The Sailors Grave on the Prairie

TabTuningOpen G

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

TAB: The Sailor's Grave On The Prairie (Leo Kottke)

Notes:

I transcribed this tune by ear as best I could from Leo's "6 & 12 String

Guitar." I posted my first stab at it here about two months ago; this

revision shows some good input and suggestions (notably from the

estimable

Dean Gaudet, founder of the hobbes.linfield.edu accoustic archive). One

major thing that was pointed out to me (and which I soon came to see when

trying to fix section B) is that Leo plays this tune on a 12-string. I

only have a 6-string, so my transcription attempts to duplicate the music

as closely as possible, but there are places where it just wasn't posible

to be note-for-note. I tried to retain the overall feel of the piece,

and

I think this is pretty close. (If anyone wishes to help my transcription

efforts by giving me a 12-string, my email address is below! :-))

Leo plays this tune on the album in an open G tuning (DGDGBD) tuned down

half-steps to open Eb (Bb/Eb/Bb/Eb/G/Bb). You can tune your strings this

low if you want, but if you use standard-pitch strings you will probably

get a lot of buzz. You will have that great, low, "macho guitar" sound,

though. Nobody will mess with you if you play that low.

Have fun with it; it's one of my favorite Leo tunes. As I said before,

improvements, suggestions and comments are always welcome. Please email

suggestions to me, and look for the most recent version at Dean's

accoustic archive at hobbes.linfield.edu (although hopefully there won't

many revisions from this point, unless I did something really stupid - or

unless someone wants to do a real 12-string transcription).

Thanks, and enjoy the piece.

Steve Linberg

slinberg@hamp.hampshire.edu

Notes:

o Open G tuning (tuned down if desired, see above) - DGDGBD

o I play this tune with a concave brass slide on my pinky (4th finger).

They're nice if you can get one; they go for about $12.

o (sX/6) = use slide across X strings from bottom (i.e. s5/6 means the

slide covers the 5th through 1st strings, s3/6 means the slide

covers the 3rd through 1st strings)

o Someone (and I've lost the email, so I can't credit them properly -

sorry!) correctly pointed out that I neglected to mention Leo's

wonderful "slide slam" in the last playthrough of section A. Whether

this was a mistake or intentional is becoming a question of legend,

but all agree that it's priceless. He slams the slide down against

the fretboard (possibly the underside) without interrupting the rhythm

of the song at all. The spot where he does this is marked with an

"(X)" in section A. You can try it if you want - I've never been

satisfied with my attempts and really think of it as his

irreproducable signature on the piece.

o Resist the temptation to play this one too quickly! Take your time.

Let the notes ring, and the slide scorch. This is the music of a man

who knows he is free. (Sorry for the sappy interpretation :-))

o Play in the following order:

1. Intro

2. Section A

3. Section A

4. Section B

5. Section A (with gusto)

6. Final section

(crowd: GET ON WITH IT!)

(ok, ok...)

/----------------------------------------------------------------------\

| Intro: |

\----------------------------------------------------------------------/

1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^

/----------------------------------------------------------------------\

| Section A: |

\----------------------------------------------------------------------/

1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^ 1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^

(s5/6) ---------------> (s5/6) (s1/6, vibrato---------|

1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^ 1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^

(X) "slide slam" on 3rd repeat!

(s5/6) ---------------> (s5/6) (s1/6, vibrato ---------------------|)

d  |--------5-------+--------7-------|5-----------5---+----2---0---------|
b  |----5-----------+----7-------7---|----------------+------------------|
G  |/5----------5---+(/7)------------|--------0-------+------------0-----|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
G  |/5--------------+/7--------------|0---------------+0-------0---------|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|

1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^ 1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^

   (s6/6 ----------------------------------------------------------------|)
d  |--------12------+--------10--\5--|--------5-------+0-----------------|
b  |----12----------+----10----------|----5-----------+----1---0---------|
G  |/12---------\10-+----------------|5-----------5---+------------0-----|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
G  |/12-------------+10--------------|5---------------+0-------0---------|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|

1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^ 1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^

   (s6/6 ----------------------------------------------------------------|)
d  |--------12------+----10------\5--|--------5-------+0-----------------|
b  |----12----------+----------------|----5-----------+----1---3---------|
G  |/12---------\10-+----------------|5-----------5---+------------0-----|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
G  |/12-------------+10--------------|5---------------+0-------0---------|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|

1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^ 1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^

   (s6/6 ----------------------------------------------------------------|)
d  |--------12------+----10------\5--|--------5-------+0-----------------|
b  |----12----------+----------------|----5-----------+----1---0---------|
G  |/12---------\10-+----------------|5-----------5---+------------0-----|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
G  |/12-------------+10--------------|5---------------+0-------0---------|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|

1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^ 1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^

   (s3/6 ------->)  (s1/6)            (s5/6 -----------------------------|)
d  |--------3-------+3---/2--0-------|--------5---/7--+7-----------------|
b  |----3-------3---+------------0---|----5-----------+----7-------7-----|
G  |/3------3-------+0-------0-------|3/5-------------+--------7---------|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|
G  |----------------+----------------|3/5-------------+7-------7---------|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+------------------|

1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^ 1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^

(s5/6)

d  |----7-----------+  (The last measure of section A is in 5/4;
b  |----------------+   let the notes ring and continue with the next
G  |7---------------+   section)
D  |----------------+
G  |7---------------+
D  |----------------+

1 ^ 2 ^

/----------------------------------------------------------------------\

| Section B: |

\----------------------------------------------------------------------/

d  |--------9-------+7-p-5---0-h-5---|----7-s-9-------+9-------0-------|
b  |----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
G  |----0-------0---+----------------|------------0---+----0-------0---|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
G  |0-------0-------+0-------0-------|0-------0-------+0-------0-------|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|

1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^ 1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^

d  |----4b5-4---2---+----------------|----0-----------+----------------|
b  |----------------+3-s-1---0---1---|----------------+1-------0-------|
G  |----------------+----------------|------------0---+----0-------0---|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
G  |0-------0---0---+0-------0-------|0-------0-------+0-------0-------|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|

1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^ 1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^

d  |--------9-------+7-p-5---0-h-5---|----7-s-9-------+9-------0-------|
b  |----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
G  |----0-------0---+----------------|------------0---+------------0---|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
G  |0-------0-------+0-------0-------|0-------0-------+0-------0-------|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|

1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^ 1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^

d  |----4b5-4---2---+----------------|----------------+--------0-------|
b  |----------------+3-s-1---0---1---|----0-----------+----------------|
G  |----------------+----------------|------------0---+----0-------0---|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
G  |0-------0---0---+0-------0-------|0-------0-------+0-------0-------|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|

1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^ 1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^

/----------------------------------------------------------------------\

| Final section: |

\----------------------------------------------------------------------/

(s1/6, nice and slow from nut to

5th fret, plenty of vibrato)

d  |------------5---+----------------|/5--------------+----------------|
b  |----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
G  |----0-----------+---0--------0---|----------------+----------------|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|
G  |0-------0-------+0-------0-------|0---------------+----------------|
D  |----------------+----------------|----------------+----------------|

1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^ 1 ^ 2 ^ 3 ^ 4 ^

Comments

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

No comments yet. If you play this one, say what works.

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