Dreamin' Again

DREAMIN' AGAIN (Jim Croce)

Written by Jim Croce in the key of D in 4/4 time
Released on the album: Life And Times (1973)
Fingerstyle version for single acoustic guitar
Dreamin' Again on Wikipedia | Lyrics

 Studio Version

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 ring on the e-string in the red marked part
Red colored exclamation marks offer additional fretting information
Keep 3c pressed in the green marked part

chord image legend: x = fretted and played
                    o = fretted but not played

Picking patterns that fit most Croce songs in 4/4 time:
x - a - bc - a - x - a - bc - a
x - a - bc - x - a - bc - x - a
x - a - b - (x)c - b - a - x - a
x - a - b - x - c - b - x - a


INTRO (starting the song with an atypical Croce picking pattern)

    Dsus2                                                                     Em7    C9
e---0----------------0----------------0---------|---------0-------------------0-------0----|  picking pattern:
b--------3c---------------3c---------------3c---|--------------3c-------------3c------3c---|  xc - b - a - c - b - a (2x)
g--------------2b---------------2b--------------|---2b---------------2b-------0-------0----|  xabc (2x)
D---0---------------------------------0---------|-----------------------------2a------!----|
A-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------3b---|
E-----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
                                                                              ¼      ¼

    Dsus2                                                                     Em7    C9
e---0----------------0----------------0---------|---------0-------------------0-------0----|  picking pattern:
b--------3c---------------3c---------------3c---|--------------3c-------------3c------3c---|  xc - b - a - c - b - a (2x)
g--------------2b---------------2b--------------|---2b---------------2b-------0-------0----|  xabc (2x)
D---0---------------------------------0---------|-----------------------------2a------!----|
A-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------3b---|
E-----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|  repeat tab 1x
                                                                              ¼      ¼
... Don't you ...
    Dsus2                                                                     Em7    C9
e---0----------------0----------------0---------|---------0-------------------0-------0----|  picking pattern:
b--------3c---------------3c---------------3c---|--------------3c-------------3c------3c---|  xc - b - a - c - b - a (2x)
g--------------2b---------------2b--------------|---2b---------------2b-------0-------0----|  xabc (2x)
D---0---------------------------------0---------|-----------------------------2a------!----|
A-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------3b---|
E-----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
                                                                              ¼      ¼
1ST VERSE

... know I had a dream last night ...
    D                 D/Db                   Bm               D/A
e------------2b----------------2a--------|-----------2a----------------2b--------|  picking pattern:
b------------3c----------------3b--------|-----------3b----------------3c--------|  x - a - bc - a  (4x)
g--------2a-------2a------2a--------2a---|-------4d------4d--------2a-------2a---|
D---0------------------------------------|-------!-------------------------------|
A---------------------4d-----------------|---2a---------------0------------------|
E----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|  info
                          <--------- full barrés --------->

... that you were here with me ...
    G                                        Dsus2
e-----------------3d---------------------|---0-------------0--------------0---------|  picking pattern:
b------------3c--------3c----------------|-------3c------------3c--------------3c---|  x - a - b - c - b - a - x - a
g-------0-------------------0--------0---|------------2a-------------2a-------------|  xc - b - a - c - b - a - c - b
D--------------------------------0-------|---0--------------------------------------|
A----------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
E---3b-----------------------------------|------------------------------------------|

... lyin' by my side so soft and ...
    D               D/Db                     Bm               D/A
e---0h2b-----------------------2a--------|-----------2a----------------2b--------|  picking pattern:
b---------3c-------------------3b--------|-----------3b----------------3c--------|  xc - b - a
g--------------2a---------2a--------2a---|-------4d------4d--------2a-------2a---|  x - a - bc - a (3x)
D---0------------------------------------|-------!-------------------------------|
A-------------------4d-------------------|---2a---------------0------------------|
E----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
    ¼                    <---------- full barrés -------->

... warm ... and we ...
    Em                                    A7sus4
e----------------0--------------------|-----------------0----------------------|  picking pattern:
b------------0--------0---------------|------------3c--------3c----------------|  x - a - b - xc - b - a - x - a (2x)
g-------0-----------------0-------0---|-------0-------------------0--------0---|
D----------------2c-------------------|-----------------2a---------------------|
A---!---------------------------------|---0----------------------------0-------|
E---0-------------------------0-------|----------------------------------------|

... talked a while and shared a smile ...
    D                 D/Db                   Bm               D/A
e------------2b----------------2a--------|-----------2a----------------2b--------|  picking pattern: 
b------------3c----------------3b--------|-----------3b----------------3c--------|  x - a - bc - a  (4x)
g--------2a-------2a------2a--------2a---|-------4d------4d--------2a-------2a---|
D---0------------------------------------|-------!-------------------------------|
A---------------------4d-----------------|---2a---------------0------------------|
E----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
                          <--------- full barrés --------->

