I'LL HAVE TO SAY I LOVE YOU IN A SONG (Jim Croce)

Written by Jim Croce in the key of A in 4/4 time
Released on the album: I Got A Name (1973)
Released as a single in 1974 (ABC/Philips)
Fingerstyle version for single acoustic guitar
I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song 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

The song starts with an open Amaj7 chord on the 1st fret followed by a C#m chord on the 4th fret
I decided to ease things up a bit with an open Amaj7 chord on the 5th fret
Song structure and chord positions slightly differ from the original version

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

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 (The E7 chord on the upper frets can be played in different ways
         Play ad lib but stay with your pinky on the g-string)

||:

    Amaj7                              C#m
e----------------------------------|----------4a----------4a---------------|  picking pattern:
b----------5b----------5b----------|----------5b----------5b-----------\---|  x - a - b - x - a - b - x - a
g------6d----------6d---------6d---|------6d----------6d----------6d---\---|  x - a - bc - x - a - bc - x - a
D--------------6c------------------|--------------6c-------------------\---|
A---0----------------------0-------|---4a---------------------4a-----------|
E----------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
                                       <------- full barré -------->
1.
    Bm                                      Dm               E7
e----------2a----------2a-----------/---|-----------5a----------------0-----------|  picking pattern:
b----------3b----------3b-----------/---|-----------6b----------------0-----------|  x - a - bc - x - a - bc - x - a
g------4d----------4d----------4d---/---|-------7d------7d-------7d------7d---\---|  x - a - bc - a (2x)
D--------------4c-------------------/---|---!----------------!----------------\---|
A---2a---------------------2a-------/---|---5a------------------------------------|
E---------------------------------------|--------------------0--------------------|
    <----------------- full barrés ---------------------->

2... Well I ...
    Bm                                      Dm               E7
e----------2a----------2a-----------/---|-----------5a----------------0-----------|  picking pattern:
b----------3b----------3b-----------/---|-----------6b----------------0-----------|  x - a - bc - x - a - bc - x - a
g------4d----------4d----------4d---/---|-------7d------7d-------7d------7d---\---|  x - a - bc - a (2x)
D--------------4c-------------------/---|---!----------------!----------------\---|
A---2a---------------------2a-------/---|---5a------------------------------------|
E---------------------------------------|--------------------0--------------------|
    <----------------- full barrés ---------------------->

:||

1ST VERSE

||:

1... know it's kinda late ...
2... gotta say can't wait ...
    Amaj7                              C#m
e----------------------------------|----------5a----------4a---------------|  picking pattern:
b----------5b----------5b----------|----------5b----------5b-----------\---|  x - a - b - x - a - b - x - a
g------6d----------6d---------6d---|------6d----------6d----------6d-------|  x - a - bc - x - a - bc - x - a
D--------------6c------------------|--------------6c-------------------\---|
A---0----------------------0-------|---4a---------------------4a-----------|
E----------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
                                       <-------- 5/6 barré -------->

1... I hope I didn't wake you ... but what I've ...
    Bm7                                      E
e----------2a----------2a------------/---|--------------------4a---------------|  picking pattern:
b----------3b----------3b------------/---|-----------5b-----------5b-----------|  x - a - bc - x - a - bc - x - a
g------2a----------2a----------2a----/---|------4a------------------------4a---|  x - a - b - x - c - b - x - a
D--------------4c--------------------/---|----------------6c-------------------|
A---2a---------------------2a--------/---|-------------------------------------|
E----------------------------------------|---0------------------------0--------|
    <----------------------------- 5/6 barrés ----------------------------->

2... I know you'd understand ...
    Bm7                                 E
e----------2a----------2a-----------|--------------------0----------------|  picking pattern:
b----------3b----------3b-----------|------------0-----------0------------|  x - a - bc - x - a - bc - x - a
g------2a----------2a----------2a---|------1a------------------------1a---|  x - a - b - x - c - b - x - a
D--------------4c-------------------|----------------2c-------------------|
A---2a---------------------2a-------|---!---------------------------------|
E-----------------------------------|---0------------------------0--------|
    <-------- 5/6 barré -------->

:||

CHORUS

... Every time I tried to tell you the ...
    D                                    Adim
e---------------2b-------------------|----------------2d-------------------/---|  picking pattern:
b-----------3c------3c---------------|------------1a------1a-------------------|  x - a - b - xc - b - a - x - a (2x)
g------2a---------------2a------2c---|--------2c--------------2c------2c---/---|
D---0-----------------------0--------|---1a-----------------------1a-------/---|
A---------------0--------------------|----------------0------------------------|
E------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|

