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7 <head>
8 <title>
9 Roadmaps for the Soul
10 </title>
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36 </head>
37 <body>
38 <div id="content">
39 <h1>
40 Roadmaps for the Soul
41 </h1>
42 <p class="greenbox">
43 <a href="#General">General principles</a><a href="#Chords">Chords and Chord
44 names</a><a href="#Tabgraphics">Reading tabs (reading <em>my</em>
45 tabs)</a><a href="#fingering">Fingering</a><a href=
46 "#fingerpicking">Fingerpicking</a><a href="#opentunings">Open/alternate
47 tunings</a><a href="#HarpKeys">Harp Keys</a><a href="#ScreenSettings">Screen
48 settings</a>
49 </p>
50 <h2>
51 <a name="General"
52 id="General"></a>General principles
53 </h2>
54 <p class="first">
55 Just a few words about the principles that (mostly) have been followed in
56 making the tabs on this site.
57 </p>
58 <p>
59 First of all: this is a guitar site, not a "chord" site. The ideal "readers"
60 I have in mind are the average (or average-to-good-to-very-good) guitar
61 players, playing for their own enjoyment (let's not talk about the
62 neighbours - just love them). That means on the one hand that I transcribe
63 the songs into what is convenient to play on a guitar, not necessarily into
64 what is actually sounding--in other words: I use the capo, just like Bob
65 Dylan himself. Just because a song happens to be played in the key of Eb
66 major, doesn't mean that it has to be tabbed in that key, when it is
67 actually played in "C major" with a capo on the third fret.
68 </p>
69 <p>
70 2. A corollary of this is that my aim is not just giving the chords of a
71 song, but also to figure out as exactly as possible what is being played in
72 the version up for study.
73 </p>
74 <p>
75 3. On the other hand there is the problem of the "piano songs" and the "full
76 band songs". Whereas Dylan prefers (or preferred; things have changed) the
77 keys of C major and G major on the guitar, he delights in odd, awkward keys
78 with lots of black keys, especially C# major (or Db major), when he's at the
79 piano. In these cases it is of course impossible to reproduce exactly what
80 is being played. I still use a capo (of course). In the "full band songs" -
81 especially in later years - Dylan usually just plays the chords, in any
82 position, usually with barre chords somewhere up on the neck.
83 </p>
84 <p>
85 This means that there are three main types of tabs/chord-files on this site,
86 corresponding with three kinds of arrangements: (1) The solo acoustic songs,
87 or songs where the guitar work is of some prominence. Here exactness is a
88 goal. (2) Then there is the big group of songs where no particular
89 instrument is prominent, least of all Dylan's guitar. Here the aim of the
90 tabs is to present an approximation of what is going on in the song, rather
91 than figuring out exactly what Dylan is playing (which in these cases is
92 quite uninteresting, actually). (3) The piano songs constitute a
93 sub-division of this group.
94 </p>
95 <p>
96 Many of the tabs are of rare live songs. I presume that anyone who would
97 want to use the tabs already knows what the songs sound like. Therefore,
98 more specific performance indications, apart from the fingerings, are
99 considered unnecessary.
100 </p>
101 <hr />
102 <h2>
103 <a name="Chords"
104 id="Chords"></a>Chords and Chord Names
105 </h2>
106 <p class="first">
107 <strong>Chords and scales - a little theory and some terms.</strong> A chord
108 is a selection of tones which are perceived as a unity and not just as
109 several notes sounding at the same time. It gets its special character to a
110 large extent thanks to the place the tones have in the <em>tonal
111 system</em>, which, slightly simplified, means the hierachical system of
112 relationships between the relevant tones of a song or a style in general. In
113 C major, the tone <strong>c</strong> is more central than
114 <strong>a</strong>, which again is more central than <strong>f
115 sharp</strong>.
116 </p>
117 <p>
118 It is customary to arrange the available tones in a <em>scale</em>, a
119 "ladder", and to refer to them according to their position in the scale. The
120 keynote is called "prime", the tone above it "second", the next "third",
121 etc. Thus, the tones in a C major scale would be called:
122 </p>
123 <pre class="tab quote">
124 ------------------------------------------------------
125 ------------------------------------------0------1----
126 -----------------------------0-----2------------------
127 ---------0------2-----3-------------------------------
128 --3---------------------------------------------------
129 ------------------------------------------------------
130 c d e f g a b c'
131 prime second third fourth fifth sixth seventh octave
132 </pre>
133 <p class="first">
134 The most weighty tones in the scale are the <em>prime</em> (or
135 <em>unison</em>), the <em>fifth</em>, and the <em>third</em> (in C major:
136 <strong>c</strong>, <strong>g</strong> and <strong>e</strong>). Then follow
137 the remaining tones in the main scale (<strong>d, f, a</strong>, and
138 <strong>b</strong>), and lastly the tones that are extraneous to the scale:
139 the semi-tones (<strong>f sharp, e flat</strong>, etc.)
140 </p>
141 <p>
142 I mention the fifth before the third, but they are important in different
143 ways. The fifth is stable, a loyal companion to the prime, always there, not
144 without its conflicts, but they are always resolved, and always in favour of
145 the prime &ndash; somewhat like a good old (or bad old, depending on the
146 perspective) patriarchal marriage. In fact, one might consider all music
147 within the western musical tradition (until the late nineteenth century in
148 the art-music tradition, and until this day in the popular traditions) as
149 nothing more than a play with the balance between these two scale steps.
150 </p>
151 <p>
152 As I said, the fifth is always there. When you strike a string, it will
153 vibrate in many different ways. The whole string will swing and produce the
154 loudest tone. But all the possible equal divisions of the string will also
155 swing, and produce <em>overtones</em>. The difference in sound between
156 different instruments is caused by different constellations of overtones
157 &ndash; which are strong and which are not. The division of the string in
158 two (at the twelfth fret) will sound an octave higher, i.e. with a tone of
159 the same pitch class, which will strengthen the basic tone further. But the
160 division in three, at the seventh fret, will produce the fifth. (Exercise:
161 strike a bass string while touching it at the seventh fret, but without
162 pressing it down. Then play the open string, and you should be able to hear
163 the fifth <em>in</em> the full tone of the open string.) Thus, If you play a
164 <strong>c</strong>, you will also hear a <strong>g</strong>.
165 </p>
166 <p>
167 The third is a different matter. Where the fifth gives support and
168 reenforcement, the third adds character. It is unstable, at times nervously
169 shimmering, other times over-earthly sonorous. It can not be defined as
170 easily as the fifth. It lies two divisions above the fifth in the series of
171 overtones (on the fourth fret, with the string divided in five) and
172 therefore sounds less strongly than the fifth. Furthermore, it exhibits a
173 peculiarity of the tonal system which has plagued theoreticians since the
174 days of Pythagoras: if one stacks four fifths on top of each other &ndash;
175 <strong>c-g, g-d, d-a</strong> and <strong>a-e</strong> &ndash; one might
176 think that one gets to the same <strong>e</strong> as when one divides a
177 string in five, but one doesn't &ndash; one gets to a tone that lies
178 considerably higher (<em>c.</em> a quarter of a semi-tone, which is quite a
179 lot). This is not really a problem, but an opportunity: tension is the
180 mother of all development, and the third is as tense as it gets.
