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Birthday Blues cover art

Birthday Blues

Bert Jansch
Tab

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: Birthday Blues

Album: Birthday Blues

Tuning: EADGBE

Another fine example of Berts talent for writing really catchy instrumentals;

this one is short and sweet but full of life. It's pretty straightforward to

play but be careful which fingers you use, he moves around the fretboard

quite a bit. There are countless fingering possibilities here so if there is

something you find awkward, like a stretch, there are plenty of

alternatives. Experiment. Watch out for the harmonics which I've bracketed.

Work with the recording to get the feel, phrasing and tempo down. You're going to enjoy

playing this one! :o)

Rhythm: 6/8, occasional bar of 3/8

E||------10--|--10----------8---------|--7--10-/12------10--12--|
B||----------|------12--12-----10--7--|------------(12)---------|
G||----------|--0---------------------|--0----------------------|
D||----------|--------------7---------|-------------------------|
A||----------|------------------------|-------------------------|
E||----------|------------------------|-------------------------|
E------------------------|-----5--7-/9p--7h9--|--10--------------|
B--13--12--10--7---------|--8-----------------|------------------|
G------------------------|--------------------|------------------|
D------------------------|--------------------|--0------------0--|
A-(12)-------------------|-----------0--------|------------------|
E--------------10--9--8--|--7-----------------|------------9-----|
E--12----------10--------|--7p5-3-----7--------|--8-------------7--8--|
B------10--10------8--8--|---------5-----3--3--|-----10--7--10--------|
G------------------------|---------------------|----------------------|
D------------------------|---------------------|--0-------------------|
A------------------------|--0------------------|------------9---------|
E--8-----------7---------|------------3--------|----------------------|
E-/10----------8---------|--7--10-/12------10--12--|------------------------|
B------12--12------10-7--|------------(12)---------|--13--12--10--7---------|
G--0---------------------|--0----------------------|------------------------|
D--------------7---------|-------------------------|------------------------|
A------------------------|-------------------------|-(12)-------------------|
E------------------------|-------------------------|--------------10--9--8--|
E-----5--7-/9p--7h9--|--10--------------|--12----------10--------|
B--8-----------------|------------------|------10--10------8--8--|
G--------------------|------------------|------------------------|
D--------------------|--0------------0--|------------------------|
A-----------0--------|------------------|------------------------|
E--7-----------------|------------9-----|--8-----------7---------|
E--7p5-------7--------|--8-------------7--8--|-/10----------8---------|
B------8--5-----3--3--|-----10--7--10--------|------12--12------10-7--|
G---------------------|----------------------|--0---------------------|
D---------------------|--0-------------------|--------------7---------|
A--0------------------|------------9---------|------------------------|
E------------3--------|----------------------|------------------------|
E--3--------5--------|--7--------8--------|-/7---5----5--------|
B--------------------|-----------------5--|--------8-----8--7--|
G--0-----0--2--4--5--|--4-----4--5--7-----|-/7--------5--------|
D------4-------------|------7-------------|--------------------|
A--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
E--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

Slower:

E--3----------10--|--10--------------------|-----------------8--10--|
B-----------------|-------13p11--8---------|--10---------11---------|
G--4--------------|--0-----------7---------|-------------0----------|
D-----------------|------------------10-8--|--7---10--7-------------|
A-----------------|------------------------|------------------------|
E-----------------|------------------------|------------------------|
E--13p-10--10--10---8p6--|--8----------------|--------10--|
B------------------------|-----10--6-/8------|------------|
G--------------0---------|------------0------|------------|
D------------------------|-------------------|------------|
A--8---------------------|--8----------------|------------|
E------------------------|-------------------|------------|
E--10--------------------|-----------------8--10--|--13p-10--10--10---8p6--|
B-------13p11--8---------|--10---------11---------|------------------------|
G--0-----------7---------|-------------0----------|--------------0---------|
D------------------10-8--|--7---10--7-------------|------------------------|
A------------------------|------------------------|--8---------------------|
E------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
E--8----------------|--------10--|--10p--8-6--8---6-5--|
B-----10--6-/8------|------------|---------------------|
G------------0------|------------|--0---------7--------|
D-------------------|------------|---------------------|
A--8----------------|------------|---------------------|
E-------------------|------------|---------------------|
E--6--5---------------|-----5--6--6h8-6--5--|--3------------|----||
B--------8--10--8--6--|--8------------------|--3------------|----||
G--0------------------|---------------------|--3------------|----||
D---------------------|-----------0---------|--0------------|----||
A-----------8---------|--7------------------|---------------|----||
E---------------------|---------------------|--3------------|----||

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

/ = slide into from below

()= natural harmonic

Comments

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

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