------------------------------|


(13)
1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|--------------------------------|------------------------0---1---|
|----3-----------3-----------3___|3-------------------3-----------|
|----------------------------0___|0-----------------------0---1---|
|4-----------4-----------4-------|--------0-----------4-----------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|0-------0-----------------------|5---------------4---------------|


(15)
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|2-------0---2-----------0-------|----------------------------0---|
|----3---------------2-----------|3-----------------------3-------|
|2-------0---2-----------0-------|--------------------------------|
|----4---------------2-----------|4-------------------------------|
|0---------------0---------------|--------0-----------------------|
|--------------------------------|----------------0---------------|

[ Tab from: https://www.guitartabs.cc/tabs/a/atkins_chet/the_entertainer_theme_from_the_sting_tab.html ]
(17)
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|2-------0---2___2-------0-------|2-------0---2___2-------0-------|	//End of main theme// - bassline doubles tempo
|----3---------------3-------3---|----3---------------3-------3---|		
|--------2---------------2-------|--------0---------------0-------|
|0-------------------------------|--------------------------------|	Right hand: Use your index and middle finger on 
|----------------3---------------|2---------------1---------------|	strings 1 & 2 and your thumb for the other notes. 
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|	Use your pinkie to get the C on beat 3 of bar 17


                                 $________________________________
(19)                              1.                              )
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|2-------0---2-----------0-------|-------------------------------- ||	//Repeat main theme from here//
|----3---------------2-----------|3-------------------------------.||
|2-------0---2-----------0-------|-------------------------------- ||
|----4---------------2-----------|4-----------------------3-------.||
|0---------------0---------------|--------0-------2-------4------- ||
|--------------------------------|-------------------------------- ||



(21)
 ________________________________
 2.                              )
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|--------------------2---3---4---|5---7-------5-------2---3---4---|	//2nd theme// - really hard!
|3-------------------3---5---6---|7---8-------7-------3---5---6---|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|4-------------------4---5---6---|7---9-------7-------4---5---6---|
|--------0-----------------------|--------------------------------|
|----------------0---------------|0-------0-------0---------------|


(23)
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|5---7-------5-------------------|------------0---2---0-------0---|	
|7---8-------7-------7-----------|0---2---3---------------3-------|
|------------------------7-------|--------4---------------3-------|
|7---9-------7---------------7---|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|0-------0-------0---------------|5---------------5---------------|


(25)
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|------------------------3---4---|5---7-------5-------2---3---4---|
|3-----------------------5---6---|7---8-------7-------3---5---6---|
|--------0---2---4---2-----------|--------------------------------|
|----4-------------------5---6---|7---9-------7-------4---5---6---|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|0-------------------------------|0-------0-------0---------------|


(27)
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|5---7-------5-------5---7-------|9---9-------9-------7-----------|
|7---8-------7-------7---6-------|------------------------9-------|
|--------------------------------|9---9-------9---------------9---|
|7---9-------7-------------------|--------7-----------------------|
|--------------------------------|0---------------7---------------|
|0-------0-------0---------------|--------------------------------|


(29)
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|5-----------5-------------------|----7---------------------------|	bar the 7th fret with your index finger
|--------5-----------7---8---9---|10----------10------7---8---9---|	 - bar 29 beat 3
|----6---------------------------|--------------------------------|
|--------------------------------|--------7---------------7-------|
|0-------------------------------|----------------0---------------|
|--------------------------------|0-------------------------------|


(31)
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|----7---------------------------|------------0---2---0-------0---|
|10----------10------7-----------|0---2---3---------------3-------|
|------------------------7-------|--------4---------------3-------|
|--------7-------------------7---|--------------------------------|
|----------------0---------------|--------------------------------|
|0-------------------------------|5---------------5---------------|


(33)
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|3-----------3-------------------|3-----------3-----------3-------|
|--------2-----------4p2\1---2---|--------4-------------------4---|
|----4---------------------------|----0---------------0-----------|
|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|0-------------------------------|5---------------6---------------|


(35)
 1       2       3       4        1       2       3       4
|--------2---5___5---2-----------|----------------2---0-----------|
|----3-------------------3-------|0-------3-------2___2-----------|
|2---------------------------2---|1-------1-------0___0-----------|
|--------0---------------0-------|--------------------------------|
|0-------------------------------|----------------0___0-----------|
|----------------0---------------|2-------2-----------------------|


(37)
 1       2       3       4         
|-------------------------------- ||
|3-------------------------------.||
|2------------------------------- ||
|4---------------2-------3-------.||
|----------------4_______4------- ||
|0------------------------------- ||


(39)
 ________________________________
 3.                              )
 1       2       3       4        
|----------------10--------------||	//The END//
|3-------------------------------||
|----------------11--------------||
|4-------------------------------||
|--------0-----------------------||
|----------------0---------------||