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Bird Song cover art

Bird Song

Bert Jansch
Tab
★4.7(3)

This is tablature — fret positions rather than chord names. Wide lines scroll sideways on their own, so the page never does.

Song

Tabbed by Jamie Phillips (jamiephillips22@hotmail.com)

Artist: Bert Jansch

Track title: Bird Song

Album: Rosemary Lane

Tuning: DADGAD (detuned a semitone on recording)

This is one of Berts best songs, an absolute gem; Bert at his finest. Play

it gently. Watch out for the rhythm and timing, the bars are of differing

lengths and particularly watch for the change into 3/8 and then a bar of

7/8. The asterisks indicate the beats; if you're familiar with the song it

will flow naturally. Here I've tabbed out the instrumental break which is

basically the same as the verse, although on some verses he misses out the

bar of 7/8 and adds another bar of 4/4. You should be able to pick out the

structure from the record easily enough. There are a few fingering changes

you could make to suit your fingers best if you like. Enjoy! :o)

Rhythm: Various (2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 3/8, 7/8)

Intro:

Beat:* * * * * * * *

D||--------------------------|-----0--------0-----------|
A||-----9--------7--0--------|--------------------------|
G||--7--------5-----------0--|--2--------2--------2-----|
D||--------------------4-----|--0--------0--------0-----|
A||--------------------------|--------------------------|
D||--------0-----------------|--------0--------0-----0--|

Verse:

* * * * * * *

D--------------0-----------|-----------------------|
A--------------------0-----|--------------0h2p0----|
G-----0-----2--------------|--------------------0--|
D--4-----------------------|-----0-----------------|
A--------------------------|--3--------2-----------|
D--------0--------0-----0--|--------0--------------|

* * * * * * * * * *

D-----------------------------|---------------|--------------------------|
A-----0--------0--2p0---------|---------------|--------------------------|
G--2--------2---------2-0-----|--0------------|--------------0-----------|
D--------------------------4--|--2--2---2--0--|-----7-----7--------------|
A--0--------------------------|-------0-------|--9-----------------9-----|
D--------0--------------------|---------------|--------0--------0-----0--|

* * * * * * * * *

D------------------0------------------|--------------------------|
A--------------3h5----5p3----4h5p4p0--|--------------------------|
G-----4-------------------4-----------|--------------0-----2-----|
D--0--------0-------------------------|-----7-----0--------4-----|
A----------------------------7--------|--9-----------------------|
D--------5----------------------------|--------0--------0-----0--|

* * * * * * * *

D------------------2---------|------------------0---------|
A--------------2h4----4p2----|--------------0h2----2p0----|
G-----2-------------------2--|-----0-------------------0--|
D--2--------2----------------|--0--------0----------------|
A--------0-------------------|----------------------------|
D----------------------------|--------5-------------------|

3/8

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

D-----------------|-----0-----|-----------|-----0-----|-----------|
A--0h-2p0---------|--0--------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
G--2------2-0-----|--2--------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
D--0-----------4--|-----------|-----5p-4--|--0--------|-----5p-4--|
A-----------------|-----------|--3--------|--2--------|-----------|
D-----------------|--------0--|-----------|--------0--|--5--------|

7/8 4/4

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

D-----0-----|----------------------------|--------------------------|
A-----0-----|----------------------------|--------------------------|
G--2--------|--2---4---5---4---2---0-----|-----2--------2-----------|
D--0--------|--4p0-5p0-7p0-5p0-4p0-2-----|--0--------0--------0-----|
A-----------|-------------------------3--|--------------------------|
D--------0--|----------------------------|--------0--------0-----0--|

Ending:

* * * * * * * *

D--------------------------|-----0--------0-----------|
A-----9--------7-----------|--0--------0--------0-----|
G-/7--------5-----------0--|--2--------2--------2-----|
D--------------------7-----|--0--------0--------0-----|
A--------------------------|--------------------------|
D--------0--------0--------|--------0--------0-----0--|

* * * * * * * *

D--------------------------|-----0--------0-----------|
A-----9--------7-----------|--0--------0--------0-----|
G-/7--------5-----------0--|--2--------2--------2-----|
D--------------------7-----|--0--------0--------0-----|
A--------------------------|--------------------------|
D--------0--------0--------|--------0--------0-----0--|

* * * * * * * *

D--------------------------|-----0--------0-----------|
A-----9--------7-----------|--0--------0--------0-----|
G-/7--------5-----------0--|--2--------2--------2-----|
D--------------------7-----|--0--------0--------0-----|
A--------------------------|--------------------------|
D--------0--------0--------|--------0--------0-----0--|

* * * * * * * * * * *

D--------------------------|-----0--------0-----------|-------------------|
A-----9--------7-----------|--0--------0--------------|-------------------|
G-/7--------5--------0-----|--2--------2--------------|-------------------|
D-----------------7-----0--|--0--------0--------0-----|-----0-------------|
A--------------------------|--------------------------|--3----------3-----|
D--------0-----------------|--------0--------0-----0--|----------0-----0--|

* * * *

D--------------------------|-------------------||
A--------------------------|-------------------||
G--------------------------|-------------------||
D-----0--------0-----------|--6b7--------------||
A--2--------2-------2p0----|--5----------------||
D--------0--------------0--|--0----------------||

TAB guide: h = hammer on, p = pull off

/ = slide into from below

Comments

Spotted a wrong chord, or know a capo position that sounds closer to the record?

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