Graceland (ver 4) by Paul Simon
This is the Josh Turner version (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtYKjQLgnOs),
although it works just as great even if you’re just jamming to the original track.
The fingerpicking patterns may not be note for note perfect in all parts, but they’re pretty much as
accurate as you can get by just watching the video. Josh does vary the patterns slightly, so feel free to
take some liberties. As far as technique goes, in the verses and interludes your thumb should almost
always be alternating between the bass note and the D-string (a technique known as Travis picking).
The chorus is arguably the hardest part of the song, but you should be able to get it with some practice.
I’ve included a snippet of the chorus at the end of the tab that shows which finger should fret each note.
The quick E and D barre chords in the chorus are probably easiest to play by picking the first two
notes with your thumb, the third with your index finger and the fourth with your middle finger.
Legend:
t - 10th fret
e - 11th fret
/ - slide
h - hammer-on
p - pull-off
()- ghost note
Chords used:
E F#m A C#m B E’ D A6
e|--x------9------5-------4-------7-------0-------x-------0-----|
B|--9------10-----5-------5-------7-------0-------7-------7-----|
G|--9------11-----6-------6-------8-------1-------7-------6-----|
D|--9------11-----7-------6-------9-------2-------7-------7-----|
A|--7------9------7-------4-------9-------2-------5-------0-----|
E|--0------x------5-------x-------7-------0-------x-------x-----|
Intro:
E
e|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-|
G|-----9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-----|
D|-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9---|
A|-2/7---------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
4+1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
F#m
e|---------------------------------------------------------------9-9-|
B|---------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-----t-t-|
G|-----9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-e-e-|
D|-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------e-e-|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------9-9-|
E|---0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
4+1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
E F#m
e|---9-----------------------------------------------------------9-9-|
B|---t---9---9-----9-----9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------t-t-|
G|---e---9---9-----------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------e-e-|
D|---e---9---9---9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------e-e-|
A|---9---7---7---------------------------------------------------9-9-|
E|-------------------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
E
e|---9---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---t---9---9-----9-----9-------9-------9-------9-------9-----------|
G|---e---9---9-----------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-----------|
D|---e---9---9---9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-----------|
A|---9---7---7-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
A C#m
e|-------5-------------------------------5-----------------------4---|
B|-------------5-----------5-------------------5---------------------|
G|-------------------6---------7---------------------6---------------|
D|-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-----------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--/5-------5-------5-------5-------5-------5-------5-------5-------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
e|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------5---------------5---------------5-------5---------|
G|-------------4h6-------------4h6-------------4h6-----4h6-----4-----|
D|---6---6-------6-------6-------6-------6-------6-------6-----------|
A|---4-------4-------4-------4-------4-------4-------4-------4-------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
B
e|-------7-------------------------------7---------------------------|
B|-------------7-----------7-------------------7-----------7---------|
G|-------------------8---------8---------------------8---------8-----|
D|-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9---|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--/7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
E’
e|-------0-----------------------0-----------------------------------|
B|-------------0-----------0----------------------(0)----------------|
G|-------------------1------------------------(1)--------------------|
D|-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-----------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
The
Verse:
E’
e|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------9---------9-------9-------9-----9---------9-----9-----------|
G|-------9-----9-------9-------9---------9-----9---------9-----------|
D|-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9---|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
Mississippi Delta...
...tell me she’s gone...
...girl in New York City...
A C#m
e|-------5-------------------------------5-----------------------4---|
B|-------------5-----------5-------------------5---------------------|
G|-------------------6---------7---------------------6---------------|
D|-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-----------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--/5-------5-------5-------5-------5-------5-------5-------5-------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
I am fol-
As
e|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------5---------5-----5---------5-----5---------5-----5-----------|
G|-------------4---------------4---------------4---------------4-----|
D|-------6-------6-------6-------6-------6-------6-------6-------6---|
A|---4-------4-------4-------4-------4-------4-------4-------4-------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
lowing the river...
if I didn’t know that...
Sometimes when I’m falling...