181 </p>
182 <p>
183 The most significant difference between the fifth and the third, though, is
184 that, whereas there is only one fifth, there are two possible places for the
185 third. Both <strong>c-e</strong> and <strong>c-e flat</strong> are thirds,
186 but one is <em>major</em>, the other <em>minor</em>. The third is the
187 interval which decides the most fundamental character of a chord: whether it
188 is major or minor. <strong>C-e-g</strong> is a C major chord, <strong>c-e
189 flat-g</strong> is C minor. The same distinction can be drawn on the second,
190 sixth, and seventh steps, whereas the prime, the fifth, and the fourth can
191 only be (violently!) augmented or diminished.
192 </p>
193 <p>
194 &nbsp;
195 </p>
196 <p class="first">
197 <strong>For "losers, cheaters, six-string abusers" (ain't we
198 all...).</strong> The tabs present what is being played, by trained and
199 proficient musicians (yes, I'm counting in Dylan). On the one hand Dylan is
200 an ideal artist for a beginner, since he always uses quite simple and
201 logical chord shapes, and licks and tricks that let him get maximum effect
202 from minimum effort. Still, the beginner may run into problems, with strange
203 chord names, barre chords etc. Here's just a few cheats.
204 </p>
205 <p>
206 (1) All chords, basically, go back to the three fundamental chords in a key
207 (in C: C, G and F) and their minor relatives (Am, Em, Dm). Most frequent are
208 the variations to the dominant chord, i.e. the chord on the fifth step above
209 the key note (G in this example), where the variations are different ways of
210 creating and sustaining tension before the return to the key note. That
211 means that "strange" chord names can often be replaced by the simple chord
212 without all the fuzz behind it (Gb+, E7-10, Dm7-5, Cadd9 become Gb, E, Dm,
213 C). This does not happen without loss: the "fuzz" is there for some reason
214 (e.g. the E7-10 is the quintessential blues chord, which is minor and major
215 at the same time; it is an E chord, but the plain E does not get the same
216 effect), but functionally the plain chord will usually do the job
217 adequately.
218 </p>
219 <p>
220 2) Chords can be replaced with their relatives. When I was nine, before I
221 had the finger strength to play barre chords, I discovered that I could
222 replace most F chords with Dm or Am - one of those would usually work. Now I
223 know that the reason why it works is that they both share two out of three
224 chord tones with F, which often is enough. I don't recommend this method,
225 however (unless you're nine). It <em>is</em> cheating, and the only person
226 you're fooling, in the long run, is yourself.
227 </p>
228 <p>
229 (3) Some songs are consistently noted with chords like Ab, Eb, Bb etc. That
230 is because they are played with those chords, as barre chords, and in those
231 cases I've seen no reason to introduce a capo. The easiest way to avoid
232 those barre chords, is to drop all the bs, and play E, B, A instead. This
233 only works if all chords have a b attached to them, though. Other chords
234 you'll have to transpose based on the thorough knowledge of the outline of
235 the fretboard that you've gained, e.g. from the figure below.
236 </p>
237 <p>
238 &nbsp;
239 </p>
240 <p class="first">
241 <strong>Chord short-hand.</strong> I usually present the chords used in the
242 song, unless it should be obvious (someone who doesn't know how to play a C
243 major chord probably doesn't have anything to do in here anyway...). Chords
244 are presented with one number for each string, beginning with the lowest
245 (6th) string. An open string is 0, a finger on the 3rd fret is 3 etc. An
246 unused string is marked by 'x', and strings that are disregarded are marked
247 '-'. Thus C major looks like this: x32010, and the recurring fill in "Blood
248 in my Eyes" like this: x32010&nbsp; -53---&nbsp; -64---&nbsp; -75---.
249 </p>
250 <p class="first">
251 &nbsp;
252 </p>
253 <p class="first">
254 <strong>Bass notes.</strong> I prefer to write the chords with the key note
255 as the lowest bass note in the chord. Thus, even though C major can be
256 played 032010 or 332010 (and often should be), either of the tones on the
257 6th string will disturb the "C-majority" of the chord, and is better left
258 out, unless they are explicitly wanted, e.g. in a running bass progression.
259 </p>
260 <p>
261 A chord with a bass note other than the keynote is indicated with a slash
262 between the chord name and the bass note: C/g is a C major chord with G as
263 the lowest tone: 332010.
264 </p>
265 <p>
266 The slash and the bass note can be used alone to indicate a bass progression
267 against a sustained chord: C&nbsp; /b&nbsp; /a&nbsp; /g.
268 </p>
269 <p>
270 I usually use lower-case letters for these bass tones, because it looks less
271 ugly.
272 </p>
273 <p>
274 &nbsp;
275 </p>
276 <p class="first">
277 <strong>Chord names.</strong> In general I use the following system
278 (exemplified with C chords throughout): Major chords C: Minor chords: Cm.
279 The following table explains the additional symbols and chord types. All the
280 examples are variants of C. Third = the third note of the scale from the key
281 note, fifth = the fifth note of the scale, etc. Since there are only seven
282 different steps in the scale, the second is the same as the ninth, the
283 fourth is the same as the eleventh etc. In chord names one will usually use
284 the higher of these, except where the basic triad is altered;&nbsp; e.g. C9
285 and not C2 (but Csus4 and Cm7-5). The reason for this is that
286 "sophisticated" chords are considered as extensions of the basic chord with
287 selections from the stack of thirds above it: c-e-g continues Bb-d-f-a,
288 which are the 7th, the 9th, the 11th and the 13th. The convention is that a
289 single number (e.g. 11) indicates the <em>last member</em> of the stack to
290 be included, not just a single tone: C11 consists of the all the tones in
291 the stack, up to the eleventh.
292 </p>
293 <p>
294 &nbsp;
295 </p>
296 <table border="1"
297 cellspacing="0"
298 width="100%">
299 <tr>
300 <td class="tdsymbol"
301 valign="top"
302 align="left">
303 <strong>Symbol</strong>
304 </td>
305 <td class="tdname"
306 valign="top"
307 align="left">
308 <strong>Name</strong>
309 </td>
310 <td class="tdexample"
311 valign="top"
312 align="left">
313 <strong>Example</strong>
314 </td>
315 <td class="tdmeaning"
316 valign="top"
317 align="left">
318 <strong>Meaning</strong>
319 </td>
320 </tr>
321 <tr>
322 <td class="tdsymbol"
323 valign="top"
324 align="left">
325 7
326 </td>
327 <td class="tdname"
328 valign="top"
329 align="left">
330 (minor) seventh
331 </td>
332 <td class="tdexample"
333 valign="top"
334 align="left">
335 x32310
336 </td>
337 <td class="tdmeaning"
338 valign="top"
339 align="left">
340 the minor seventh is added to the root chord. Note that "minor" here
341 refers to the tone on the seventh step (which can be both major and
342 minor: Bb and B), not to the chord itself - cf. the "m7" chord below.
