Video lesson
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Video timestamps:
- 0:00 Playthrough & overview
- 2:21 Chord shapes needed
- 7:40 Travis picking 101 (right thumb bass notes)
- 10:29 Intro: understanding the chord progression
- 13:19 Intro: Add simplified melody notes
- 15:59 Intro: Adding βfullβ melody notes
- 20:29 Verse: how itβs different from the intro
- 23:28 Verse: with lyrics
Intro tab
E ββββββββββββ||β3βββββββββββββββ3βββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
B ββββββββββββ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββ|β
G ββββββββββββ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0h2βββββ0h2βββββ0h2βββββ0h2βββββββ|β
D ββββββββββββ||βββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββ|β
A βββββ0βββ2ββ||β3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
E β3ββββββββββ||βββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ|β
C Fadd6
2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E β|βββββββββββ0βββββ0h1βββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0βββ1βββ||
B β|β3βββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββ1βββββββββ1βββββ3βββββββββββββββ||
G β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
D β|βββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ0βββββββ0βββ||
A β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
E β|β3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ||
G C G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Verse tab
E ||β3βββββββββββββββ3βββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
B ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββ|β
G ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0h2βββββ0h2βββββ0h2βββββ0h2βββββββ|β
D ||βββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββ|β
A ||β3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
E ||βββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ|β
C Fadd6
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E β|βββββββββββ0βββββ0h1βββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
B β|β3βββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββ1βββββββββ3βββββ1βββββββββββββββ1βββββββββββββββ||
G β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββ||
D β|βββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ2βββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββ||
A β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββ0βββ2βββ||
E β|β3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββ3βββββββββββ||
G F C
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Lyrics w/ chords
INTRO
C / F / G / C G
VERSE
C
...Now, he's a wino, tried and true
F
...Done about everything there is to do
G
He worked on freighters, and he worked in bars
F C (walk up)
He worked on farms, and he worked on cars
[ use same progression for all verses ]
It was white port, that put that look in his eye
That grown men get when they need to cry
And he sat down on the curb to rest
His head just fell down on his chest
He said "Every single day it gets
A little bit harder to handle and yet"
And he lost the thread and his mind got cluttered
And the words just rolled off down the gutter
Well he was elevator man in a cheap hotel
In exchange for the rent on a one room cell
He's old in years beyond his time
Thanks to the world, and the white port wine
So he says "Son," he always called me son
He said, "Life for you has just begun"
And he told me a story that I heard before
How he fell in love with a Dallas whore
Well, he could cut through the years to the very night
When it ended in a whore house fight
And she turned his last proposal down
In favor of being a girl about town
Now, it's been seventeen years right in line
And he ain't been straight none of the time
Too many days of fightin' the weather
And too many nights of not being together
So he died... [ Intro x2 ]
When they went through his personal effects
In among the stubs from the welfare checks
Was a crumblin' picture of a girl in a door
An address in Dallas, and nothin' more
The welfare people provided the priest
A couple from the Mission down the street
Sang Amazing Grace, and no one cried
Except some woman in black, way off to the side
We all left and she was standing there
Black veil covering her silver hair
And 'ole One-Eyed John said her name was Alice
And she used to be a whore in Dallas
So let him roar, Lord let him roll
Bet he's gone to Dallas, rest his soul
Just, let him roll... Lord, let him roar
He always said that heaven was just a Dallas whore
[repeat final verse, stop singing on "rest his soul"]
[repeat verse tab w/o singing as desired, end]
Chords shapes needed
Hereβs the 3 main chord shapes needed (basically, C F and G). For the F, Iβll sometimes call it βFadd6β as youβre often going to have your left pinky on the 3rd fret of the B string. If you want to strum, simply use any C F G voicings you prefer - or follow the positions shown here.
E βββββ E βββββββ E βββββ
B ββ1ββ B βββ3βββ <= left pinky B ββ3ββ <= left pinky
G ββ0ββ G βββ2βββ <= left middle G ββ0ββ
D ββ2ββ D βββ3βββ <= left ring D ββ0ββ
A ββ3ββ A βββxβββ A ββxββ
E βββββ E βββ1βββ <= left thumb OR index E ββ3ββ <= left ring
C Fadd6 G
When learning the chords, if your goal is to play in Travis picking style β at some point youβll want to practice going in and out of all of these positions for each chord. This took me a few days to get the hang of - but youβre left hand will need to know this like clockwork before you add the fingerpicking with your right hand.
E ββββββββββ0βββ3ββ E βββββββββββββββββ E βββββββ0ββββ1ββ
B ββ1βββ3βββ1βββ1ββ B βββ1ββββ3ββββ3βββ B ββ3ββββ3ββββ3ββ
G ββ0βββ0βββ0βββ0ββ G βββ2ββββ2ββββ0βββ G ββ0ββββ0ββββ0ββ
D ββ2βββ2βββ2βββ2ββ D βββ3ββββ3ββββ3βββ D ββ0ββββ0ββββ0ββ
A ββ3βββ3βββ3βββ3ββ A βββxββββxββββxβββ A ββxββββxββββxββ
E βββββββββββββββββ E βββ1ββββ1ββββ1βββ E ββ3ββββ3ββββ3ββ
C Fadd6 G
Learning how to Travis Pick this song
If you want to learn this song the way I perform it in my video, and especially if Travis Picking isnβt something youβve mastered β I recommend the following steps. It took me ~2 weeks of practice to get a hang of this, with about ~15 minutes of practice per day on average. Progress was slow, and sometimes felt impossible, but slowly it got easier and easier. Hereβs the steps I followed (spent a few days on each).
