Chan Chan

Song

The Buena Vista Social Club is the legendary band in which Ry Cooder gathered

some of the greatest names from the history of Cuban music, including Ibrahim

Ferrer, Compay Segundo and Ruben Gonzales. They got a Grammy for their album and

featured in Wim Wender's docupic "Buena VIsta Social Club". Chan Chan is their

most famous song, and it perfectly creates the laid-back, smooth Cuban atmosphere

they are known for. Check http://www.bvsocialclub.com/ for more info.

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Well, this song is impossible to tab out correctly – it’s all improvisation, on

TWO guitars – but I thought I’d give you a few things to start with.

The basic pattern of the song is a Dm / F / Gm6 / Gm / A layout.

Don’t strum the chords, you get the best sound when you pluck three

or four strings together.

Dm F Gm6 Gm A

e|--1----1------3---3---0--|  _
B|--3----1------5---3---2--|   \
G|--2----2------3---3---2--|   |---> B,G and D plucked give the best sound.
D|--0----3------5---5---2--|  _/
A|-------3------5---5---0--|
E|-------------------------|

I’ve tabbed out a couple of the fills used throughout the song. Applied on the

basic pattern, you get this (quite accurate) version:

Dm F Gm6 Gm A Dm etc...

e|--1-------------1-----------------------1---|
B|--3--3----1-------1---1-5-3--2----------3---|
G|--2-------2---------2---3-3--2--2-0-----2---|
D|--0-0-----3---3---------5-5--2------3-2-0---|
A|------------3-------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------------------|

\_________/ \_______/

“up fill” “down fill”

Vary by using the high e string a bit more, skipping a few notes in the fill or

plucking a chord a few times instead. Which could look like this:

Dm F Gm6 Gm A Dm etc...

e|--1-------1-----1----------------------1----|
B|--3-------1---------1---5-3--2-2--2-2--3----|
G|--2-------2-------------3-3--2-2--2-2--2----|
D|------0--------3--------5-5--2-2--2-2-------|
A|------------3-------------------0-----------|
E|--------------------------------------------|

You get the point :) Now besides at the top of the neck there are some other

places you can play around with the basic pattern. The e and B strings around the

10th fret are very suitable:

Dm F Gm6 A

e|------10-10-10/12-10-8~~-(8)--10-8-----------------12-10-----------|
B|-(10)-10-10-10-------10~-(10)-----(10)-11--11--11-------(11)-10~~--|
G|--------------------------------------(10)(10)(10)-----------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------(10)(10)(10)-----------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

To get back up the neck use this: (the same as the “down fill”)

Dm F Gm6 Gm A

e|-------------------0-------|
B|-10-8-6-5-3~--1~-----3-----|
G|-----------------------2---|
D|---------------------------|
A|---------------------------|
E|---------------------------|

You can do the same on the G and D strings around the 7th fret.

Start with G|-7-7-7/9-| and you’ll work the rest out easily...

            D|-7-7-7---|

Get back up the neck with D|--7-5-3-2-0~----2-0----|

                           A|-------------3~-----3--|

After a while a trumpet enters to complete the Cuban atmosphere.

You can keep doing the basic pattern, but here’s a small part of the trumpet solo

to get you going on that one too.

e|--5~-------5~------6~-----------|
B|-----6-5-3----6-5-3---6-5-3-----|
G|----------------------------3~--|
D|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

And then the most difficult part: the solo. Kevin Futhey tabbed this one out

already and I think it’s very accurate.

e|-10--10~--8-10--8~---10-8---------------------------------8~-|
B|-10--10~--------10~-------11---------10~----------10-11-12---|
G|-----------------------------9-10-12------9-10-12------------|
D|-------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------|
e|----------------------10-10-10-10-10/12-10-8--8~--10-8--------8------|
B|-6p5---8-8--|Outline-|10-10-10-10----------10-10~------11-8-11-11-10-|
G|-----7------|---A----|-----------------------------------------------|
D|------------|-Chord--|-----------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
e|--------------6-7-8/10-8\6----------------------------|
B|--------6-8/10-------------10-8-6----8----------------|
G|-7-7-7-9-------------------------9-7--10-9-7----------|
D|---------------------------------------------10-8-7~--|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------|

Now back to the Dm / F / Gm6 / Gm / A scheme, and end on Dm.

That’s it!

Mail any comments to driesgevaert@pandora.be.

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| (n) Ghost note

| p Pull-off

| / Slide up

| \ Slide down

| ~ Vibrato

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