343 Note also that "7" always refers to the minor seventh. If the major
344 seventh is used, it has to be indicated with "maj7".
345 </td>
346 </tr>
347 <tr>
348 <td class="tdsymbol"
349 valign="top"
350 align="left">
351 maj7
352 </td>
353 <td class="tdname"
354 valign="top"
355 align="left">
356 major seventh
357 </td>
358 <td class="tdexample"
359 valign="top"
360 align="left">
361 x32000
362 </td>
363 <td class="tdmeaning"
364 valign="top"
365 align="left">
366 The major seventh is added to the root chord. Whereas the seventh chord
367 usually has a dominant function, i.e. is used to lead back to the chord
368 five steps lower (C7-&gt;F), the major seventh is rather a colouring of
369 the chord, without this "driving" effect.
370 </td>
371 </tr>
372 <tr>
373 <td class="tdsymbol"
374 valign="top"
375 align="left">
376 m7
377 </td>
378 <td class="tdname"
379 valign="top"
380 align="left">
381 &nbsp;
382 </td>
383 <td class="tdexample"
384 valign="top"
385 align="left">
386 x35343
387 </td>
388 <td class="tdmeaning"
389 valign="top"
390 align="left">
391 The (minor) seventh is added to the minor chord. Cf. the "7" chord
392 above.
393 </td>
394 </tr>
395 <tr>
396 <td class="tdsymbol"
397 valign="top"
398 align="left">
399 m7-5
400 </td>
401 <td class="tdname"
402 valign="top"
403 align="left">
404 &nbsp;
405 </td>
406 <td class="tdexample"
407 valign="top"
408 align="left">
409 x34340
410 </td>
411 <td class="tdmeaning"
412 valign="top"
413 align="left">
414 The fifth of the m7 chord is lowered by a semitone.
415 </td>
416 </tr>
417 <tr>
418 <td class="tdsymbol"
419 valign="top"
420 align="left">
421 9
422 </td>
423 <td class="tdname"
424 valign="top"
425 align="left">
426 ninth
427 </td>
428 <td class="tdexample"
429 valign="top"
430 align="left">
431 x32330
432 </td>
433 <td class="tdmeaning"
434 valign="top"
435 align="left">
436 The ninth <em>and</em> the seventh are added to the root chord.
437 </td>
438 </tr>
439 <tr>
440 <td class="tdsymbol"
441 valign="top"
442 align="left">
443 + (aug)
444 </td>
445 <td class="tdname"
446 valign="top"
447 align="left">
448 augmented
449 </td>
450 <td class="tdexample"
451 valign="top"
452 align="left">
453 x32110
454 </td>
455 <td class="tdmeaning"
456 valign="top"
457 align="left">
458 The fifth is raised by a semitone (half step=one fret)
459 </td>
460 </tr>
461 <tr>
462 <td class="tdsymbol"
463 valign="top"
464 align="left">
465 o (dim)
466 </td>
467 <td class="tdname"
468 valign="top"
469 align="left">
470 diminished
471 </td>
472 <td class="tdexample"
473 valign="top"
474 align="left">
475 x34242
476 </td>
477 <td class="tdmeaning"
478 valign="top"
479 align="left">
480 A stack of minor thirds. Since all the intervals in the chord are equal,
481 any of the tones can function as root. Thus: Co=Ebo=F#o=Ao. Hence, there
482 only exists three different dim chords.
483 </td>
484 </tr>
485 <tr>
486 <td class="tdsymbol"
487 valign="top"
488 align="left">
489 11
490 </td>
491 <td class="tdname"
492 valign="top"
493 align="left">
494 eleventh
495 </td>
496 <td class="tdexample"
497 valign="top"
498 align="left">
499 x33333
500 </td>
501 <td class="tdmeaning"
502 valign="top"
503 align="left">
504 The seventh, ninth and eleventh are added to the root chord. Since these
505 three tones make up the chord on the tone one step below the root (for
506 C: Bb), this chord usually functions as a conflation of these two
507 chords.
508 </td>
509 </tr>
510 <tr>
511 <td class="tdsymbol"
512 valign="top"
513 align="left">
514 6
515 </td>
516 <td class="tdname"
517 valign="top"
518 align="left">
519 sixth
520 </td>
521 <td class="tdexample"
522 valign="top"
523 align="left">
524 x35555
525 </td>
526 <td class="tdmeaning"
527 valign="top"
528 align="left">
529 The sixth is added to the root chord.
530 </td>
531 </tr>
532 <tr>
533 <td class="tdsymbol"
534 valign="top"
535 align="left">
536 sus4
537 </td>
538 <td class="tdname"
539 valign="top"
540 align="left">
541 suspended fourth
542 </td>
543 <td class="tdexample"
544 valign="top"
545 align="left">
546 x33010
547 </td>
548 <td class="tdmeaning"
549 valign="top"
550 align="left">
551 The third is temporarily "suspended": raised to the fourth, and left
552 there hanging in wait for a resolution back to the root chord. Thus, in
553 a true sus4 chord, the third is not included. If that is the case, the
554 chord would be called add11 or add4.
555 </td>
556 </tr>
557 <tr>
558 <td class="tdsymbol"
559 valign="top"
560 align="left">
561 sus2
562 </td>
563 <td class="tdname"
564 valign="top"
565 align="left">
566 &nbsp;
567 </td>
568 <td class="tdexample"
569 valign="top"
570 align="left">
571 x30010
572 </td>
573 <td class="tdmeaning"
574 valign="top"
575 align="left">
576 Same as the previous, only that the third "hangs" below, on the second.
577 </td>
578 </tr>
579 <tr>
580 <td class="tdsymbol"
581 valign="top"
582 align="left">
583 7-10
584 </td>
585 <td class="tdname"
586 valign="top"
587 align="left">
588 &nbsp;
589 </td>
590 <td class="tdexample"
591 valign="top"
592 align="left">
593 x3234x
594 </td>
595 <td class="tdmeaning"
596 valign="top"
597 align="left">
598 The blues chord <em>par exellence</em>. Since it contains both the major
599 and the minor third, the chord corresponds to the ambiguity of the third
600 step in the blues scale.&nbsp; This chord is usually called 7+9 (or
601 7#9), but since the extra tone really functions as a low <em>third</em>
602 (=tenth) and not a raised second, I prefer the name 7-10 (the raised
603 ninth and the lowered tenth are of course the same tone on the guitar,
604 although they are <em>functionally</em> different. Subtleties,
605 subtleties!).
606 </td>
607 </tr>
608 <tr>
609 <td class="tdsymbol"
610 valign="top"
611 align="left">
612 add
613 </td>
614 <td class="tdname"
615 valign="top"
616 align="left">
617 &nbsp;
618 </td>
619 <td class="tdexample"
620 valign="top"
621 align="left">
622 &nbsp;
623 </td>
624 <td class="tdmeaning"
625 valign="top"
626 align="left">
627 Any added tone that does not fall within the stack of thirds, upon which
628 the rest of the system is based.
