Beatles - The Long & Winding Road guitar tab
The Long and Winding Road - Lennon & McCartney
This arrangement is very close to the recorded version. Just listen to the
Beatles and you know what to play. I recorded this piece for rmmga Tape V.
Arrangement - Chifuru "Chief" Noda ( cn@christa.unh.edu )
Date - August 30, 1995
Tuning - drop D (D A D G B E)
Keycode - (letter) - section name
h - hammer on
..........A - artificial harmonics (see Appendix)
Roadmap: Play as follows A A' B A'' C A' D
Section A and A' are the same except measure 9.
Section A'' is played using artificial harmonics. If this is too difficult,
play Section A.
Section D is the ending that is entered after measure 11 of Section A'
** Section A **
Start with a pick-up measure (measure #0)
Measure #1: B note is fretted instead of open B so that F#, D and B can ring.
If difficult, use open B.
Measure #2: Whatever the chord is, it sounds good
Measure #3: You can slide your pinky from 5th fret to 3rd fret on D string
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
-2---|-3---2---------0-|-------------0---|---------0-1---0-|-----------------|
-----|-0-------3-------|---1-1---1-1-----|-3-----3-0-------|-----1---0-------|
-----|-0---------4-----|---0-0---0-0-----|-----4---0-------|-------------0---|
-----|-----------------|---0-0---0-0-----|---5-----3---3---|---2-----------2-|
-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3-----3---3-----|
-----|-2---------------|---0-0---0-0-----|-5---------------|-----------------|
Measure #5: x2x032 chord is fingered xIx0RM (index on 5th, middle on 1st, and
ring on 2nd strings) - a little tricky
Measure #7: the number in () may be added.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
-----0---2-3-----|-0---------------|-------------0---|-----------------|
-----1---3---3---|---0-------------|-----1---3-----3-|-3-----3-1---3---|
-----0---0-----4-|-----0-----------|-----0--(5)------|-----4----(2)----|
---2-------------|---------2-------|---2--(0)--4-----|---5-------3---5-|
-3-------2-------|-----------2-----|-0-------5-------|-----------------|
-----------------|-2-----------2---|-----------------|-5-------3---5---|
Measure #11: G note is fingered with pinky
Measure #12: G note is fingered with index
(there are other possibilities - you can play D7 in Meas#11 on 5th pos)
Measure #12: The last note F# is a pick-up note and is not sometimes played
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
-----0---2-3-----|-0---------------|-----0---2---3---|-3-------3---2---|
-----1---3---3---|---0-------------|-----1---1-------|-------0---------|
-----0---0-----4-|-----0-----------|-----0---2-------|-----0-----------|
---2-------------|---------2-------|---2-------------|---0-------------|
-3-------2-------|-----------2-----|-0---------------|-----------------|
-----------------|-2-----------2---|---------0-------|-5---------------|
** Section A' **
Measure #9 is the only difference from Section A so I repeat Measures #9 - 12
only
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
-----0---5-3---23|-0---------------|-----0---2---3---|-3-------3---2---|
-----1---3-------|---0-------------|-----1---1-------|-------0---------|
-----0---0---0---|-----0-----------|-----0---2-------|-----0-----------|
---2-------------|---------2-------|---2-------------|---0-------------|
-3-------2-------|-----------2-----|-0---------------|-----------------|
-----------------|-2-----------2---|---------0-------|-5---------------|
** Section B **
Repeat this twice for Section B
The timing is a little funny; I think I've added extra beats. If you like
to be "true" to the Beatles, take out a few notes here and there :-)
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | .
-5-5-5-----------5-----------0---|-5---3---0-----------------------|
---------------------------------|-5-----------0---------------0---|
-------------0-------------------|-------------------------0-------|
-0-------0-4h------------0-------|---------4-----------4-----------|
---------------------------------|-3---------------3---------------|
---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | .
