American traditional spiritual · G major · 4/4 · 110 BPM · 16 bars · Folk & traditional
When the Saints Go Marching In sits in Folk & traditional, written in G major. It uses 4 chords across 16 bars, at about 110 BPM.
GD7G7C
G
D7
G7
C
| 1 | G | · | · | · |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | · | · | D7 | · |
| 3 | G | G7 | C | · |
| 4 | G | D7 | G | · |
Brisk and bold, like a march. Stay on G through the first six bars; the D7 is only the end of the second line. The G7 is a one-bar bridge into C, and missing it skips the lift of the third line.
| Keys | Chord chart |
|---|---|
| C major | C · G7 · C · C7 · F · C · G7 · C |
| Db major | Db · Ab7 · Db · Db7 · Gb · Db · Ab7 · Db |
| D major | D · A7 · D · D7 · G · D · A7 · D |
| Eb major | Eb · Bb7 · Eb · Eb7 · Ab · Eb · Bb7 · Eb |
| E major | E · B7 · E · E7 · A · E · B7 · E |
| F major | F · C7 · F · F7 · Bb · F · C7 · F |
| F# major | F# · C#7 · F# · F#7 · B · F# · C#7 · F# |
| G major · Written in this key | G · D7 · G · G7 · C · G · D7 · G |
| Ab major | Ab · Eb7 · Ab · Ab7 · Db · Ab · Eb7 · Ab |
| A major | A · E7 · A · A7 · D · A · E7 · A |
| Bb major | Bb · F7 · Bb · Bb7 · Eb · Bb · F7 · Bb |
| B major | B · F#7 · B · B7 · E · B · F#7 · B |
An American spiritual of unknown authorship; a printing from 1896 is documented and the form sung today settled in the early 1900s. With no identifiable rights holder and a publication more than 120 years old, no term remains. The traditional status and the 1896 printing were checked by search.