629 </td>
630 </tr>
631 <tr>
632 <td class="tdsymbol"
633 valign="top"
634 align="left">
635 -<em>x / +x</em>
636 </td>
637 <td class="tdname"
638 valign="top"
639 align="left">
640 &nbsp;
641 </td>
642 <td class="tdexample"
643 valign="top"
644 align="left">
645 &nbsp;
646 </td>
647 <td class="tdmeaning"
648 valign="top"
649 align="left">
650 Lowers/raises a scale step by a semitone (one fret). E.g. Cm7-5 and
651 C7+13. Note: "+" does <em>not</em> mean that the 13th is <em>added</em>,
652 but that it is <em>raised</em>.
653 </td>
654 </tr>
655 <tr>
656 <td class="tdsymbol"
657 valign="top"
658 align="left">
659 5
660 </td>
661 <td class="tdname"
662 valign="top"
663 align="left">
664 "Power chord"
665 </td>
666 <td class="tdexample"
667 valign="top"
668 align="left">
669 x355xx
670 </td>
671 <td class="tdmeaning"
672 valign="top"
673 align="left">
674 A chord containing only the prime (the root) and the fifth. In other
675 words: a chord without the third. Since the third is the tone that
676 defines whether a chord is major or minor, the "power chord" is neutral
677 in this respect.
678 </td>
679 </tr>
680 <tr>
681 <td class="tdsymbol"
682 valign="top"
683 align="left">
684 (iii)
685 </td>
686 <td class="tdname"
687 valign="top"
688 align="left">
689 &nbsp;
690 </td>
691 <td class="tdexample"
692 valign="top"
693 align="left">
694 x35553
695 </td>
696 <td class="tdmeaning"
697 valign="top"
698 align="left">
699 A chord in the third position, i.e. fingered so that it begins in the
700 third fret. Thus, the <em>quality</em> of the chord is not changed, only
701 its sonority. (I have not been quite consistent concerning this
702 notation, mostly due to the fact that the parentheses are
703 space-consuming.)
704 </td>
705 </tr>
706 </table>
707 <p class="first">
708 I usually also prefer simple names to "exact" names. A chord like 3x3211
709 should perhaps (but not necessarily) be called G11, but I prefer to call it
710 F/g, since that more immediately says what is to be played (and because it
711 retains the ambiguity inherent in the chord, between the subdominant and the
712 dominant, which is so central to Dylan's tonal language). See <a href=
713 "36_wgw/blood_in_my_eyes.htm">Blood in my Eyes</a> for a more extreme case.
714 (I'm beginning to change my mind on this, though. In the more recent tabs,
715 you'll see G11 more often than F/g).
716 </p>
717 <p>
718 Approximated chord names are written like "G6" (x33000) or F#m7' (202200)
719 for brevity.
720 </p>
721 <p>
722 Any chord can be fingered in many different ways. "C" does not "mean" x32010
723 - that is just the simplest and usually most convenient way to finger it. To
724 get from&nbsp; chord name to a chord, you have to know where the tones are
725 positioned on the fretboard. The tones are distributed on the strings as
726 follows (e' is the lightest string, E is the darkest):
727 </p>
728 <pre>
729 e'||-f'-|-f#'|-g'-|-g#'|-a'|-
730 b ||-c'-|-c#'|-d'-|-d#'|-e'|-
731 g ||-g#-|-a--|-bb-|-b--|-c'|- etc.
732 d ||-d#-|-e--|-f--|-f#-|-g-|-
733 A ||-Bb-|-B--|-c--|-c#-|-d-|-
734 E ||-F--|-F#-|-G--|-G#-|-A-|-
735 </pre>
736 <p class="first">
737 To find a chord like Am/f# (the most important chord in&nbsp; <a href=
738 "38_toom/trying_to_get_to_heaven.htm">Trying to Get to Heaven</a>), start
739 with the basic chord (Am) and search out the bass tone (f#) on one of the
740 darkest strings, where it can be played. In this case there are two
741 possibilities: on the 4th string:&nbsp;
742 </p>
743 <pre>
744 e'||-f'-|-f#'|-g'-|-g#'|-a'|
745 b ||-<span class="red">c'</span>-|-c#'|-d'-|-d#'|-e'|
746 g ||-g#-|-<span class="red">a</span>--|-bb-|-b--|-c'|
747 d ||-d#-|<span class="red">(e)</span>-|-f--|-<span class="red">f#</span>-|-g-|
748 A ||-Bb-|-B--|-c--|-c#-|-d-|
749 E ||-F--|-F#-|-G--|-G#-|-A-|
750 </pre>
751 <p class="first">
752 or on the 6th:
753 </p>
754 <pre>
755 e'||-f'-|-f#'|-g'-|-g#'|-a'|
756 b ||-<span class="red">c'</span>-|-c#'|-d'-|-d#'|-e'|
757 g ||-g#-|-<span class="red">a</span>--|-bb-|-b--|-c'|
758 d ||-d#-|-<span class="red">e-</span>-|-f--|-<span class="red">f#</span>-|-g-|
759 A ||-Bb-|-B--|-c--|-c#-|-d-|
760 E ||-F--|-<span class="red">F#</span>-|-G--|-G#-|-A-|
761 </pre>
762 <p class="first">
763 The second fingering is probably the best one, since it produces a fuller
764 chord, and since you can use all the strings - unless you precisely want the
765 higher sound, in which case the first fingering is better. In that case
766 xx4555 is a third alternative. It even has the advantage of having the key
767 note (A) on the highest string, thus emphasising it.
768 </p>
769 <p>
770 In the same way we can find the fingering for the chord Bm7-5. First find
771 the tones: Bm = b, d, f#. Add the 7th (a) and lower the 5th (f# -&gt; f),
772 and we have the tones b, d, f and a.
773 </p>
774 <pre>
775 e'||-<span class="red">f'</span>-|-f#'|-g'-|-g#'|-<span class="red">a'</span>|-
776 <span class="red">b</span> ||-c'-|-c#'|-<span class="red">d'</span>-|-d#'|-e'|-
777 g ||-g#-|-<span class="red">a</span>--|-bb-|-<span class=
778 "red">b</span>--|-c'|- etc.
779 <span class="red">d</span> ||-d#-|-e--|-<span class="red">f</span>--|-f#-|-g-|-
780 <span class="red">A</span> ||-Bb-|-<span class="red">B</span>--|-c--|-c#-|-d-|-
781 E ||-<span class="red">F</span>--|-F#-|-G--|-G#-|-<span class="red">A</span>-|-
782 </pre>
783 <p class="first">
784 We probably want the key note (b) in the bass, which in practice leaves us
785 with the alternatives x2323x, xx(3)435 or x2x231. (Note: Am/f# and Bm7-5 are
786 actually chords of the same type. Am/f# is the same chord as F#m7-5. Try
787 it!)
