Davids skrivarkiv

As a troubadour you want a folder with all your favourite songs to play. And a great help for that is the Internet, where you can find and print tabs for most of these songs. Problem is that on the Internet there are many incorrect tabs. There are many tabs which are hard to read. And many tabs which take up way too much space in your songbook. That's what I've been trying to avoid when creating my tab archive (posted in a link below).

When you find a tab on the Internet, it may be over seven pages to print out. But if you look more closely at it, you'll notice it's quite often the same patterns which repeats over and over again. By only pointing out the unique patterns, and instructing which order to play them, there is usually no problems to reduce the tab to only two pages or less. And yet you have enough empty space to add both chords and lyrics to it - that way making it more complete than it was at the first stage.

Advantages is that you don't get interrupted by turning pages when you play the song. The song appears less overwhelming and it makes it easier to learn when you recognize these reoccurring patterns. Also it's easier to sing along with when you have the lyrics and the tab on the same page.

Take for example the Beatles song "Julia". It may sound complicated, but if you look more closely at it - you notice that it is only chords played and the same picking pattern repeated for each one of them (with only some slight exception - which may be commented in a note). All you need then is to write down the picking pattern for one chord, and then the name of the chords along with the lyrics - and you have complete instructions on how to play the song.

When it comes to songs with only chords and lyrics, you can usually add several songs on the same page. Sometimes it is possible with up to four or five songs. Here it's also often possible to reduce space, for example if the chorus is the same you don't need it all written down again when it comes the second time (just write "CHORUS" instead).

Of course you shouldn't exaggerate any of this. How far you want to go in this compressing work is up to you. My main idea is just that you can compress a lot of tabs without making it harder to read, more complicated to understand, simplified, or what so ever. If you have many tabs you want to play it will be helpful to compress. And of course you want to have many tabs. More is better. Variation is fun. In my tab archive I have a total of 238 songs in 116 pages. Since I print on both the front and the back sides of the pages I only need 58 papers, which I easily can put in a folder small enough to fit the pocket of my guitar case.

Here are the settings I use:

All text: Courier New (important!)
Song title and artist name: text size 10 and bold.
Lyrics and chords: text size 9.
Tab playing pattern: text size 8.
Melody/alternative playing/2nd guitar: (sometimes) text size 7.

Example:

You are my Sunshine - Jimmie Davies, Charles Mitchell

Lyrics:

C
You are my sunshine my only sunshine
F C
you make me happy when skies are gray

Tab:
e|-----------------0-------0---------0-------0----0------0----------|
B|-------1----3----1-------1--------------3-------1------1----------|
G|--0----------------------------------0-----0----------------------|
D|---------------------2-------2----------------------2------2------|
A|-------0----2----3---------------3--------------3-----------------|
E|--3----------------------3--------------3--------------3----------|
You Are My Sun-----Shine My On-ly Sun----Shine

Melody:
e|-----------0---0--|--0-----0--------|--------0--1--5--|--5--3--1--0------|
B|-----1--3---------|-----3-----1--1--|--1--3-----------|------------------|
G|--0---------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------------|

Most of the tabs in my archive are copied from the Internet. I have been careful about not adding any bad tabs by comparing different versions, checking comments and choosing top rated tabs. I have also played them all and found them acceptable (which isn't all too reliable though, since I don't have very good ear).

Here is a link to the archive:
http://www.gigafiles.co.uk/files/5047/davidTABS.pdf

I hope you find some of it useful. Some of these tabs may be only understandable for myself, but that's because I only had myself in mind when I wrote them. Sometimes I mix instructions in Swedish and in English and sometimes I've written that a capo should be used on a certain fret, but that may only mean that I prefer to play with capo on that fret, not necessarily that it's a original version uses capo on that fret (in my opinion it's not important to play in the same key as the original version). However, later on I've been trying to avoid such inconsistencies, and some of these tabs I have already changed in order to make them more consistent. If you don't find any of these tabs of value to print out, maybe I've inspired you to create your own archive!