B -
e|-------7-------------------------------7---------------------------|
B|-------------7-----------7-------------------7---------------------|
G|-------------------8---------8---------------------8---6---6/4---4-|
D|-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7---5---5/3---3-|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
I’m... Grace-
Chorus:
E’ -
e|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------0-------------------------------------------|
G|-------1-----1h2---1---------1-----1---4---2---1---2---6---6/4---4-|
D|-----------------------2-------2-----------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------0---------------|
E|-------0-----0h2---0---------------0---3---2---0-------5---5/3---3-|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
land Memphis Tennessee I’m... Grace-
E’ E D
e|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------0-----------------9-------7-----------------|
G|-------1-----1h2---1---------1---------9-------7-------6---6/4---4-|
D|-----------------------2-------2-----9-------7---------------------|
A|-----------------------------------7-------5-----------------------|
E|-------0-----0h2---0-----------------------------------5---5/3---3-|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
land.
(Play 4 times.)
Interlude:
E F#m
e|-------------------------------------------------------------9-9-9-|
B|-------9-------9-------9---------9-----9-------9-------9-----t-t-t-|
G|-------9-------9-------9-----9---------9-------9-------9-----e-e-e-|
D|-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-----e-e-e-|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------9-9-9-|
E|---0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
E
e|---9---------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---t---9---9-----9-----9---------9-----9-------9-------9-------9---|
G|---e---9---9-----------9-----9---------9-------9-------9-------9---|
D|---e---9---9---9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9---|
A|---9---7---7-------------------------------------------------------|
E|-------------------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
She comes back to...
There’s a...
Play verse, but instead of playing the last line, play this:
B
e|-------7-------------------------------------------7---------------|
B|-------------7-----------7---------------7---------------7---------|
G|-------------------8---------8-------8-------8---------------8-----|
D|-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9---|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--/7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
As if I didn’t know...
E’
e|-------0-----------------------0-----------------0-----------------|
B|-------------0-----------0-------------0---------------------------|
G|-------------------1-------------------------1---------------------|
D|-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2-------2---|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
...forehead. And I said
-
e|---0h2-----0-------------------------------------------------------|
B|---0h2-----0---------------0---2--p0---------------2h0-------------|
G|---1h2-----1---------------1---2--p1---------------2h1---2---1-----|
D|---------------------------------------------------------4---2-----|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|--------------(0)-(0)-(0)----------------------0-------------------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
lo- os- ing love is like a window...
A6
e|-------0-----------------------0-----------0-----------------------|
B|-------------7-----7h9---7-------------------7-----7h9---7---------|
G|-----------------------------6-----------6-------------------------|
D|-------7-------7-------7---------------7-------7-------7-------7---|
A|---0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------0-------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
Everybody sees you’re
C#m
e|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-------5-----------------5---------4h5-----4-----------------------|
G|-------------4---------------4---------------------6---------------|
D|-------6-------6---4h6-6-------6-------6-------6-------6-------6---|
A|---4-------4-------4-------4-------4-------4-------4-------4-------|
E|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
blown apart. Everybody feels the
B -
e|-------7-------------------------------7---------------------------|
B|-------------7-----------7-------------------7---------------------|
G|-------------------8---------8---------------------8---6---6/4---4-|
D|-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------9-------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7-------7---5---5/3---3-|
1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e
wind blow. I’m... Grace-
Play Chorus
Play Interlude
Play Verse the way you did the second time
Play Chorus
Play Interlude a few times and end on A
How to finger the chorus:
The Ba-line tells you which finger to finger the bass (lower) note with, and the
Hi-line tells you which finger to finger the other (higher) note with. It looks more confusing than it is.
1 = Index finger
2 = Middle finger
3 = Ring finger
4 = Pinky finger
You can keep your index finger on the 1st fret of the G-string for this entire part,
except for the first four notes/chords (“I’m going to Grace-”).
Hi |-----3---3-3---3-----1-----1-3---1---------------1---4---3---1---2-|
Ba |-----2---2-2---2-----x-----x-2---x---------------x---2---2---x---x-|
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------0-----------------------------|
G|-------6---6/4---4-----1-----1h2---1---------1-----1---4---2---1---2-|
D|---------------------------------------2-------2---------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------------------------------0-|
E|-------5---5/3---3-----0-----0h2---0---------------0---3---2---0-----|
3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3 e + e 4 e + e 1 e + e 2 e + e 3
I’m... Grace-land Memphis Tennessee
|
