roadmaps.htm

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   9       Roadmaps for the Soul
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  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">
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