788 </p>
789 <p>
790 For a more&nbsp; comprehensive guide to guitar chords, see the <a href=
791 "http://www.lib.virginia.edu/dmmc/Music/GuitarChords/">ONLINE GUITAR CHORD
792 DICTIONARY</a>, or the other resources at&nbsp; <a href=
793 "http://www.guitarnotes.com/guitar/instruction.shtml">Guitar Notes</a>.
794 </p>
795 <hr />
796 <h2>
797 Reading <a name="Tabgraphics"
798 id="Tabgraphics">Tab</a>
799 </h2>
800 <p class="first">
801 The principles I've followed in the tabs have varied a little over the
802 years, but the following points apply, as a rule, to all files:
803 </p>
804 <p>
805 The rhythm is indicated above the tab, with dots for each beat and : for the
806 heavier beats:
807 </p>
808 <pre>
809 : . . . : . . .
810 </pre>
811 <p class="first">
812 In the cases where an even finer subdivision is needed, a comma is used:
813 </p>
814 <pre>
815 : . , . , . , .
816 </pre>
817 <p class="first">
818 As far as possible I let the tabs be a graphical image of the rhythms, so
819 that two spaces are of equal duration anywhere in the tab. That way one can
820 easily differentiate between the triple time feel of this example
821 </p>
822 <pre>
823 : . . .
824 |-0---0--------------------|
825 |-1---1(0---0-0---0-0---0)-|
826 |-0---0(0---0-0---0-0---0)-|
827 |-2---2-3---3-4---4-5---5--|
828 |-3---3-5---5-6---6-7---7--|
829 |--------------------------|
830 </pre>
831 <p class="first">
832 and the square rhythms of this (both from <a href=
833 "36_wgw/blood_in_my_eyes.htm">Blood in My Eyes</a>):
834 </p>
835 <pre>
836 : . . .
837 |-0--0---------------------|
838 |*1--1-(0--0--0--0--0--0)-*|
839 |-0--0-(0--0--0--0--0--0)--|
840 |-2--2--3--3--4--4--5--5---|
841 |*3--3--5--5--6--6--7--7--*|
842 |--------------------------|
843 </pre>
844 <p class="first">
845 Repeats are indicated as in the previous example, or written out ("x3")
846 </p>
847 <p>
848 Sometimes I've indicated rhythms also in the "chords" part of the files.
849 Then the bars are indicated, and the main pulse within each bar. I'm sorry
850 to say that I haven't followed any consistent system to denote subdivisions
851 of the beat, but I've often joined such chords together with a hyphen:
852 </p>
853 <pre>
854 | A . . . | D . A . |E A/e-E . . |
855 </pre>
856 <p class="first">
857 The last bar would be tabbed:
858 </p>
859 <pre>
860 : . . .
861 |-0---0-0-0-------|
862 |-0---2-0-0-------|
863 |-1---2-1-1-------|
864 |-2---2-2-2-------|
865 |-2-------2-------|
866 |-0---0---0-------|
867 </pre>
868 <p class="first">
869 <strong>Special signs:</strong>
870 </p>
871 <pre>
872 <em>Sign Meaning Usage
873 </em>p pull-off 2p0
874 h hammer-on 0h2 (or h2 if obvious or too fast
875 to be significant)
876 / slide up
877 \ slide down
878 b bend 3b5 = finger the string at the third
879 fret, and bend it up until it
880 sounds as if it was fingered
881 at the fifth fret.
882 r release release the bended string
883 to normal position.
884 </pre>
885 <hr />
886 <h2>
887 <a name="opentunings"
888 id="opentunings"></a>Open/alternate tunings
889 </h2>
890 <p class="first">
891 For some of the songs, Dylan uses alternate or open tunings. An open tuning
892 is a tuning where all the strings are tuned to a chord, whereas alternate
893 tunings are other ways of altering the tuning.
894 </p>
895 <h3>
896 Open tunings
897 </h3>
898 <p class="first">
899 There were tuned instruments before the guitar's ancestors. They were
900 usually tuned in open fifths, usually with drone strings and one or two
901 melody strings. The baroque lute was tuned as an open d minor chord (with
902 additional bass strings). The main advantage of the fourths/third tuning
903 that we use, is the possibility of creating simple fingering patterns for
904 <em>many different</em> chords in the same position.
905 </p>
906 <p>
907 An obvious consequence of open tunings is that playing is more limited to
908 the key to which the open strings are tuned. The benefits are quite simple
909 chord shapes, at least for the basic chords, which makes it easier to do
910 fancy things on top of those chords; furthermore, unless one produces the
911 other chords by simply putting a barre across all the strings, there will
912 usually be open, sounding strings in all chords, thus giving a handy set of
913 fancy-chords-with-very-long-names.
914 </p>
915 <p>
916 The most common open tunings (and the only ones encountered in Dylan's
917 production) are open D, open E and open G.
918 </p>
919 <p>
920 &nbsp;
921 </p>
922 <p class="first">
923 <strong>Open D and E</strong> are basically the same tuning, only one tone
924 apart. Open E gives a brighter sound, which may be preferable, but it has
925 the nasty side-effect of also producing the sharp sound of a broken string
926 more often, and of putting extra strain on the neck of the guitar, so it is
927 recommended to tune to open D and use a capo on the 2nd fret. Open D/E is
928 encountered in a number of the songs on <em>Freewheelin'</em>, and the
929 entire <em>Blood on the Tracks</em> was originally recorded in this tuning.
930 For a more thorough presentation of Dylan's use of the open D/E tuning, I
931 refer to my <a href="16_bott/index.htm">introductory notes on Blood on the
932 Tracks</a>.
933 </p>
934 <p>
935 &nbsp;
936 </p>
937 <p>
938 Open D&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; D A d f# a d'
939 </p>
940 <p>
941 Open E&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; E B e g# b e'
942 </p>
943 <p class="quote">
944 <strong>Songs</strong>: <a href="01_bobdylan/hwy_51.htm">Highway
945 51</a><br />
946 <a href="01_bobdylan/in_my_time.htm">In My Time Of Dying</a><br />
947 <a href="00_misc/roll_on_john.htm">Roll On John</a><br />
948 <a href="00_misc/two_trains.htm">Two Trains Running</a> <strong><a href=
949 "02_freewheelin/index.htm"><br />
950 Freewheelin'</a> (</strong><a href="02_freewheelin/i_shall_be_free.htm">I
951 shall be Free</a>, <a href="02_freewheelin/corrina_corrina.htm">Corrina
952 Corrina</a> and <a href="02_freewheelin/oxford_town.htm">Oxford
953 Town</a>)<br />
954 <a href="00_misc/gypsy_lou.htm">Gypsy Lou</a><br />
955 <a href="00_misc/tomorrow_is_a_long_time.htm">Tomorrow is a Long
956 Time</a><br />
957 <a href="00_misc/standing_on_the_highway.htm">Standing On The
958 Highway</a><br />
959 <a href="34_bootleg/rambling_gambling_willie.htm">Rambling Gambling
960 Willie</a><br />
961 <a href="34_bootleg/walkin_down_the_line.htm">Walkin' Down the
962 Line</a><br />
963 <a href="00_misc/whatcha_gonna_do.htm">Whatcha Gonna Do?</a><br />
964 <a href="00_misc/ballad_for_a_friend.htm">Ballad For A Friend</a><br />
965 <strong><a href="16_bott/index.htm">Blood On The Tracks</a></strong> (all
966 the songs)
967 </p>
968 <p class="first">
969 <strong>Open G</strong> is the most common slide guitar tuning, popular
970 among delta blues players. Since Dylan was an old delta blues player himself
971 in his early carreer, you'll find a few songs in this tuning. The only song
972 on this site, though, is <a href=
973 "00_misc/I_was_young_when_I_left_home.htm">I Was Young When I Left Home</a>.
