The Star-Spangled Banner Harp Quartet

The Star-Spangled Banner Harp Quartet in Bb Diatonic
Lyrics by Francis Scott Key
Music by John Stafford Smith
Key of Bb Major	Quartet Range: Bb2 to F5		3/4 Time

Requires two Bb Richter Tuned diatonics, and
2 Low Bb Richter Tuned diatonics.


Tab Notations:	none = blow    - = draw       ____= hold
’ = half-step bend    ” = whole step bend   
ob = overblow   
-5__5 = slide smoothly from one note to next


1st and 2nd Harp: Bb Diatonic
3rd and 4th Harp: Low Bb Diatonic


1st: -2  2  1     2   -2   4_____  5     -4  4
2nd: 1   1  1     2   -2   -2____  -2    -2” 2
 1. Oh,__  say,  can you  see____ by    the dawn’s
 2. On the shore dim-ly   seen___ thro’ the mists
 3. And___ where  is that band___ who   so  vaunt-
 4. Oh,___ thus   be  it  ev__ - _er    when free-  
3rd: 4   4  4     2    3   5_____ -3     -3   4
4th: 1   1  1     2    3   4_____ -2     -2   1


1st: 2   -2’ 2____  2     2   5____ -4    4    -3______
2nd: 2   -1  -1___  2     2   2____ -2”   -2   -2______
 1. ear-ly  light, What  so  proud – ly   we  hail’d__ 
 2. of  the deep,  Where the foe’s haught-y    host___
 3.-ing-ly  swore, That  the hav - oc    of    war____
 4.-men shall stand Be   –   tween their loved home___
3rd: -3  4     -3   3     3   3     -3    4     -4_____
4th: -2  -1    -2   3     3   1     -1    2     -2_____


1st: -3” -3   4    4       3    2   1    -2     2
2nd: -2” -2”  2    4       -2   2   1    1      1
 1. at  the  twi -light’s last gleaming, Whose  broad
 2. in  dread si – lance  re – po - ses, What   is
 3. and the  bat - tle’s  con– fu -sion, A___________
 4. and wild war’s des -– o –- la – tion; Blessed with
3rd: 4   -4   4     4      3    5    4     4       4
4th: 3    3   1     4      -2   2    1     1       1


1st: 1       2   3     4_____ 5       -4   4    2   -2”
2nd: 1       2   -2    -2____ -2      -2”  2    2   -1                 
 1. stripes and bright stars, thro’  the  per--il--ous 
 2. that   with the   breeze, o’er   the  tow--er--ing
 3. home   and  a     coun – try   should leave us  no
 4. vic – t’ry  and   peace, may    the heav’n-res-cued
3rd: 4      2    3     5_____ -3     -3    4    4    4
4th: 1      2    -2    4_____ -2     -2    1    -3”  -1


1st: 3_______ 3      3     5______ -4     4     -3_________
2nd: -1______ 3      3     3______ -2”    3     -2_________ 
 1. fight,__ O’er   the   ram____– parts we     watch’d,__
 2. steep,__ As     it    fit____– ful – ly     blows,____
 3. more?___ Their        blood__  has   wash’d out_______
 4. land,___ Praise the  Pow’r___  that  hath   made______
3rd: -3______ 3      3     3______  -3    4      -4________
4th: -2______ 3      3     1______  -1    2      -2________


1st: -3”   -3  4       4      3     2        1     5   5 
2nd: -2”   -2” 2       4      -2    2        1     -2  -2
 1. were  so  gal -   lant - ly    stream – ing?  And the 
 2. half  con-ceals,  half   dis – clos  -  es?   Now it
 3. their foul foot - steps’ pol – lu   -   tion. No_____
 4. and   pre-serv’d  us     a     na   -   tion! Then___
3rd: 4     -4  4       4      3     2        1     4    4
4th: -2    3   1       4      3     2        1     4    4


1st: 5    5     -5    6______ -5___5     -4     -4    5
2nd: -2   -2    3     3_______ 3___3     3      3     3
 1. rock -ets’ red   glare,__ the bombs burst – ing  in  
 2. catch-es   the   gleam___ of  the   morn – ing’s first   
 3. ref - uge  could save____ the______ hire – ing   and
 4. con – quer we    must,___ when our  cause  it    is
3rd: 4     4    -4    5_______ -4___4    -3     -3    4 
4th: 4     4    4     4_______  4___4    -2     -2    -2


1st: -5_____ -5__-5__ 5____ -4    4   -3______
2nd: -2_____ -2__-2__ 3____ 3     3   -2______
 1. air,___ Gave____ proof thro’ the night____
 2. beam,__ In  full glo – ry    re-flect   --
 3. slave__ From the ter - ror   of flight____
 4. just,__ And_____ this  be    our mot____ -
3rd: -4_____ -4__-4__ 4____ -5    5   -4_______
4th: 3______ 3____3__ 4____ 4     4   -2_______


1st:  -3”  -3  4      2    -2”   -2__________
2nd:  -2”  -2” 2      2    -1    -1__________
 1.  that our flag   was  still there,_______
 2. –ed,  now shines on   the   stream:______
 3.  or   the gloom  of   the   grave:_______
 4. –to: “In  God    is   our   trust!”______
3rd:  4    -4  4      4    4     -3___________ 
4th:  -2   -2  1      -3”  -1    3____________ 

   Chorus
1st: -2_-2__ 4    4     4__-3__  -3”    -3”     -3”
2nd: -2_-2__ 2    3     2        -2”    -2”     -2
 1. Oh,____ say  does  that____ star – spang - led 
 2.‘Tis the star-spang-gled___ ban  –- ner:    oh,
 3. And the star-spang-gled___ ban  -- ner     in
 4. And the star-spang-gled___ ban  -- ner     in
3rd: 3___3__ 4    4     4       4       4       -4’ 
4th: 3___3__ 1    2     1       -2”     -2”     2


1st: -4    -5___5  -4___4 4___-3____   3    3   4
2nd: -2”   -2”_-2  -3”    3_________   3    3   2
 1. ban – ner____ yet____ wave,_____  O’er the land
 2. long  may____ it_____ wave,_____  O’er the land
 3. tri – umph___ doth___ wave,_____  O’er the land
 4. tri – umph___ shall__ wave,_____  O’er the land
3rd: -4    -4__-4’ -4__4ob 5__-4_____  5    5   4
4th: -1    -1__2   -2”_-2’ 3_________  5    5   1


1st: 4__-4 5___-5    6_________  4___  -4   5______
2nd: 2___3 4         -2________  -2”_  -2”  -2”____
 1. of___ the______ free______, and__ the  home___
 2. of___ the______ free______, and__ the  home___
 3. of___ the______ free______, and__ the  home___
 4. of___ the______ free______, and__ the  home___
3rd: 4     4___-4    5_________  4____ 4    4______
4th: 4     4         4_________  -3”__ -3”  -2_____


1st: -5  -4  4_________________
2nd: -2  -2  3_________________
 1. of  the brave.____________
 2. of  the brave.____________
 3. of  the brave.____________
 4. of  the brave.____________
3rd: -4  -5  5_________________
4th: -2  -2  1_________________