Auld Lang Syne — Free Lead Sheet PDF (Eb, Bb, Concert)

Traditional (Scottish) · 1788 · Traditional Christmas carol · Melody & chords only

Not sure which to pick? Our interactive saxophone transposition chart can help. PDFs open in a new tab — right-click (or long-press on mobile) and choose “Save as” to download.

About Auld Lang Syne

Robert Burns's Scottish Farewell

Auld Lang Syne began life as a poem the Scottish poet Robert Burns sent to the Scots Musical Museum in 1788, claiming he had taken it down from an old man's singing rather than written it outright. The title translates roughly as “for old times' sake,” and the song has become the default anthem of farewell and remembrance across the English-speaking world, sung every New Year's Eve at the stroke of midnight from Times Square to Edinburgh.

The melody is a pentatonic Scottish folk tune whose exact origin is uncertain, but it was firmly attached to Burns's words by the time the song was published, and the pairing has never really been separated since.

If you are also building a Christmas set, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is another free carol on this site worth pairing it with.

The Tune & Chords

A Pentatonic Folk Melody in 3/4

The tune is built from a five-note (pentatonic) scale, which gives it that open, slightly rustic Scottish folk-song quality, and it is traditionally sung in a flowing 3/4 waltz time rather than the 4/4 you might expect from a singalong. That waltz feel makes it a natural fit for a jazz trio or piano arrangement — many players slow it right down into a rubato ballad for the final chorus of a set.

One simplified concert-pitch harmonisation — traditional carols were passed down as melodies, so chord choices vary between arrangers and songbooks.

Using This Lead Sheet

The Classic Closer

Auld Lang Syne is the traditional last song of the night at almost any December or New Year's gig, so it is worth having ready even on a set built mostly from jazz standards. Played simply and slowly with the melody up front, it reliably brings a room together — save it for the very end of the set rather than burying it in the middle.

If you would like one-to-one guidance building a Christmas set or working on your reading and improvisation more generally, saxophone lessons in person in South East London or online are available. You can also browse the full Christmas lead sheet index for more free carols, including Away in a Manger.