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Editorβs notes
In this lesson, Iβll teach you how to play the intro riff βWhere Rainbows Never Dieβ by the Steeldrivers. This is a fun riff, repeating over the D-A-Bm-G chords, which is heard through most of the song. Iβll break down how to approach this riff from a practicing standpoint β and show tabs breaking down the musical phrases to tackle one by one.
Video timestamps:
- 0:00 Playthrough & lesson overview
- 2:27 Where I start the actual lesson
Capo 2nd fret
If you want to play along with the Steeldrivers version, add a capo to the 2nd fret.
Main riff
Hereβs the main riff you hear, which is repeated in the intro and verse.
e β|ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3ββ3ββ3ββ3ββ|β
B β|ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3ββ3ββ3ββ3ββ|β
G β|βββββ2ββββββββ2βββββ2βββββββββββββββββ0ββ0ββ0ββ0ββ|β
D β|ββ0βββββββββββ2βββββ2ββββββββ4ββββββββ0ββ0ββ0ββ0ββ|β
A β|βββββββββββ0βββββ0βββββ0ββ2βββββββββββ2ββ2ββ2ββ2ββ|β
E β|ββββββββ3βββββββββββββββββββββββ2ββ3ββ3ββ3ββ3ββ3ββ|β
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D A Bm G
Alternate ending to the riff
And, hereβs the version of the riff with the special ending, heard on the 3rd playthrough of the intro. For the 4th playthrough, they go back to the βmainβ riff shown above.
e β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3ββββββββ|β
B β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3ββββββββ|β
G β|βββββ2ββββββββ2βββββ2ββββββββ0βββββββββββ0ββββββββ|β
D β|ββ0βββββββββββ2βββββ2βββββββββββ4ββ0βββββ0βββββ0ββ|β
A β|βββββββββββ0βββββ0βββββ0ββ2ββββββββββββββ2ββ0h2βββ|β
E β|ββββββββ3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3ββ3ββββββββ|β
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D A Bm G
How to practice the riff when learning it
Hereβs what I practiced over and over while first learning the riff. The focus here is learning (1) the chords, and (2) the bass note transitions. Donβt worry about the timing (yet) and donβt worry about the precise melodic bass notes (yet). Once you get this down, then you can worry about those.
e β|βββββ2βββ βββββββββββ βββββββ(2)β ββββββββ3ββββββ
B β|βββββ3βββ ββββββββ2ββ ββββββββ3ββ ββββββββ3ββββββ
G β|βββββ2βββ ββββββββ2ββ ββββββββ4ββ ββββββββ0ββββββ
D β|ββ0ββββββ ββββββββ2ββ ββββββββ4ββ ββββββββ0ββββββ
A β|βββββββββ βββββ0βββββ ββ0ββ2βββββ ββββββββxββββββ
E β|βββββββββ ββ3ββββββββ βββββββββββ ββ2ββ3βββββββββ
D A Bm G
Chords needed for the song
Hereβs the normal way you play the chords used in this song. When strumming the verse, try to only emphasize the bottom 2-3 strings of each chord (as this song as a very bassy sound to its progression).
e βββ2ββββ0ββββ3ββββ2ββββ βββ2ββββ(2)ββββ0βββ
B βββ3ββββ2ββββ3ββββ3ββββ βββ3βββββ3βββββ0βββ
G βββ2ββββ2ββββ0ββββ4ββββ βββ4βββββ2βββββ0βββ
D βββ0ββββ2ββββ0ββββ4ββββ βββ4βββββ0βββββ2βββ
A ββββββββ0ββββ2ββββ2ββββ βββ0βββββ0βββββ2βββ
E βββββββββββββ3βββββββββ βββββββββ2βββββ0βββ
D A G Bm Bm/A D/F# Em
But for the intro, I recommend the following voicings / finger positions:
e ββββββββ x--- don't play this string
B βββ2ββββ <--- left hand index finger (barred)
G βββ2ββββ <--- left hand index finger (barred)
D βββ2ββββ <--- left hand index finger (barred)
A βββ0ββββ
E ββββββββ
A
e βββ3ββββ <--- left hand pinky finger
B βββ3ββββ <--- left hand ring finger
G βββ0ββββ
D βββ0ββββ
A βββxββββ x--- don't play this string (mute it)
E βββ3ββββ <--- left hand middle finger
G ## Strumming patterns
Hereβs three ways you could strum this.
Continuous down-up strumming:
D A Bm G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u
Continuous down strums:
D A Bm G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d d
Conventional strumming pattern:
D A Bm G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
d d u u d u d d u u d u
Lyrics w/ chords
Capo 2nd fret
INTRO
e β|ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3ββ3ββ3ββ3ββ|β
B β|ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3ββ3ββ3ββ3ββ|β
G β|βββββ2ββββββββ2βββββ2βββββββββββββββββ0ββ0ββ0ββ0ββ|β
D β|ββ0βββββββββββ2βββββ2ββββββββ4ββββββββ0ββ0ββ0ββ0ββ|β x4
A β|βββββββββββ0βββββ0βββββ0ββ2βββββββββββ2ββ2ββ2ββ2ββ|β
E β|ββββββββ3βββββββββββββββββββββββ2ββ3ββ3ββ3ββ3ββ3ββ|β
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D A Bm G
VERSE
D A Bm G D A Bm G
........I'm an old man now... I can't do nothing
D A Bm G D A Bm G
....Young folks don't pay me no mind
D A Bm G D A Bm G
....But in my day I sure was something
D A Bm G D A Bm G
Before I felt the heavy hand of time
(D / A / Bm / G)
I'm an old man now... I'm bound for glory
Time to lay these burdens down
Had enough of this old world of worry
Gonna trade my troubles for a crown
(D / A / Bm / G)
I will make my way across the fields of cotton
And wade through muddy waters one last time
D A Bm G
And in my dreams I come out clean
CHORUS
Bm Bm/A G D/F# Em G (let ring)
...When I reach the other side, waste away the sunsets
(G) D
...Where rainbows never die
[ instrumental verse x4 ]
BRIDGE
A
...I've got on last thing to do
G
...One more mile before I'm through
A
...Casting off these early chains
G A
...Going where theres no more pain
[ instrumental verse ]
(D / A / Bm / G)
I will make my way across the fields of cotton
And wade through muddy waters one last time
And in my dreams I come out clean
Bm Bm/A G D/F# Em G (let ring)
...When I reach the other side, waste away the sunsets
(G) D
...Where rainbows never die
(D / A / Bm / G)
I'm an old man now... can't do nothing
Young folks don't pay me no mind (end on D)
Good luck!
Thanks for reading! I hope this helped you. Questions? Comments? Requests? Let me know!
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