Learn the alternating bass notes
After you learn the chord shapes (or while youβre learning them), I recommend being able to get your right thumb to play these alternating bass note patterns to the point where you can do it without too much conscious thought. It gets a lot tricker once you had the melody notes, so learn this good!
E βββββββββββββββββ E βββββββββββββββββ E βββββββββββββββββ E βββββββββββββββββ
B βββββββββββββββββ B βββββββββββββββββ B βββββββββββββββββ B βββββββββββββββββ
G βββββββββββββββββ G βββββββββββββββββ G βββββββββββββββββ G βββββββββββββββββ
D ββββββ2βββββββ2ββ D ββββββ3βββββββ3ββ D ββββββ0βββββββ0ββ D βββββββββββββββββ
A ββ3ββββββββββββββ A βββββββββββββββββ A βββββββββββββββββ A β(3)ββββββ0βββ2ββ
E ββββββββββ3ββββββ E ββ1βββββββ1ββββββ E ββ3βββββββ3ββββββ E ββββββ3ββββββββββ
C Fadd6 G walk-up turnaround
Learn the chord progression
Next, letβs take a quick moment to learn the progression. The idea here is to memorize how long you stay on each chord. Note that this is the intro progression, which is slightly different than the verse progression (only slightly).
E ||β3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
B ||β1βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
G ||β0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β2βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
D ||β2βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
A ||β3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βxβββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
E ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β1βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
C Fadd6
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
B β|β3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β1βββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ||
G β|β0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β0βββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ||
D β|β0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β2βββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ||
A β|βxβββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β3βββββββββββββββxβββββββββββββββ||
E β|β3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ||
G C G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Playing the right-thumb part only
Once you understand the timing, start by only playing the alternating bass notes - but follow this progression and stay in time.
E ββββββββββββ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
B ββββββββββββ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
G ββββββββββββ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
D ββββββββββββ||βββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββ|βββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββ|β
A βββββ0βββ2ββ||β3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
E β3ββββββββββ||βββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββ|β1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ|β
C Fadd6
2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
B β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
G β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
D β|βββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββ|βββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ0βββββββ0βββ||
A β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
E β|β3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ|βββββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ||
G C G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Add simplified melody notes
This is the tricky part β adding the right hand melody notes. Start off slow, by adding some of the distinctive notes like I show in this tab. This keeps it a bit easier than the final version, and helps you get used to some of the broad strokes before worrying about details. I spent a few days on this part, adding melody notes slowly, until it became easier for me (which it did).
E ββββββββββββ||β3βββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
B ββββββββββββ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββ|βββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββ|β
G ββββββββββββ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β2βββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββ|β
D ββββββββββββ||βββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββ|βββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββ|β
A βββββ0βββ2ββ||β3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
E β3ββββββββββ||βββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββ|β1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ|β
C Fadd6
2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E β|βββββββββββββ0βββ1βββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββ0βββ1βββ||
B β|β3βββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββ|β1βββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ||
G β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
D β|βββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββ|βββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ0βββββββ0βββ||
A β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
E β|β3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ|βββββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ||
G C G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Add the βnormalβ complex melody notes
Finally, you can add the melody notes in the exact timing he plays. This too took me several days! The F hammer-on part was one of the last things I was able to master, which I didnβt think would happen.
E ββββββββββββ||β3βββββββββββββββ3βββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
B ββββββββββββ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββ|β
G ββββββββββββ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0h2βββββ0h2βββββ0h2βββββ0h2βββββββ|β
D ββββββββββββ||βββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββ|β
A βββββ0βββ2ββ||β3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
E β3ββββββββββ||βββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ|β
C Fadd6
2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E β|βββββββββββ0βββββ0h1βββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0βββ1βββ||
B β|β3βββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββ1βββββββββ1βββββ3βββββββββββββββ||
G β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
D β|βββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ0βββββββ0βββ||
A β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
E β|β3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ||
G C G
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Next, learn the verse
The verse tab is slightly different. The only change is that you return to an F chord after the G, before going back to a C. Itβs one measure longer than the intro. But again, very similar.
E ||β3βββββββββββββββ3βββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
B ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββ|β
G ||βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0h2βββββ0h2βββββ0h2βββββ0h2βββββββ|β
D ||βββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ2βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββ|β
A ||β3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|β
E ||βββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββ|β
C Fadd6
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E β|βββββββββββ0βββββ0h1βββ0βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ||
B β|β3βββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββ1βββββββββ3βββββ1βββββββββββββββ1βββββββββββββββ||
G β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ2βββββββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββββ||
D β|βββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ0βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ2βββββββ3βββββββββββββββββββ||
A β|βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββββββ3βββββββ0βββ2βββ||
E β|β3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ3βββββββ1βββββββ1βββββββββββββββ3βββββββββββ3βββββββββββ||
G F C
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Good luck!
I hope this helps, and as always let me know if you have any questions.
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