974 </p>
975 <p class="first">
976 &nbsp;
977 </p>
978 <p>
979 Open G&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; D G d g&nbsp;b d'
980 </p>
981 <p>
982 &nbsp;
983 </p>
984 <p class="first">
985 <strong>Open A.</strong> Two songs uses a completely different tuning: the
986 Freewheelin' outtake <a href="00_misc/wichita_blues.htm">Wichita</a>, which
987 I've written more extensively about <a href=
988 "http://oestrem.com/thingstwice/?p=13?">in the blog</a>, and <a href=
989 "03_times/one_too_many_mornings.htm"
990 class="songlink">One too many mornings</a>.
991 </p>
992 <p>
993 &nbsp;
994 </p>
995 <p>
996 Open A &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
997 </p>
998 <p>
999 E A c# e a e' (Wichita Blues) or
1000 </p>
1001 <p>
1002 E A c# e a c#' (One Too Many Mornings)
1003 </p>
1004 <h3>
1005 Alternate tunings
1006 </h3>
1007 <p class="first">
1008 Again, there are really only three different tunings to keep track of in
1009 Dylan's catalogue: drop D, drop C and double drop D (to my knowledge he's
1010 never played "drop dead"). They all involve the 6th and deepest string: in
1011 drop D, the 6th string is tuned one step down, and in drop C, two steps. In
1012 double drop D both the 1st and the 6th strings are tuned down to D.
1013 </p>
1014 <pre>
1015 Standard tuning E A d g b e'
1016 Drop D D A d g b e'
1017 Drop C C A d g b e'
1018 Double drop D D A d g b d'
1019
1020 </pre>
1021 <p class="first">
1022 All these tunings have their own distinct sets of chords, always centering
1023 around the deepest bass tone. An example is the chord G. In drop D tuning,
1024 the central chord is D (000232). Thus the natural way to finger G is 020033.
1025 In drop C, on the other hand, the central chord is C (032010), and the most
1026 comfortable version of G is 220001. This is a G7 chord, and this is
1027 consequently the only tuning in which Dylan consistently uses the dominant
1028 7th chord, which he usually shuns. Another instructive example is <a href=
1029 "06_hwy61/desolation_row.htm">Desolation Row</a>, where drop C is used on
1030 the album, drop D in the live shows of 1965/66.
1031 </p>
1032 <p>
1033 The three tunings had their periods. <strong>Double drop D</strong> is a
1034 thing of the early days. Since the third in the D chord (on the first
1035 string) is gone, it's a perfect tuning for modal, folky songs like <a href=
1036 "03_times/ballad_of_hollis_brown.htm">Ballad of Hollis Brown</a> or <a href=
1037 "37_unplugged/john_brown.htm">John Brown</a>, or blues tunes like <a href=
1038 "00_misc/rocks_and_gravel.htm">Rocks And Gravel</a>, <a href=
1039 "00_misc/motherless_children.htm">Motherless Children</a>, <a href=
1040 "00_misc/west_texas.htm">West Texas</a> and <a href=
1041 "34_bootleg/quit_your_low_down_ways.htm">Quit Your Low Down Ways</a>.
1042 <strong>Drop D</strong> is also favoured in the early days. It is not as
1043 insistently a D-ish tuning as double drop D - it is more versatile, used
1044 both as a folky, modal tuning as in Barbara Allen or Masters of War, and as
1045 a way of varying the sound of standard three-chord songs like Mr Tambourine
1046 Man. <strong>Drop C</strong> is the favoured tuning in 1965/66, both solo,
1047 with Robbie in hotel rooms and with the band on stage. It gives a very
1048 forceful fundament, thanks to the doubled C in the bottom.<br />
1049 The merit of all these tunings is the fuller sound they produce. This may be
1050 a need felt by a solo acoustic act, but in a band, there is a bass player to