---------------------------------|----------------------------(2)--|
-0---3-----------------------3---|-3---1---------------------------|
---------0---------------0-------|-2-------2-----------------------|
---------------------0-----------|-------------0-------------------|
-2---------------2---------------|-----------------0---------------|
---------------------------------|-0-------------------------------|
** Section A'' **
In this section, the melody is played entirely using artificial harmonics (as
indicated by A after the number). See Appendix for artificial harmonics. Note
that sometimes bass notes are staggered so the harmonics can be heard. I
chnage things around and this is just an example of how you could do it.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
-2A--|-3A--2A--------0A|-------------0A--|---------0A1A--0A|-----------------|
-----|---------3A------|---1-1---1-1-----|-3A--------------|-----1A--0A------|
-----|-----------4A----|---0-0---0-0-----|-------4---------|-------------0A--|
-----|-----------------|---0-0---0-0-----|-----5-------3---|---2-----------2A|
-----|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-3-----3---3-----|
-----|---2-------------|---0-0---0-0-----|---5-----3-------|-----------------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
-----0A--2A3A----|-0A--------------|-------------0A--|-----------------|
-------------3A--|---0A------------|-----1A--3A------|-3A------1A--3A--|
---------------4A|-----0A----------|-----------------|---4A--4A--2A--4A|
---2-------------|---------2A------|---2-------4-----|-----5A----------|
-3-------2-------|-----------2A----|-0-------5-------|-----------------|
-----------------|-2-----------2A--|-----------------|-----------------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
-----0A--2A3A----|-0A--------------|-----0A--2A--3A--|-3A--------------|
-------------3A--|---0A------------|-----------------|-----------0A----|
---------------4A|-----0A----------|-----------------|---------0A--0A--|
---2-------------|---------2A------|---2-------------|-------0A--------|
-3-------2-------|-----------2A----|-0---------------|-----------------|
-----------------|-2-----------2A--|---------0-------|-5---------------|
** Section C **
This is the part where strings come in. Sustain notes as much as possible and
make guitar sounds like string section ;-P
| | | | | | | |
---------0-----0-|-2-----2-3---5---|
-3-----3---------|-----3-----------|
-----0-------0---|-----------------|
---4-------4-----|---4-------------|
---------0-------|-2---------------|
-5---------------|-----------------|
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | .
-10----------10--12----------12--|-14----------14--15-------17------|
-----7---8-----------------------|---------12-----------------------|
-0-------------------11--12------|-----11---------------------------|
---------------------------------|-0--------------------------------|
-----------------0---------------|----------------------------------|
---------------------------------|----------------------------------|
** Section D (end) **
This is the CODa section, and you come here after you play measure #11 of
section A' (or A).
Measure #4: Artificial harmonics again. If you prefer, just omit "A" and fret
as numbered. I finger this chord by using ring finger to hold 5th AND 6th
strings.
Measure #5: Yes, this single note can make or kill the tune. Get a clear tone!
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | .
-3-------2-------------------0---|----------------------------------|
-0---------------3---------------|-----1---1-------1----1-----------|
-0-------------------4-----------|-----0---0-------0----0-----------|
---------------------------------|-----0---0-------0----0-----------|
---------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-2-------------------------------|-----0---0-------0----0-----------|
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | .
---------------------------------|----------------------------------|
---------------------------------|--------------------------3A------|
-0-------2-------4---------------|----------------------4A----------|
-0-------------------------------|-----------------5A---------------|
---------------------------------|-------------5A-------------------|
-0-------------------------------|-5A-------------------------------|
| . | . | . | .
-3A------------------------------||
---------------------------------|| END
---------------------------------||
---------------------------------||
---------------------------------||
---------------------------------||
Appendix: Artificial Harmonics
To play artificial harmonics, your left hand frets a string as indicated.
For example, if it says "3A", your left hand actually holds string on 3rd
fret. There are two methods for right hand.
(a) classical (I use it here)
Your RH index finger touches 12 frets above the fretted note. Using the
same example, your index finger touches 15th fret (3+12), but do not
fret the string here. Your ring finger (or middle finger) then plucks the
string and you'll get harmonics. This takes some practice, so don't
despair if the first attempt fails.
(b) jazzy
Your RH index finger touches 12 frets as above. But your RH thumb is used
to pluck the string.
In (a), your index finger is almost perpendicular to strings. In (b),
your index finger is almost parallel to strings.
The choice of (a) or b) depends on what you play: In (a), your thumb can
play bass notes. In (b), your middle and ring fingers can add hramony
notes or you can do "harmonic cascade".
Practice: You can practice this by playing a scale.
For further info, you can look at some advanced guitar method books.
