(Emerson, Lake & Palmer)
Written by Greg Lake in the key of Am in 4/4 and 3/4 time
Released on the album: Pictures At An Exhibition (1971)
Fingerstyle version for single acoustic guitar
The Sage on Wikipedia | Lyrics
thumb: x Hammer on: h Bend up: V Play or don't: ()
index: a Pull off: p Bend down: Λ Break: b
dirty: b Slide up: / Fret but don't pick: ! Downward stroke: ↑
ring: c Slide down: \ Staccato: : Upward stroke: ↓
pinky: d Arpeggio: ~~~ Mute: m
To stabilize your picking hand, put your thumb on the A-string in the red marked part
Red colored exclamation marks offer additional fretting information
Click on < x > to do the switcheroo
Greg Lake had a faible for 5-string arpeggios played flat-style
For fingerpickers I suggest the following picking pattern: x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x
INTRO
Am(add9) Fmaj7(13)
e-----------------0------------------|-----------------0-------------| picking pattern:
b--------------0-----0---------------|--------------0-----0----------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x (2x)
g----------5d-----------5d-----------|----------5d-----------5d------|
D------2a-------------------2a---/---|------3a------------------3a---|
A---0--------------------------------|---0---------------------------|
E------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
... I ...
Am(add9) Fmaj7(13)
e-----------------0------------------|---↑0------| picking pattern:
b--------------0-----0---------------|---↑0------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x
g----------5d-----------5d-----------|---↑5d-----| a~~~
D------2a-------------------2a---/---|---↑3a-----|
A---0--------------------------------|---↑0------|
E------------------------------------|-----------|
4/4
1ST VERSE
... carry the dust of a ...
Am(add9) Fmaj7(13)
e-----------------0------------------|-----------------0--------------| picking pattern:
b--------------0-----0---------------|--------------0-----0-----------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x (2x)
g----------5d-----------5d-----------|----------5d-----------5d-------|
D------2a-------------------2a---/---|------3a-------------------3a---|
A---0--------------------------------|---0----------------------------|
E------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
... journey ... that ...
Am(add9) Fmaj7(13)
e-----------------0------------------|-----------------0-----| picking pattern:
b--------------0-----0---------------|--------------0--------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x
g----------5d-----------5d-----------|----------5d-----------| x - x - a - b - c
D------2a-------------------2a---/---|------3a---------------|
A---0--------------------------------|---0-------------------|
E------------------------------------|-----------------------| info
1/2
... cannot be shaken a- ...
Am(add9) Fmaj7(13)
e-----------------0------------------|------------------0------------------| picking pattern:
b--------------0-----0---------------|---------------0-----0---------------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x (2x)
g----------5d-----------5d-----------|-----------5d-----------5d-----------|
D------2a-------------------2a---/---|-------3a-------------------3a---/---|
A---0--------------------------------|---0---------------------------------|
E------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
... way ... it ...
Ebdim/E
e------------------8d---7cp5a---------|---!------/-----!11b:----------!12d-------| picking pattern:
b--------------7b----------------7c---|---5a-----/-----10a:-----\-----9a---------| x - a - b - c - b - b - b - b
g----------8c-------------------------|---!------/-----10a:-----\-----9a---------| abc - abc
D------7a-----------------------------|------------------------------------------|
A-------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
E---0------------- let ring ----------|-------------- let ring ------------------|
1/4 1/4 1/2
<-------- half barrés --------->
... lives deep wi- ...
Dsus2 E/Ab
e---------------0---1p0-----------|------------------0--------------| picking pattern:
b-----------3d-----------3d-------|---------------0-----0-----------| x - a - b - c - b - b - a
g-------2b-------------------2b---|-----------1a-----------1a-------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x
D---0-----------------------------|-------2b-------------------2c---|
A---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E---------------------------------|---4d----------------------------|
1/4
... thin me ... for I ...
Am(add9) Fmaj7(13) Am(add9)
e---------------------------------|-----------------0------| picking pattern:
b--------------0--------------0---|--------------0---------| x - a - b - c (2x)
g----------5d-------------5d------|----------5d------------| x - x - a - b - c
D------2a-------------3a----------|------2a----------------|
A---0--------------0--------------|---0--------------------|
E---------------------------------|------------------------|
1/2
... I breathe it every ...
Dsus2 E
e---------------0h1a---------------|-------------------0---------------------| picking pattern:
b----------3d----------------------|---------------0-------------------------| x - a - b - c
g------2b--------------------------|----------1a-----------------------------| x - x - a - b - c
D---0------------------------------|------2c-----------------------------/---|
A----------------------------------|---!-------------------------------------| < x >
E----------------------------------|---0-------------------------------------|
5/8 1/2
... day ...
?? Am
e------------------1a---------------|------------------5d----| picking pattern:
b--------------1a------1a-----------|--------------5d--------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x
g----------4d--------------4d-------|----------5d------------| x - x - a - b - c
D------3c----------------------3c---|------2a----------------|
A---0-------------------------------|---0--------------------|
E-----------------------------------|------------------------| ritardando
1/2
2ND VERSE (same tab as 1st verse with tiny variation)
... You and I are yesterdays ...
... answers ... the ...
... earth of the past come to ...
... flesh ...
