Learn a Lush Solo Guitar Arrangement of “When the Saints Go Marching In” 

“When the Saints Go Marching In” has been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. My father had a large jazz album collection that included Louis Armstrong tearing it up on this classic. Armstrong’s version transported me to New Orleans, making me feel as if I were marching with his band down Bourbon Street! There are as many versions of this song as there are musicians who have recorded it.

I first recorded “Saints” on Perpetually Hip, my 2006 Favored Nations recording, at the urging of Steve Vai. I encourage you to explore other renditions you can find. It’s both enjoyable and enlightening to delve into different interpretations of the same song. There is so much beautiful musical information to be gleaned from deep listening.

The notation here depicts my arrangement of “Saints” as I played it in preparation for this article, which varies slightly from how I perform it in the video. I strive to retain a folk music sensibility while blending the song with sophisticated jazz harmony for a fresh take. 

I decided to arrange the tune as a 16-bar blues form in G major, allowing me to take advantage of open strings to create a nicely textured acoustic guitar piece. For instance, for the I chord (G7), I use the open G, D, and B, which correspond to the root, fifth, and third. I play the melody of the song twice, in different octaves, which generates energy and provides a nice contrast. (The higher octave section is best played on a 14-fret guitar.) 

Take your time working through the piece, paying special attention to the rhythmic pulse. A strong rhythmic drive is crucial, especially when playing solo, as it sweeps listeners into the music and provides a solid foundation for successful improvisation while telling a compelling musical story. Have fun!

There are two ways to access the musical notation and tab for this song: Join our community at Patreon.com/acousticguitarplus OR purchase the March/April 2025 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2025 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.