Here is the complete list of the songs sorted by title:

Title Artist
59th street bridge song Simon and Garfunkel
800 grader Ebba Grön
A day in life Beatles, the
A long december Counting Crows
A spindle a darkness and... Bright Eyes
Abdication! Lucksmiths
Across the universe Beatles, the
After the goldrush Young Neil
Aldrig ska jag sluta... Gardell, Jonas
All I have to do is dream Everly Brothers
All my loving Beatles, the
All the world is green Waits, Tom
America Simon and Garfunkel
American Pie Don Mclean
Amie Rice, Damien
An attempt to tip... Bright Eyes
Annies song John Denver
Anything but you The Moldy Peaches
April come she will Simon and Garfunkel
As tears go by Rolling Stones, the
At my most beautiful R.E.M
At the bottom of everything Bright Eyes
Baby I love your way Peter Frampton
Bad moon rising Creedence Clearwater...
Balladen om Fredrik åkare... Vreeswijk, Cornelis
Balladen om konsekvenser Winnerbäck, Lars
Bandstarter Brainpool
Barnatro Religiöst
Basket Case Green Day
Because the night Bruce Springsteen
Bella Ciao Ital.
Between the bars Smith Elliott
Big rock candy mountain McLintock, Harry
Bird on a wire Cohen, Leonard
Björnes magasin signatur.. Björnes magasin
Black comedy Bright Eyes
Blackbird Beatles, the
Blott en dag Religiöst
Blowing in the wind Dylan, Bob
Blue angels air show Bright Eyes
Bookends Simon and Garfunkel
Bridge over trouble water Simon and Garfunkel
Can you feel the love John, Elton
Can't help falling in love Petri.
Cat's in the cradle Chapin, Harry
Catch the moon Andersson, Stefan
Cecilia Simon and Garfunkel
Chelsea Hotel #2 Cohen, Leonard
Dansen på Sunnanö Taube, Evert
Delicate Rice, Damien
Den första gång jag såg dig Sjöberg, Birger
Desperado Eagles, the
Det vackraste världen... Winnerbäck, Lars
Det är så jag säger det Hellström, Håkan
Do you want to know... Beatles, the
Don't cry Guns 'n' roses
Don't think twice Dylan, Bob
Donna Valens, Richie
Drive R.E.M
Edelweiss Trad.
En kungens man Afzelius, Björn
Everybody hurts R.E.M
Faller Winnerbäck, Lars
Famous blue raincoat Cohen, Leonard
Feb. 15th Bright Eyes
Felicia adjö Vreeswijk, Cornelis
Fenomena Winnerbäck, Lars
Fields of gold Cassidy, Eva
Find the river R.E.M
Fire Springsteen, Bruce
First day of my life Bright Eyes
Fjäriln vingad Bellman, CMJ
Flickan i Havanna Evert Taube
Flickan och kråkan Wiehe, Mikael
For the benefit of Mr. Kite Beatles, the
Fredrik Åkares morgonpsalm Vreeswijk, Cornelis
Fröken Julie Afzelius, Björn
För dig Winnerbäck, Lars
Girl Beatles, the
Girl from north country Dylan, Bob
Going for the gold Bright Eyes
Goodnight Elisabeth Counting Crows
Greensleeves Trad.
Hallelujah Cohen, Leonard
Heart of gold Young Neil
Heart of steel Manowar
Hello Richie, Lionel
Here comes the sun Beatles, the
Hey Jude Beatles, the
Hey, that's no way to say... Cohen, Leonard
Hold on Waits, Tom
Hon har ett sätt Hellman, Jakob
Hotel California Eagles, the
Hotel Yorba White Stripes, the
House of the rising sun Trad.
Hungry for a holiday Bright Eyes
Hurt Cash, Johnny
Här kommer pippi långstrump Lindgren, Astrid
Höstvisa Jansson, Tove
I am a rock Simon and Garfunkel
I hope I don't fall in love.. Waits, Tom
I like the flowers Trad.
I natt jag drömde Vreeswijk, Cornelis
I saved the world today Eurythmics
I see a darkness Billy, Bonnie Prince
I walk the line Cash, Johnny
I want to hold your hand Beatles, the
I Will Beatles, the
I will survive Cake
I'll follow the sun Beatles, the
I'm on fire Springsteen, Bruce
I've been eating for you Bright Eyes
Idas sommarvisa Lindgren, Astrid
If it be your will Cohen, Leonard
Ikaros Afzelius, Björn