... words just came out wrong ... so I('ll) ...
    Db7                                   F#m                 D
e---------------4d--------------------|-------------2a----------------2b-------|  picking pattern:
b-----------0--------0----------------|-------------2a----------------3c-------|  x - a - b - xc - b - a - x - a
g-------4c---------------4c------4c---|--------2a--------2a-------2a------2a---|  x - a - bc - a - x - a - bc - a
D---------------3a--------------------|-----------------------0----------------|
A---4b-----------------------4b-------|----------------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------|---2a-----------------------------------|
                                          <- full barré -->
... have to say I love you ... in a ...
    A                                    E
e-----------0------------0-----------|----------0----------0----------|  picking pattern:
b-----------2b-----------2b----------|----------0----------0----------|  x - a - bc - x - a - bc - x - a (2x)
g------2a-----------2a----------2a---|------1a---------1a--------1a---|
D---------------2a-------------------|-------------2c-----------------|
A---0-----------------------0--------|---!----------------------------|
E------------------------------------|---0--------------------0-------|

... song ... Yeah, you ...
    Dsus2                                   A              E
e---------------0h2bp0------------------|--------------------------------------|  picking pattern:
b-----------3c----------3c--------------|----------5b--------------5b----------|  x - a - b - c - b - a
g-------2a------------------2a--/--4a---|---4ah6c------6c------4a------4a------|  xa - b - a - x - a - b - a
D---0-----------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
A---------------------------------------|---0----------------------------------|
E---------------------------------------|------------------0-------------------|
                  ¼                          ¼

2ND VERSE (same tab as 1st verse)

... know it's kinda strange ...
... but every time I'm near you ... I just ...
... run out of things to say ... 
... I know you'd understand ...

CHORUS

... Every time I tried to tell you the ...
... words just came out wrong ... so I('ll) ...
... have to say I love you ... in a ...
... song ...

INTERLUDE

    Amaj7                              C#m
e----------------------------------|----------5a----------4a---------------|  picking pattern:
b----------5b----------5b----------|----------5b----------5b-----------\---|  x - a - b - x - a - b - x - a
g------6d----------6d---------6d---|------6d----------6d----------6d-------|  x - a - bc - x - a - bc - x - a
D--------------6c------------------|--------------6c-------------------\---|
A---0----------------------0-------|---4a---------------------4a-----------|
E----------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
                                       <-------- 5/6 barré -------->

    Bm7                                      E
e----------2a----------2a----------------|--------------------4a---------------|  picking pattern:
b----------3b----------3b------------/---|-----------5b-----------5b-----------|  x - a - bc - x - a - bc - x - a
g------2a----------2a----------2a----/---|------4a------------------------4a---|  x - a - b - x - c - b - x - a
D--------------4c--------------------/---|----------------6c-------------------|
A---2a---------------------2a--------/---|----------------------------7d-------|
E----------------------------------------|---0---------------------------------|
    <----------------------------- 5/6 barrés ----------------------------->

    C#m                                  Amaj7
e---------------4a-------------------|--------------4a-------------------\---|  picking pattern:
b-----------5b------5b---------------|----------5b------5b---------------\---|  x - a - b - xc - b - a - x - a (2x)
g-------6d--------------6d-----------|------6d--------------6d-----------\---|
D---------------6c--------------6c---|--------------6c--------------6c---\---|
A---4a----------------------4a-------|---0----------------------0------------|
E------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|
    <--------- 5/6 barré -------->

    Bm/A                                  E                Esus4/Gb  E
e---------------2a--------------------|----------0----------------------------|  picking pattern:
b-----------3b------3b----------------|----------0---------0---------0--------|  x - a - b - xc - b - a - x - a
g-------4d--------------4d-------4d---|------1a------1a---!2d--------1a-------|  x- a - bc - a
D---4c-----------------------4c-------|------!------------------2c-------2c---|  xbc - a - xbc - a
A---------------0---------------------|------!--------------------------------|
E-------------------------------------|---0----------------2b--------0--------|

CHORUS (same tab or use alternative below)

... Every time the time was right all the ...
    D
e----------------2c-------------------|---
b------------3d------3d---------------|---
g--[!]--2b---------------2b------2c---|---
D---0------------------------0--------|---
A----------------0--------------------|---
E-------------------------------------|---

... words just came out wrong ... so I('ll) ...
... have to say I love you ... in a ...
... song ........ Well, I ...

3RD VERSE (same tab as 1st verse)

... know it's kinda late ...
... but there's ...
... something that I just gotta say ...
... ...

CHORUS (same tab)

... Every time I tried to tell you the ...
... words just came out wrong ... so I('ll) ...
... have to say I love you ... in a ...
... song ...

OUTRO (same tab as intro but finish with open Dm, E7 and Amaj7 chords)

    Dm                E7
e-----------1a-----------------0---------|  picking pattern:
b-----------3d-----------------3d--------|  x - a - bc - a (2x)
g-------2b-------2b-------1a--------1a---|
D---0---------------------!--------------|
A----------------------------------------|
E---------------------0------------------|  ritardando

Keep 1a and 2b pressed and finish the song with an open Amaj7 chord