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Editorβs notes
In this lesson Iβll show you how to play βLady Mayβ by Tyler Childers, from his wonderful album βPurgatoryβ. This one features a very elegant riff that combines a melodic lead with rhythmic strumming, and is actually quite accessible to players of various skill levels. Iβll explain the riff, the chords needed, talk about hammer-ons & pull-offs, and otherwise describe how to master this little tune. I hope you enjoy!
- 0:00 Playthrough & greeting
- 2:14 Capo 3rd fret
- 2:25 Chords needed
- 4:57 Riff, simplified
- 11:02 How to hammer-on & pull-off
- 14:05 Riff, with nuance
- 18:15 Verse & chorus strumming
- 19:45 Farewell
Lyrics w/ chords
(Capo 3rd fret)
INTRO
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ1ββ
G βββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0h2ββββββββββ0h2β0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0ββ
D ββ2p0βββββββ0β0h2ββ2p0ββ3ββββββββ0h2ββ3βββββββ0h2p0ββββ0h2βββββββββββ0h2ββββ
A ββββββ3β3β3βββ3ββββββββ(3)βββββ3βββββ(3)ββββββββββββ3ββ3ββββ0ββ0h2ββ3βββββββ
E βββββββββββββββββββββββ(1)βββββββββββ(1)ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
C C F C F C Am G/B C
VERSE
C F C
I'm a stone's throw from the mill, and I'm a good walk to the river
F C Am G/B C
When my working day is over, we'll go swim our cares away
C F C
Put your toes down in the water, and smile across your face
F C Am G/B C
And tell me that you love me, lovely Lady May
CHORUS
Am G/B C F C
Now I ain't the sharpest chisel that your hands have ever held
F C Am G/B C
But darlin' I could love you well, 'til the roll is called on high
Am G/B C F C
I've seen my share of trouble, and I've held my weight in shame
F C Am G/B C
But I am baptized in your name, lovely Lady May
VERSE
C F C
Lord the wind can leave you shivering as it waltzes over the leaves
F C Am G/B C
It's been rushing through my timber 'til your love brought on the spring
C F C
Now the mountains all are blushin, and they don't know what to say
F C Am G/B C
Except a good long line of praises for my lovely Lady May
CHORUS
Am G/B C F C
Now I ain't the toughest hickory that your axe has ever fell
F C Am G/B C
But I'm a hickory just as well, I'm a hickory all the same
Am G/B C F C
I came crashing through the forest as you cut my roots away
F C Am G/B C
And I fell a good long ways, for my lovely Lady May
Intro (simple version)
Hereβs the main melody notes of the intro. In this simplified version, Iβm not including any of the hammer-ons or pull-offs. Donβt worry about adding those until you have this foundation memorized.
E βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
G ββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0β2βββββββββββ2β0βββββββββββββββββββββββββ0ββ
D ββ2β0βββββββ0β0β2β2β0β3βββββββββββ0β2β3βββββ2βββββ0β2βββββββββββ0β2ββββ
A ββββββ3β3β3βββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββ0βββ2βββ3ββββββββ
E βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
C C F C F C Am G/B C
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Also, while learning the melody riff above, understand that these are the chord shapes youβll want to have your left hand in while playing (if you can manage it). This sets you up nicely for doing full strums of any of these chords should you want to dial-down the riff and amp-up the rhythm strumming.
E βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββ0βββ1ββββββββ
G ββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ2βββββββ0βββββββ2βββββββ0βββββββ2βββ0βββ0ββββββββ
D ββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ3βββββββ2βββββββ3βββββββ2βββββββ2βββ0βββ2ββββββββ
A ββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββ0βββ2βββ3ββββββββ
E βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
C C F C F C Am G/B C
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Intro (w/ nuance)
Hereβs the main melody notes of the intro. Here, Iβm showing the hammer-ons and pull-offs that you hear on the album version of the song.
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ1ββ
G βββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0h2ββββββββββ0h2β0ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0ββ
D ββ2p0βββββββ0β0h2ββ2p0ββ3ββββββββ0h2ββ3βββββββ0h2p0ββββ0h2βββββββββββ0h2ββββ
A ββββββ3β3β3βββ3ββββββββ(3)βββββ3βββββ(3)ββββββββββββ3ββ3ββββ0ββ0h2ββ3βββββββ
E βββββββββββββββββββββββ(1)βββββββββββ(1)ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
C C F C F C Am G/B C
And, understand these are the implied chord shapes played underneath. Sometimes you may want to lean into plucking strings from these chords while youβre making your way through the riff. Listen to Tyler Childerβs version - youβll hear him sneak in occasional notes from these chords, as no doubt his hands are in these chord positions as he moves his way through.
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
B ββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββββ1ββββββ1ββββββ1βββββββββββββ1βββββββ1βββ0βββ1βββββββ
G ββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββββ2ββββββ0ββββββ2βββββββββββββ0βββββββ2βββ0βββ0βββββββ
D ββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββββ3ββββββ2ββββββ3βββββββββββββ2βββββββ2βββ0βββ2βββββββ
A ββββββ3βββββββ3ββββββββ(3)βββββ3βββββ(3)ββββββββββββ3βββββββ0βββ2βββ3βββββββ
E ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
C C F C F C Am G/B C
How to play the chords
Hereβs how to play the chords used in this song β including a few simplified ways to play the F chord (you donβt need to play all 6 strings to make it work).
Main chord shapes: Simplified F positions:
E βββ0ββββ1ββββ0ββββββββ βββββ βββββ βββββ
B βββ1ββββ1ββββ1ββββ0βββ ββ1ββ ββ1ββ βββββ
G βββ0ββββ2ββββ2ββββ0βββ ββ2ββ ββ2ββ ββ2ββ
D βββ2ββββ3ββββ2ββββ0βββ ββ3ββ ββ3ββ ββ3ββ
A βββ3ββββ3ββββ0ββββ2βββ βββββ ββ3ββ ββ3ββ
E ββββββββ1βββββββββββββ βββββ βββββ ββ1ββ
C F Am G/B F F F
Hammering-on and pulling-off
A crucial part to playing this song like Tyler Childers is being able to hammer on your left-middle finger on both the C and F chords. Here are some tabs that break this down to its simplest form. For each chord below, I show the βnormalβ way to play the chord, and then show the tab for the hammer-on note you can add with your left-hand middle finger.
E βββββββββββββ E ββββββββββββββ
B βββ1ββββ1ββββ B βββ1βββββ1ββββ
G βββ0ββββ0ββββ G βββ2βββββ0h2ββ
D βββ2ββββ0h2ββ D βββ3βββββ3ββββ
A βββ3ββββ3ββββ A ββββββββββββββ
E βββββββββββββ E ββββββββββββββ
C C* F F*
Similarly, the idea behind the pull-off technique involves forcefully & quickly removing your finger - in such a way that causes the now open string to ring out. This can take a lot of practice!
E βββββββββββββ E ββββββββββββββ
B βββ1ββββ1ββββ B βββ1βββββ1ββββ
G βββ0ββββ0ββββ G βββ2βββββ2p0ββ
D βββ2ββββ2p0ββ D βββ3βββββ3ββββ
A βββ3ββββ3ββββ A ββββββββββββββ
E βββββββββββββ E ββββββββββββββ
C C* F F*
Good luck!
Let me know if you have questions. I hope this was helpful.
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