Ebdim/E E
e------------------8d---7cp5a---------|----------------------↑0-----| picking pattern:
b--------------7b----------------7c---|---5a\3a---0----------↑0-----| x - a - b - c - b - b - b
g----------8c-------------------------|---------------1a-----↑1a----| b - b - a - x~~~
D------7a-----------------------------|----------------------↑2c----|
A-------------------------------------|----------------------↑2b----|
E---0------------- let ring ----------|------- let ring ------------|
1/4 1/4 1/2
... eroded by time's ...
... rivers ... to the ...
... shapes ... we now pos- ...
... sess ...
INTERLUDE
On the record and in an earlier live footage, Greg continues with a piece of music in 3/4 time
It's difficult to play (hybrid picked by Lake) and somehow doesn't fit into the song anyway
Years later, Greg replaced it with an electric guitar solo (Florian Opahle)
I decided to replace it with two familiar song intros in Am
Stairway To Heaven
e------------5a----7d-----------7d---|---8d-----------8d-----2a-----------2a---| picking pattern:
b---------5a------------5a-----------|--------5a------------------3b-----------| x - a - b - c
g------5a-------------------5a-------|------------5a------\-----------2a-------| xc - b -a - c (3x)
D---7c-------------6b----------------|---5a------------------4c----------------|
A------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
<----------------------------- full barré ----------------------------->
e---0-------------------------------------|-----------------| picking pattern:
b--------1a------1a----/----3a------------|-----------------| xc - b - a - b
g------------2b------------------4b-------|-----------------| b - a - a - a - x
D---3c-------------------------------5c---|---5c/7c---------|
A-----------------------------------------|------------0----|
E-----------------------------------------|-----------------|
1/4 1/4 3/4
True Colors
e---3d-------------3d----3d-------------3d---|---3d-------------------------------| picking pattern:
b--------0---1a---------------0---1a---------|--------0---1a-----------0---1a-----| xc - b - b - xc (2x)
g--------------------------------------------|-----------------2b-----------------| xc - b - b - x - b - b
D--------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
A---0--------------0-----2b-------------2b---|---3c-------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------------|-----------------1x---(let ring)----|
3/8
e---3d-------------3d----3d-------------3d---|---3d-------------------------------| picking pattern:
b--------0---1a---------------0---1a---------|--------0---1a----------------------| xc - b - b - xc (2x)
g--------------------------------------------|-----------------2b-----------------| xc - b - b - xb
D--------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
A---0--------------0-----2b-------------2b---|---3c-------------------------------|
E--------------------------------------------|-----------------1a---(let ring)----|
5/8
<--- full barré --->
BRIDGE
e---3d---------------------------------------------------|
b--------0---1a------0-----------------------------------|
g----------------2b------0---2a-------0------------------|
D--------------------------------4d-------2a---4d--------|
A---------------------------------------------------2a---| info
E--------------------------------------------------------| ritardando
Em(add9) Cmaj7(13)
e--------------------------------|-------------------------------| picking pattern:
b-----------------0--------------|----------------0--------------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x (2x)
g--------------0-----0-----------|-------------0-----0-----------|
D----------4d-----------4d-------|---------4d-----------4d-------|
A------2a-------------------2a---|------3b------------------3b---|
E---0----------------------------|---0---------------------------|
Em(add9) Cmaj7(13)
e--------------------------------|-------------------------|-------------↓0----| picking pattern:
b-----------------0--------------|------------------0------|------------↓0-----| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x
g--------------0-----0-----------|--------------0----------|---b-------↓0------| x - x - a - b - c
D----------4d-----------4d-------|----------4d-------------|----------↓4d------| a~~~
A------2a-------------------2a---|------3b-----------------|---------↓3b-------|
E---0----------------------------|---0---------------------|-------------------|
2/4 7/8
Am(add9) Fmaj7(13)
e------------------0--------------|-----------------0--------------| picking pattern:
b--------------0------0-----------|--------------0-----0-----------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x (2x)
g----------5d------------5d-------|----------5d-----------5d-------|
D------2a--------------------2a---|------3a-------------------3a---|
A---0-----------------------------|---0----------------------------|
E---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
Am(add9) Fmaj7(13)
... Come ...
e------------------0--------------|---↑0------| picking pattern:
b--------------0------0-----------|---↑0------| x - x - a - b - c - b - a - x
g----------5d------------5d-------|---↑5d-----| a~~~
D------2a--------------------2a---|---↑3a-----|
A---0-----------------------------|---↑0------|
E---------------------------------|-----------| ritardando
4/4
3RD VERSE (same tab as 1st verse with another tiny variation)
... share of my breath and my ...
... substance ... and ...
... mingle our streams and our ...
... times ...
E7 E
e------------------7d---5bp4a---------|--------------------------------| picking pattern:
b--------------0-----------------7d---|---5b---------------------------| x - a - b - c - b - b - b
g----------7c-------------------------|--------7d----4a----------------| b - a - a - a - x
D------6a-----------------------------|--------------------6c----------|
A-------------------------------------|-------------------------7d-----|
E---0------------- let ring ----------|------- let ring ---------------|
1/4 1/2
... in bright infinite ...
... moments ... our ...
... reasons ... are lost in our ...
... rhymes ...