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Guitar Tab for River Man by Nick Drake

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A
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River Man - Nick Drake

Found on:
2021-03-28: Radio 3: Círculos excéntricos: La soledad de Nick Drake(2021-03-28)
Due Radici(2020)
Pure Relaxation(2017)
Pure Moods: A New World of Emotions(2015)
The John Peel Session(2014-11)
N. R. Drake, 69.(2014-09-08)
Les Hits 1969 : Salut les copains(2014)
Les Trésors du Rock de Philippe Manœuvre(2013)
Five Leaves Left(2012)
The Very Best of Pure Moods(2008-06-30)
Nova Classics Eight(2008-05-12)
Relax(2008)
The Ultimate Acoustic Songbook(2005-05-30)
LateNightTales: The Flaming Lips(2005-03-07)
A Treasury(2005-01-04)
Pure Acoustic(2004-08-23)
Les Trésors cachés : 50 ans de rock(2004-07-26)
Made to Love Magic(2004-05-24)
River Man(2004)
Way to Blue: An Introduction to Nick Drake(2003)
Chillout - A Winter Collection(2003)
Simply Acoustic(2002-04-29)
Chillout Moods(2002)
Acoustic.(2002)
Trigger Happy TV 3(2001-12-09)
Pure Chillout(2001-11-26)
Unwind: 34 Soothing Laidback Tracks(2001-10-29)
Faithless, The Bedroom Sessions(2001-08)
The Bedroom Sessions(2001-08)
Q: Essential Chill Out(2000-09)
Dream With the Fishes(1997-06-10)
The Hannibal Sampler(1992)
Heaven in a Wild Flower: An Exploration of Nick Drake(1985)
Fruit Tree(1979-03-09)
Earcandy, 16 Delicious Tracks
The John Peel Session
The Very Best of Singers‐Songwriters
Musician Magazine's New Music Sampler: A Little on the CD Side, Volume 16
A Day Gone By...
Best of Acoustic: 32 Moody Songs
RIVER MAN


Tuning standard
capo 3rd fret
(5 triplets to each "bar")
     
Intro (call this Bar A):
     
|------------0--|
|--2---2-----2--|
|--4---4-----4--| (x4)
|--2---2-2---2-2|
|--0---0-----0--|
|0----0---0-0---|
             l
   r   r     r
   m   m     m       - suggested possible picking 
   i   i i   i  i
   t   t     t
 t    t   t t
     
note - the 4's are quiet in the track (to imitate this just make 
the middle finger pick a bit more quietly)
     
Verse:
     
|-----------(0)-|       |---------------|---------------| 
|--1---1-----1--|       |--3---3-----3--|--3---3-----0--|
|--4---4-----4--|       |--3---3-----3--|--3---3-----0--|
|--2---2-2---2-2| (x2)  |--0-----0---0--|--0-----0---0--| 
|--0---0-----0--|       |------3--------|------3--------| 
|0----0---0-0---|       |3----3---3-----|3----3---3-0--0|
     
|---------------|
|--1---1-----1--|
|--2---2-----2--| (x2)   then bar A x2 
|--3---3-3---3-3|
|--3---3-----3--|
|1----1---1-1---|
     

note: the 33033x (thanks to Howard Wright for the suggested fingering btw)
is clearly heard as 33031x in the demo version of this song on the Made To
Love Magic album. But it seems to be 33033x in the Five Leaves Left version.
     
The first variation is the verse ending "...in summertime". 
Instead of bar A's to finish, it has 4 bars of:
     
|------------0--|
|--4---4-----4--|
|--0---0-----0--| (call this bar B)
|--2---2-2-----2|
|--0---0-----0--|
|0----0---0-0---|
     
(a cynic might suggest Nick's little finger missed the G-string 
and a variation was born...)
     