Imagine Lennon, John
In my life Beatles, the
Jag vill ha en egen måne Gärdestad, Ted
Jamtlannstaus Burman, HP
Jealous guy Lennon, John
Jolene Parton, Dolly
Julia Beatles, the
Just like heaven Katie Melua
Just the way you are Joel, Billy
Kathys song Simon and Garfunkel
Knocking on heavens door Dylan, Bob
Kung av sand Gyllene Tider
Landlocked blues Bright Eyes
Laura Laurent Bright Eyes
Lay lady lay Dylan, Bob
Lemon Broder Daniel
Let it be Beatles, the
Lets not shit ourselves Bright Eyes
Lilla fågel blå Hellstrand, Staffan
Long beach Laakso
Losing my religion R.E.M
Love is all around Wet wet wet
Love me tender Presley, Elvis
Lovefool Cardigans, the
Man in black Cash, Johnny
Manus Winnerbäck, Lars
Memory Lloyd Webber, Andrew
Messenger birds song Bright Eyes
Miss Misery Smith Elliott
Month of mist Laakso
More than I can do Earle, Steve
Movement of a hand Bright Eyes
Mrs. Robinson Simon and Garfunkel
Märk hur vår skugga Bellman, CMJ
No lies, just love Bright Eyes
No woman no cry Marley, Bob
Non, rien n'a change Les Poppys
Nothing compares 2U Prince
Nothing else matters Metallica
Oh Carol Sedaka, Neil
Oh sister Dylan, Bob
Ol' 55 Waits, Tom
Older chests Rice, Damien
One of us Osborne, Joan
One of us cannot be wrong Cohen, Leonard
Only love can break... Young, Neil
Padriac my prince Bright Eyes
Perfect day Reed, Lou
Perfect sonnet Bright Eyes
Real love Beatles, the
Ring of fire Cash, Johnny
San Diego serenade Waits, Tom
Save tonight Eagle eye cherry
Say yes Smith Elliott
Seasons in the sun Jacks, Terry
Seems so long ago, Nancy Cohen, Leonard
Shelter from the storm Dylan, Bob
Shoreline Broder Daniel
Sis. Morphene Cirkus Miramar
Sisters of mercy Cohen, Leonard
So long, Marianne Cohen, Leonard
Something vague Bright Eyes
Somliga går med trasiga... Vreeswijk, Cornelis
Song for the asking Simon and Garfunkel
Song to pass the time Bright Eyes
Sounds of silence Simon and Garfunkel
Southern state Bright Eyes
Stand by me Lennon, John
Strawberry fields forever Beatles, the
Strong enough Crow, Sheryl
Sunday bloody sunday U2
Supergirl Reamon
Suzanne Cohen, Leonard
Sweet home Alabama Skynyrd, Lynyrd
Sång till friheten Afzelius, Björn
Take this Longing Cohen, Leonard
Take this waltz Cohen, Leonard
Tangled up in blue Dylan, Bob
Tears in heaven Clapton, Eric
Teddybjörnen Fredriksson Berghagen, Lasse
Tequila sunrise Eagles, the
Tereza and Tomas Bright Eyes
The calendar hung itself Bright Eyes
The difference in the... Bright Eyes
The lion sleeps tonight Trad.
The Partisan Cohen, Leonard
The river Springsteen, Bruce
Time Waits, Tom
Tonight will be fine Cohen, Leonard
Tout les filles... Francoise Hardy
Trettifyran Olle Adolphson
Trubbel Olle Adolphson
Untidy towns Lucksmiths
Waltz #2 Smith Elliott
Wednesday morning 3 A.M. Simon and Garfunkel
Vem kan segla Trad.
Veronika Vreeswijk, Cornelis
When the stars go blue Adams, Ryan
Where the wild roses... Nick Cave
While my guitar gently... Beatles, the
Whirlwind Broder Daniel
Whiter shade of pale Procul Harum
Who loves the sun Velvet Underground
Winter lady Cohen, Leonard
Visa i molom Hambe, Alf
Visa vid vindens ängar Paulsson, Mats
Woman Lennon, John
Wonderful tonight Clapton, Eric
Wonderwall Adams, Ryan
Vårvindar friska Nyman, Julia
Vänner Winnerbäck, Lars
Värmlandsvisan Fryxell, Anders
Yesterday Beatles, the
Yesterday is here Waits, Tom
You are my sunshine Davies & Mitchell
You know who I am Cohen, Leonard
You will Bright Eyes
You're beautiful Blunt, James
You're innocent when you... Waits, Tom
You've got to hide... Beatles, the
Your song John, Elton
Älska mig Nilsson, Marie
Älska mig nu Afzelius, Björn