1051 fulfill that function. Double drop D disappeared very early, and there are
1052 no drop C songs after the 1966 tour. But on two songs he has been faithful
1053 to drop D, throughout his carreer: "It's alright ma" and "A Hard Rain's
1054 A-Gonna Fall".
1055 </p>
1056 <p class="quote">
1057 <strong>Songs</strong>
1058 </p>
1059 <p class="quote">
1060 <strong>Double Drop D<br /></strong> <a href=
1061 "02_freewheelin/down_the_highway.htm">Down the
1062 Highway</a><strong><br /></strong> <a href=
1063 "03_times/ballad_of_hollis_brown.htm">Ballad of Hollis Brown</a><br />
1064 <a href="37_unplugged/john_brown.htm">John Brown</a><br />
1065 <a href="00_misc/rocks_and_gravel.htm">Rocks And Gravel</a><br />
1066 <a href="00_misc/motherless_children.htm">Motherless Children</a><br />
1067 <a href="00_misc/west_texas.htm">West Texas</a><br />
1068 <a href="34_bootleg/quit_your_low_down_ways.htm">Quit Your Low Down
1069 Ways</a>.
1070 </p>
1071 <p class="quote">
1072 <strong>Drop D<br />
1073 <a href="01_bobdylan/index.htm">Bob Dylan</a></strong>: <a href=
1074 "01_bobdylan/gospel_plow.htm">Gospel Plow</a>, <a href=
1075 "01_bobdylan/see_that_my_grave_is_kept_clean.htm">See That My Grave is Kept
1076 Clean</a>, <a href="01_bobdylan/fixin_to_die.htm">Fixin' to Die</a><br />
1077 <a href="00_misc/long_ago_far_away.htm">Long Ago, Far Away</a><br />
1078 <strong><a href="02_freewheelin/index.htm">Freewheelin'</a></strong>:
1079 <a href="02_freewheelin/masters_of_war.htm">Masters of War</a>, <a href=
1080 "02_freewheelin/hard_rain.htm">A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall</a><br />
1081 <a href="00_misc/handsome_molly.htm">Handsome Molly</a><br />
1082 <a href="00_misc/cuckoo_is_a_pretty_bird.htm">Cuckoo Is A Pretty
1083 Bird</a><br />
1084 <a href="00_misc/barbara_allen.htm">Barbara Allen</a><br />
1085 <a href="00_misc/i_rode_out_one_morning.htm">I Rode Out One
1086 Morning</a><br />
1087 <a href="00_misc/james_alley_blues.htm">James Alley Blues</a><br />
1088 <strong><a href="05_biabh/index.htm">Bringing it all Back Home</a>:</strong>
1089 <a href="05_biabh/mr_tambourine_man.htm">Mr Tambourine Man</a>, <a href=
1090 "05_biabh/its_alright_ma_im_only_bleeding.htm">It's Alright Ma</a><br />
1091 <strong><a href="06_hwy61/index.htm">Live 1966</a></strong>: <a href=
1092 "06_hwy61/desolation_row.htm">Desolation Row</a>, <a href=
1093 "39_rah/tell_me_momma.htm">Tell me Momma</a><br />
1094 <a href="34_bootleg/house_carpenter.htm">House Carpenter</a><br />
1095 <strong><a href="36_wgw/index.htm">World Gone Wrong</a></strong>: <a href=
1096 "36_wgw/broke_down_engine.htm">Broke Down Engine</a>
1097 </p>
1098 <p class="quote">
1099 <strong>Drop C<br /></strong> <a href="00_misc/two_sisters.htm">The Two
1100 Sisters</a> (1960)<strong><br />
1101 <a href="05_biabh/index.htm">Bringing it all Back Home</a></strong>:
1102 <a href="05_biabh/its_all_over_now_baby_blue.htm">It's All Over Now, Baby
1103 Blue</a>, <a href="05_biabh/love_minus_zero.htm">Love Minus Zero/No
1104 Limit</a><br />
1105 <strong><a href="06_hwy61/index.htm">Highway 61 Revisited</a>:</strong>
1106 <a href="06_hwy61/desolation_row.htm">Desolation Row</a><strong><br />
1107 <a href="07_bob/index.htm">Blonde on Blonde</a></strong>: <a href=
1108 "07_bob/fourth_time_around.htm">4th Time Around</a>, <a href=
1109 "07_bob/sad_eyed_lady_of_the_lowlands.htm">Sad-Eyed Lady of the
1110 Lowlands</a>, <a href="07_bob/absolutely_sweet_marie.htm">Absolutely Sweet
1111 Marie</a><br />
1112 <strong><a href="06_hwy61/index.htm">Live 1966</a></strong>: <a href=
1113 "07_bob/just_like_a_woman.htm">Just Like a Woman</a><br />
1114 <a href="28_biograph/i_wanna_be_your_lover.htm">I Wanna Be Your
1115 Lover</a><br />
1116 <a href="34_bootleg/farewell_angelina.htm">Farewell Angelina</a><br />
1117 <a href="00_misc/on_a_rainy_afternoon.htm">On A Rainy Afternoon/Does She
1118 Need Me?</a><br />
1119 <a href="00_misc/what_kind_of_friend_is_this.htm">What Kind Of Friend Is
1120 This?</a>
1121 </p>
1122 <p class="first">
1123 See Andrew Mullins' essay at <a href=
1124 "http://www.expectingrain.com/dok/songs/tunings.html">Expecting Rain</a> for
1125 further information on open and alternate tunings.
1126 </p>
1127 <hr />
1128 <h2>
1129 <a name="fingering"
1130 id="fingering"></a>Fingering
1131 </h2>
1132 <p class="first">
1133 <strong>The F word</strong>. Uh, chord. You will not get far in the world of
1134 Dylan songs if you can't finger it. In general, what one can say about the F
1135 chord applies to all chords where you need to finger all the strings. There
1136 are four ways:
1137 </p>
1138 <p>
1139 <em>Barre chords.</em> This requires a strong index finger, but, perhaps
1140 even more, a relaxed hand: you should not press too hard either. Your hand
1141 should know (from experience) just how hard you have to press to make all
1142 the strings sound clean, but without straining you hand.
1143 </p>
1144 <p>
1145 <em>Use your thumb.</em> Any classical guitar teacher would kill me for
1146 saying this (and then he would kill <em>you</em> for following my advice),
1147 but in a sense, while they shoot me through the head, they are also shooting
1148 themselves in the foot. The reason for the "thumb always behind the neck"
1149 rule is to ensure economy of means, maximum of flexibility with a minimum of
1150 physical effort, but if you don't need to play chords like 243115, which you
1151 don't (it can be done, though...), the most economical thing <em>is</em> to
1152 use the thumb. The switch between C=332010 and F=133211 is much, much easier
1153 and smoother with the thumb-F than with the barre-F. Again, you don't have
1154 to push very hard to get the sound you need. (Besides, there is no way on
1155 earth you are ever going to look as cool as Keith Richards if you only play
1156 barre chords.)
1157 </p>
1158 <p>
1159 <em>Use only some strings, and/or open strings.</em> You don't always have
1160 to finger all six strings. If you play with an emphasis on the bass, you can
1161 do with 133xxx, or if you need the full chord or a brighter sound, xx3211 is
1162 perfectly acceptable. In the latter case, you can even play x03211, since
1163 <strong>a</strong> is part of the F chord. A similar case is B flat, a
1164 terrible chord to finger the ordinary way (x13331), but much more playable
1165 as xx0331 or x5333x.
1166 </p>
1167 <p>
1168 This is not limited to "standard" barre chords; a chord like A benefits
1169 strongly from a barre treatment (with or without the first string), both
1170 because it is easier, and because you can then easily switch to D/a=x04232.
1171 A half barre on the middle strings (A=x02220 with the index finger bent at
1172 the last joint) is a handy technique to have acquired.
1173 </p>
1174 <p>
1175 <em>Cheat.</em> Try some closely related chords instead, like D minor or A
1176 minor, or allow some open strings (x03210, e.g.).
1177 </p>
1178 <p>
1179 &nbsp;
1180 </p>
1181 <p class="first">
1182 <strong>G major.</strong> This chord should be fingered with the middle,
1183 ring, and little fingers. This leaves the index finger free to do other
1184 things, or to move in position for the C chord which is very likely to
1185 follow, at least in Dylan's idiom. This is particularly true of the
1186 embellishing figure G - C/g - G (320003 - 3x2013 - 320003) which you will
1187 find all over Dylan's output. Watch Joan Baez do that with the "index-finger
1188 G" in <em>Renaldo &amp; Clara</em> (or is it the <em>Hard Rain</em> TV
1189 special?), then go and rehearse the "pinky G" instead (I cringe everytime I
1190 watch that sequence).
1191 </p>
1192 <p>
1193 And again, cheating can be a good thing. You may not need the first string:
1194 32000x is perfectly legitimate, and should it happen to sound anyway
1195 (320000), no big harm is done - you're just playing G6 instead...
1196 </p>
1197 <p>
1198 &nbsp;
1199 </p>
1200 <p class="first">
1201 <strong>Dampening.</strong> Sometimes you have to dampen some strings. To
1202 play G11=3x3211 you need both the sixth string, which is the only
1203 <strong>g</strong> in there, and all the others, but you don't want the
1204 <strong>a</strong> on the fifth string. You have to mute it with the ring
1205 finger.
