Byrds - The Bells Of Rhymney guitar tab
This is how I play the song. After listening to it since 1965, it was a
revelation to me (once I started to try to pick it up) how much the
dropped-D tuning adds to the Byrds arrangement. Having the bass tuned
down to D too really puts a floor under the song! The tab, of course,
is not perfect. Corrections, additions, etc. always sought and welcome.
Peace.
Rick
rsambu@aol.com
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THE BELLS OF RHYMNEY
(Idris Davies & Pete Seeger)
as performed by The Byrds on their self-titled first LP
(Robyn Hitchcock does true-to-The-Byrds version)
- one guitar and bass drop low E to D (necessary)
- one 12-string (you know what brand) guitar would be great
opening riff:
e|--------0-2------|----3-2-0-------|--------0-2------|----3-2-0--------|
B|----3-------3----|----------3-----|----3-------3----|----------3------|
G|------2-------2--|------------2---|------2-------2--|-------------2---|
D|-----------------|--------------0-|-----------------|---------------0-|
A|-----------------|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
D|--0--------------|--0-------------|--0--------------|--0--------------|
(verse 1):
D G D/F# E D(w/opening riff)
Oh what will you give me say the sad bells of Rhymney
C Em A
Is there hope for the future say the brown bells of Merthyr
D C Em A
Who made the mine owner say the black bells of Rhonda
D G D/F# E D(w/opening riff)
And who killed the miner say the grim bells of Blaina
(opening riff)
(verse 2):
D G D/F# E D(w/opening riff)
Put vandals in court say the bells of Newport
Bm C Em A
All will be well if if if if if say the green bells of Cardiff
D Bm G E
Why so worried sisters why say the silver bells of Wye
D G D/F# E D(w/opening riff)
And what will you give me say the sad bells of Rhymney
(break; also see note):
/ D / D / D / D / G / Em / Edim7 / Edim7 /
(opening riff)
(repeat first verse)
(end):
| opening riff |
G / D / E / E / D / D / D / D /
oh.....oh.....oh..........oh.............
| opening riff |
G / D / A / A / D / D / D / D /
oh.....oh.....oh..........oh.............
__________________________________________
note on break:
If someone wants to post accurate tab for the break, please do. Meanwhile,
what I do is improvise a bit around this. Most of it is strummed~~~~~~~~.
I think Pete Seeger would approve of (any) liberties I've taken; I hope
Roger McGuinn would, too.
D D D D
e|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
B|-10~~~~~~~~~~~--|-12~~~~~~~~~~~~--|-10~~~~~~~~~~~~--|---12-10------------|
G|-11~~~~~~~~~~~--|-11~~~~~~~~~~~~--|-11~~~~~~~~~~~~--|---------12--11-----|
D|-12~~~~~~~~~~~--|-12~~~~~~~~~~~~--|-12~~~~~~~~~~~~--|----------------12--|
A|----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
D|0---------------|0----------------|0----------------|0-------------------|
G Em Edim7 Edim7
e|-7~~~~~~~~~~~--|--7~~~/12~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
B|-8~~~~~~~~~~~--|--8~~~/12~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
G|-7~~~~~~~~~~~--|--9~~~/12~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--3~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
D|---------------|-------14~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~--|--2~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--|
A|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
D|---------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|
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some chords for the dropped-D guitar:
D G E D/F# Edim7 Em C A Bm
e|----3------x-------0-------2------3-------0-------0-------0-------2-----|
B|----2------x-------0-------3------2-------0-------1-------2-------3-----|
G|----3------x-------1-------2------3-------0-------0-------2-------4-----|
D|----0------5-------2-------0------2-------2-------2-------2-------4-----|
A|----0------5-------2-------0------x-------2-------3-------0-------2-----|
D|----0------5-------2-------4------x-------2-------x-------x-------x-----|
