The football team at my alma mater, East Texas State University, traditionally sang "When the Roll Is Called up Yonder" after every home win. Naturally, I had to learn how to play it. The rhythm can be tricky at first, so I also have an easier version of When the Roll Is Called up Yonder available.
When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder
James Black, 1893
Mandolin tablature by
Elizabeth T. Knuth, 1998
Key: G
Somewhat fast, like a march, syncopated.
Tip: *All* of the eighth notes in this song are dotted. So
the typical rhythm is:
dotted eighth followed by a sixteenth, four times.
Verse:
E--||----------------|------------------------------------------|
A--||--8:---------0--|--2------2--2------2--2------0------------|
D--||--8:--5---------|--------------------------------5------5--|
G--||----------------|------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | | | |
|_ |= |_ |= |_ |= |_ |= |_ |=
When the trum - pet of the Lord shall sound and
|------------------------------------------|
|--0------------------------------------0--|
|---------5--5------2--0---------5---------|
|------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |= |_ |= | | |_ |=
time shall be no more, And the
|------------------------------------------|
|--2------2--2------2--2------2--0---------|
|---------------------------------------5--|
|------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |= |_ |= |_ |= |_ |=
mor - ning breaks e-ter- nal, bright and
|------------------------------------------|
|--0------------------------------------0--|
|--------------------------------5---------|
|------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |_ |=
fair, When the
|------------------------------------------|
|--2------2--2------2--2------0------------|
|--------------------------------5------5--|
|------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |= |_ |= |_ |= |_ |=
saints of God are ga- thered o - ver
|------------------------------------------|
|--0------------------------------------0--|
|---------5--5------2--0---------5---------|
|------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |= |_ |= | | |_ |=
on the o - ther shore, And the
|------------------------------------------|
|--2------2--2---------0------0--0---------|
|-------------------5-------------------4--|
|------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |= |_ |= |_ |= |_ |=
roll is called up yon - der, I'll be
Refrain:
|------------------------------------------|
|--------------------------------2------3--|
|--5---------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |_ |=
there! When the
|------------------------------------------|
|--5-------------------5------3--2------3--|
|-----------(0------0--0)------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
| | | | |= | | | |
| | | | |_ |= |_ |=
roll (When the roll) is called up
|------------------------------------------|
|--5-------------------2---------2------2--|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |_ |=
yon - der, When the
|------------------------------------------|
|--3-------------------3------2--0------2--|
|-----------(0------0--0)------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
| | | | |= | | | |
| | | | |_ |= |_ |=
roll (When the roll) is called up
|------------------------------------------|
|--3-------------------0---------2------3--|
|------------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |_ |=
yon - der, When the
|------------------------------------------|
|--5-------------------5------2--0---------|
|-----------(0------0--0)---------------5--|
|------------------------------------------|
| | | | |= | | | |
| | | | |_ |= |_ |=
roll (When the roll) is called up
|------------------------------------------|
|----------------------3---------3------0--|
|--5---------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | |_ |=
yon - der, When the
|------------------------------------------|
|--2------2--2---------0------0--0---------|
|-------------------5-------------------4--|
|------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | |
|_ |= |_ |= |_ |= |_ |=
roll is called up yon - der, I'll be
|------------------------------||
|------------------------------||
|--5---------------------------||
|------------------------------||
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
there!
============================================================ == TABLATURE EXPLANATION == ============================================================ ---------- ---------- ----(8)--- Ghost -4:------- Time ---------- Note -4:------- Signature ---------- ----------
Tune: Roll Call
The meter is irregular.
If you want to swing it a bit, downbeat is on the first and fourth beats in the verse, and on only the first beat for most of the refrain.
The optional notes in the refrain are syncopated, dotted eighth, sixteenth, dotted eighth. They're easy to play. Just hit the half note preceding, and let it ring (continue to hold your finger down) while you pick the open D string. If you were singing, this would be the tenors' part.
If you like, you can hear a MIDI file of "When The Roll Is Called up Yonder".
When the Roll Is Called up Yonder, easier version | Simple Gifts Mandolin Tablature Archive | Elizabeth T. Knuth's Home Page
Comments to: eknuth@unix.csbsju.edu
When the Roll Is Called up Yonder / Rev. 25 October 1999 / © Copyright 1999, Elizabeth T. Knuth / URL: http://www.users.csbsju.edu/~eknuth/mandotab/rollcall.html