1206 </p>
1207 <p>
1208 F6 is an even trickier chord. It has to be played 13x231, because you need
1209 both the <strong>c</strong> and the <strong>d.</strong> Again, the ring
1210 finger does the muting. (Another alternative is to play xx3535).
1211 </p>
1212 <p>
1213 &nbsp;
1214 </p>
1215 <p class="first">
1216 <strong>&ldquo;How on earth. . .</strong> am I supposed to play 355443 from
1217 &lsquo;In the Garden&rsquo;?&rdquo; Answer: you're not. You pick some of
1218 them, perhaps different strings each time. It's a bit mean of me to write a
1219 chord like that, but my intentions are good.
1220 </p>
1221 <p>
1222 Incidentally (and you are never going to need this for playing Dylan),
1223 243115 can be played with a "twisted barre", with an index finger that
1224 covers both the two 1s (second and third string) and the 2 on the sixth
1225 string. The chord can be called F#mmaj9-5. (Exercise 1: find out why.
1226 Exercise 2: find other names for it. ["Gerald" is not a legitimate answer.])
1227 </p>
1228 <h2>
1229 <a name="fingerpicking"
1230 id="fingerpicking"></a>Fingerpicking
1231 </h2>
1232 <p class="first">
1233 Although he doesn't use it much these days, many of the old songs use what I
1234 call "standard fingerpicking". I don't know if there is such a thing, but
1235 here is what I mean, as an example. (Chords: G and C. 'h' in the second
1236 measure means hammer-on)
1237 </p>
1238 <pre>
1239 G . . . C/g . . .
1240 |-3---------------|-----------3-----| ring finger
1241 |-----------0-----|-0h1-------------| middle finger
1242 |-------0-------0-|-------0-------0-| index finger
1243 |-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---| thumb
1244 |-----------------|-----------------| (thumb)
1245 |-3-------3-------|-3-------3-------| thumb
1246 </pre>
1247 <p class="first">
1248 The variations are of course unlimited, but the main principle is as rock
1249 solid as the thumb ought to be: The thumb alternates between the bass
1250 strings, and the other fingers fill in.
1251 </p>
1252 <p>
1253 For examples of different patterns, more or less fully written out, see the
1254 following files:
1255 </p>
1256 <p>
1257 &nbsp;
1258 </p>
1259 <p class="quote">
1260 <a href="02_freewheelin/girl_from_the_north_country.htm">Girl of the North
1261 Country</a> (several versions, fully written out)<br />
1262 <a href="03_times/boots_of_spanish.htm">Boots of Spanish Leather</a> (same
1263 song, musically speaking)<br />
1264 <a href="28_biograph/percys_song.htm">Percy's Song</a><br />
1265 <a href="02_freewheelin/dont_think_twice.htm">Don't Think Twice, It's All
1266 Right</a> (basically simple, if it wasn't for all the little
1267 details...)<br />
1268 <a href="34_bootleg/suze_the_cough_song.htm">Suze (The Cough Song)</a><br />
1269 <a href="00_misc/cocaine.htm">Cocaine Blues</a><br />
1270 <a href="00_misc/barbara_allen.htm">Barbara Allen</a> ("tricky licks"
1271 department)<br />
1272 <a href="00_misc/rocks_and_gravel.htm">Rocks and Gravel</a><br />
1273 <a href="34_bootleg/seven_curses.htm">Seven Curses</a> (quite similar to
1274 Rocks and Gravel)<br />
1275 <a href="16_bott/buckets_of_rain.htm">Buckets of Rain</a> (open E
1276 tuning)<br />
1277 <a href="00_misc/tomorrow_is_a_long_time.htm">Tomorrow is a Long Time</a>
1278 (standard and open E tuning)
1279 </p>
1280 <hr />
1281 <h2><a name="shuffle" id="shuffle">Basic blues shuffle</a></h2>
1282 <p>
1283 I use this to refer to the basic accompaniment figure:
1284 </p>
1285 <pre class="tab">
1286 : . . .
1287 |-------------------------|
1288 |-------------------------|
1289 |-------------------------| etc.
1290 |-------------------------|
1291 |-2---2-4---4-2---2-4---4-|
1292 |-0---0-0---0-0---0-0---0-|
1293 </pre>
1294
1295 <hr />
1296 <h2>
1297 <a name="HarpKeys"
1298 id="HarpKeys">Harp Keys</a>
1299 </h2>
1300 <p class="first">
1301 Christer Svensson has compiled the following <a href=
1302 "harp/harpkeys.htm">list of harmonica keys</a> to Dylan's songs.
1303 </p>
1304 <hr />
1305 <h2>
1306 <a name="ScreenSettings"
1307 id="ScreenSettings">Screen Settings</a>
1308 </h2>
1309 <p class="first">
1310 This is by no means conclusive or based on years and years of programming or
1311 web design, just some general hints and tips.
1312 </p>
1313 <p>
1314 1. This site is best viewed with a browser. Preferably <em>any</em> browser.
1315 All the files are in valid xhtml-format, thanks to Heinrich K&uuml;ttler,
1316 who did a tremendous job, cleaning up years' worth of dubious markup. This
1317 means that they should display correctly regardless of which browser you
1318 use. (That said, I strongly recommend using <a href=
1319 "http://www.spreadfirefox.com/?q=affiliates&amp;id=52534&amp;t=70">Firefox</a>
1320 <a href="http://oestrem.com/thingstwice/?p=6">instead of the thing with the
1321 blue &ldquo;e&rdquo;</a>)
1322 </p>
1323 <p>
1324 2. I use style sheets (<abbr title="Cascading Style Sheets">CSS</abbr>)
1325 consistently. This gives me the opportunity to suggest some formatting,
1326 based on what I consider the best way of rendering the tabs and the
1327 articles.
1328 </p>
1329 <p>
1330 3. Some of the tabs may be too wide to be seen comfortably on the screen, or
1331 for printing. I haven't been consistent with the number of characters per
1332 line (my apologies for that), and the left frame narrows the main window, of
1333 course. The brutal solution is to move the bar between the two windows
1334 (click on it, hold and drag). Or use a smaller text size ("View" menu).
1335 </p>
1336 <p>
1337 3. Since the tabs are in a fixed-width font, you may want to adjust the
1338 default setting for these if you print out the pages. How to do this, varies
1339 depending on the browser you're using. The default usually is Courier. I've
1340 noticed that this font gives very thin letters, which may be difficult to
1341 read (especially at candlelight, around a campfire, or wherever people play
1342 Dylan). I much prefer Lucida Console, which gives thicker letters and less
1343 widely spaced tab lines. That is the default font for the tabs. Again, you
1344 can change that in the browser settings.
1345 </p>
1346 </div><script type="text/javascript">
1347 //<![CDATA[
1348 var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");
1349 document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
1350 //]]>
1351 </script><script type="text/javascript">
1352 //<![CDATA[
1353 try {
1354 var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-7570468-2");
1355 pageTracker._trackPageview();
1356 } catch(err) {}
1357 //]]>
1358 </script>
1359 </body>
1360 </html>
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