... and then we shared the dawn ... but when I ...
    G                                        Dsus2                        F#m7
e-----------------3d---------------------|---0-------------0------------------------|  picking pattern:
b------------3c--------3c----------------|-------3c------------3c-------------------|  x - a - b - c - b - a - x - a
g-------0-------------------0--------0---|------------2a-------------2a--------2a---|  xc - b - a - c - b - a - x- a
D-------------------------------0--------|---0--------------------------------------|
A----------------------------------------|--------------------------------4d--------|
E---3b-----------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
                                                                               <----
... woke up oh my dream it was ...
    Bm                                          F#m
e------------------2a-----------------------|-----------------2a---------------------|  picking pattern:
b-------------3b--------3b------------------|------------2a-------2a-----------------|  x - a - b - xc - b - a - x - a (2x)
g--------4d-------------------4d-------4d---|-------2a-----------------2a-------2a---|
D------------------4c-----------------------|-----------------4d---------------------|
A---2a-----------------------------2a-------|---!------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------------|---2a--------------------------2a-------|
 ------------------------ full barrés ------------------------------------------->

... gone ... Don't you ...
    Em                                    A7sus4
e----------------0--------------------|----------------0----------------------|  picking pattern:
b------------0--------0---------------|------------3c-------3c----------------|  x - a - b - xc - b - a - x - a (2x)
g-------0-----------------0-------0---|-------0------------------0--------0---|
D----------------2c-------------------|----------------2a---------------------|
A---!---------------------------------|---0---------------------------0-------|
E---0-------------------------0-------|---------------------------------------|

2ND VERSE (same tab as 1st verse)

... know I had a dream last night ...
... and you were here with me ...
... lyin' by my side so soft and ...
... warm ... and you ...
... said you'd thought it over ... you ...
... said you were coming home ... but when I ...
... woke up oh my dream it was ...
... gone ...

BRIDGE (Mind the exact finger positions)

    Dsus2                                                                     Em7    C9
e---0----------------0----------------0---------|---------0-------------------0-------0----|  picking pattern:
b--------3c---------------3c---------------3c---|--------------3c-------------3c------3c---|  xc - b - a - c - b - a (2x)
g--------------2b---------------2b--------------|---2b---------------2b-------0-------0----|  xabc (2x)
D---0---------------------------------0---------|-----------------------------2a------!----|
A-----------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------3b---|
E-----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
                                                                              ¼      ¼
... I'm not the ...
    Dsus2                                                                    D
e---0----------------0----------------0---------|---------0------------------0h2b-------------|  picking pattern:
b--------3c---------------3c---------------3c---|--------------3c-------------------3c--------|  xc - b - a - c - b - a (2x)
g--------------2a---------------2a--------------|---2a---------------2a------------------2a---|  xc - b - a
D---0---------------------------------0---------|----------------------------0----------------|
A-----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
E-----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
                                                                             ¼
INTERLUDE

||:

1... same ... can you blame me ... is it ...
2... get ... you can't change me .... I am ...
    Em                                      A7sus4
e-----------0--------------0------------|-----------0---------------0---------------|  picking pattern:
b-----------0--------------0------------|-----------3c--------------3c--------------|  x - a - bc - x - a - bc - x - a (2x)
g-------0--------------0------------0---|-------0---------------0---------------0---|
D-----------------2c--------------------|------------------2a-----------------------|
A---!-----------------------------------|---0-------------------------------0-------|
E---0---------------------------0-------|-------------------------------------------|

1... hard to understand ... I can't for- ....
2... not that kind of man ...
    Dsus2      D/Db      D/B              D/A           G
e----------------------------------------------------|----------------3d---------------------|  picking pattern:
b---3c---------3c---------3c---------------3c--------|-----------3c--------3c----------------|  xb - a (4x)
g--------2a---------2a--------------2a----------2a---|-------0------------------0--------0---|  x - a - b - xc - b - a - x - a
D---0------------------------------------------------|----------------0----------------------|
A--------------4d---------2a---------------0---------|---------------------------------------|
E----------------------------------------------------|---3b-------------------------3b-------|
                          <full barré>
:||

... Don't you ...
    A                     Asus4
e--------------0---------------------0--------|------------|  picking pattern:
b--------------2b---------!3d-----------------|------------|  x - a - bc - a - xb - a - xc - a
g--------2a---------2a----------2a-------2a---|------------|
D-------------------------2a------------------|------------|
A---0--------------------------------0--------|------------|
E---------------------------------------------|------------|  ritardando
                                               <-- info -->

3RD VERSE (same tab as 1st verse in slightly diminished tempo)

... know I had a dream last night ...
... and ev'rything was still ...
... and you were by my side so soft and ...
... warm ... and I ...
... dreamed that we were lovers ...
... in the lemon scented ...
... rain ... but when I ...
... woke up ... oh I found that ...
... again ... I had been ...

OUTRO (same as intro)

... dreamin' ... dreamin' a- ...
... gain ... I had been ...
... dreamin' ... dreamin' a- ...
... gain ...

Stay on the final C9 chord and let it ring