Instrumental bit:
     
|---------------|
|--1---0-----0--|
|--2---2-----2--|
|--3---3-3---3-3| (x3), then 2x A, 3x this new bar, 4x A. 
|--3---3-----3--|
|1----1---1-1---|
     
     
Last verse also ends with 4 bar B's.
     
"Oh how they come and go" to end:
     
|---------------|       |---------------| 
|--2---2-----2--|       |--1---1-----1--| 
|--0---0-----0--| (x4)  |--0---0-----0--| (x2) 
|--------4-----4|       |--------4-----4| 
|--0---0-----0--|       |--0---0-----0--| 
|0----0---0-0---|       |0----0---0-0---|
     
|---------------|       |---------------| 
|--2---2-----4--|       |--4---4-----2--| 
|--0---0-----0--| (x4)  |--0---0-----0--| (rpt to end) 
|--------2-----2|       |--------2-----2| 
|--0---0-----0--|       |--0---0-----0--| 
|0----0---0-0---|       |0----0---0-0---|
     
(a cynic might suggest....)
     
nb - the first 4 bars might sound odd if unaccompanied in that they don't 
change (in the track, the strings give some variation). You could play
a 1 on the B-string for the first 2 bars, or a 2 on the D-string for the 
3rd and 4th bar, to give it some variation, but above is what I think 
Nick plays.
     

Tabbed by Chris Healey


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Tuning Map

  • Fret
  • S6
  • S5
  • S4
  • S3
  • S2
  • S1
  • -13
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • A#
  • D#
  • -12
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • B
  • E
  • -11
  • F
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C
  • F
  • -10
  • F#
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • C#
  • F#
  • -9
  • G
  • C
  • F
  • A#
  • D
  • G
  • -8
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • B
  • D#
  • G#
  • -7
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • C
  • E
  • A
  • -6
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F
  • A#
  • -5
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • F#
  • B
  • -4
  • C
  • F
  • A#
  • D#
  • G
  • C
  • -3
  • C#
  • F#
  • B
  • E
  • G#
  • C#
  • -2
  • D
  • G
  • C
  • F
  • A
  • D
  • -1
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • A#
  • D#
  • 0
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • B
  • E
  • 1
  • F
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C
  • F
  • 2
  • F#
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • C#
  • F#
  • 3
  • G
  • C
  • F
  • A#
  • D
  • G
  • 4
  • G#
  • C#
  • F#
  • B
  • D#
  • G#
  • 5
  • A
  • D
  • G
  • C
  • E
  • A
  • 6
  • A#
  • D#
  • G#
  • C#
  • F
  • A#
  • 7
  • B
  • E
  • A
  • D
  • F#
  • B
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
            ___________
           q o       o p
           q o   G   o p
           d o   T   o b
           q o   D   o p
           q o   B   o p
           d o       o b
            \!       !/
            |=========|
            |!!!!!!!!!|
            |!!!!!!!!!|
            |!!!!!!!!!|              ____    ______  ____    ____
            |!!!!!!!!!|             /\  _`\ /\__  _\/\  _`\ /\  _`\
            |!!!!!!!!!|             \ \ \L\_\/_/\ \/\ \ \/\ \ \ \L\ \
           _|!!!!!!!!!|__            \ \ \L_L  \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \  _ <'
         .+=|!!!!!!!!!|--.`.          \ \ \/, \ \ \ \ \ \ \_\ \ \ \L\ \
       .'   |!!!!!!!!!|   `.\          \ \____/  \ \_\ \ \____/\ \____/
      /     !=========!     \\          \/___/    \/_/  \/___/  \/___/
      |    /|!!!!!!!!!|\    ||
       \   \!!!!!!!!!!!/   //
        )   `========='   ((
      .'    !!!!!!!!!!!    `..
     /      !!!!!!!!!!!      \\
    |       !!!!!!!!!!!       ||
    |       !!!!!!!!!!!       ||
    |       !!!!!!!!!!!       ||
     \     =============     //
 hjw  `.    o987654321o    .;'
 & warm `-._____________.-'
    whisky