THESE DREAMS (Jim Croce)

Written by Jim Croce in the key of Dm in 4/4 time
Released on the album: Life & Times (1973)
Fingerstyle version for single acoustic guitar
These Dreams 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
Note: Keep the pinky pressed on the b-string in intro and verse as long as possible

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

    Dm                 Dm/C                   Dm/Bb             G6
e------------1a-----------------1a--------|------------1a-----------------0--------|  picking pattern:
b------------3d-----------------3d--------|------------3d-----------------3d-------|  x - a - bc - a (4x)
g-------2b--------2b-------2b--------2b---|-------2b--------2b-------0---------0---|
D---0-------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
A----------------------3c-----------------|---1a-----------------------------------|
E-----------------------------------------|----------------------3c----------------|
                                              <- full barré ->

                                                    Dm
e---------------------------------3a------------|-------1a---1ap0--------------------------|  picking pattern:
b---2b-------3d----/----5d--------!---------\---|------------------3d----------------------|  xb - a  (3x)
g-------0----------0----------0---------0-------|-----------------------2b-----------------|  xc - a
D-----------------------------------------------|---0------------------------3c---2a---0---|  x - b - b - b - a - x - x - x
A---0--------2a----/----4a--------4b------------|------------------------------------------|
E-----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|

    G6/Bb           G6                      Dmadd11      C            G6/Bb
e-----------0---------------0------------|----------------------------------------------|  picking pattern:
b-----------3d--------------3d-------/---|---6d-------\---5d-------\---3d---------------|  x - a - bc - a  (2x)
g-------0--------0------0--------0-------|--------0------------0------------0-------0---|  xb - a  (3x)
D----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|  x - a
A---1a-----------------------------------|---5b-----------3a-------\---1a---------------|
E-------------------3c-------------------|--------------------------------------3c------|

      Dmadd11   C        G6/Bb               A7sus4             A7
e-----1a--------0-------------------------|-------------0----------------------------|  picking pattern:
b------------------------3d----------3d---|---3d------------3d---2bh3cp2b---0---2c---|  xc - a  (2x)
g----------0---------0--------0-----------|---------0--------------------------------|  xb - a - x - b
D-----0-----------------------------------|------------------------------------------|  xb - a - c - b
A---------------3c-------1a---------------|---0------------------0-------------------|  xb - b - b
E--------------------------------3c-------|------------------------------------------|
                                                                    ¼
1ST VERSE (same tab as intro repeating the last four measures)

... Once we were lovers ... but ...
... somehow things have changed ...
||:
... now we're just lonely people ...
... trying to forget each other's names ...
:||

CHORUS (mind the exact finger positions)

... What came between us? ...
    D                 D/B                    Em7               A7sus4   A7
e------------2c----------------2c--------|-----------0---------------------------|  picking pattern:
b------------3d----------------3d--------|---------------3d----3d-------2b-------|  x - a - bc - a  (2x)
g-------2b--------2b------2b--------2b---|-------0------------------0--------0---|  x - a - c - b
D---0------------------------------------|---------------------------------------|  xb - a - xb - a
A---------------------2a-----------------|---------------------0--------0--------|
E----------------------------------------|---0-----------------------------------|

... maybe we were just too young to know ...
    D                 D/Db                   Dm               D
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 --------->
... now and then I ...
    G                 D6/Gb
e------------3d----------------2c--------|  picking pattern:
b------------0-----------------0---------|  x - a - bc - a  (2x)
g-------0---------0-------2b--------2b---|
D----------------------------------------|
A----------------------------------------|
E---3c----------------2a-----------------|

...  feel the same ... and some- ...
    Em7
e-----------0-----------0-----------|---------0---------------------------|  picking pattern:
b-----------3d---------3d-----------|---0h2b------0---3d------/--5d-------|  x - a - bc - x - a - bc - x - a
g-------0-----------0-----------0---|----------------------0----------0---|  xb - c - b - xb - a - xb - a
D---------------------------2b------|-------------------------------------|
A---------------2a------------------|---0-------------2a------/--4a-------|
E---0-------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
                                         ¼

... times at night I think I hear you calling my name ...
    D                 D/Db                   Dm               D
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 --------->

... hmm, hmm, hmm, these ...
    G                 D6/Gb
e------------3d----------------2c--------|  picking pattern:
b------------0-----------------0---------|  x - a - bc - a  (2x)
g-------0---------0-------2b--------2b---|
D----------------------------------------|
A----------------------------------------|
E---3c----------------2a-----------------|

... dreams ... they keep me going these ...
    Em7
e----------------0----------------------|------------------2cp0------------|  picking pattern:
b-----------3d-------3d-----------------|--------------0----------0--------|  x - a - b - xc - b - a - x - a
g-------0-----------------0---------0---|----------0------------------0----|  x - x - a - b - c - b - a
D------------------------------2b-------|------2b--------------------------|
A----------------2a---------------------|---0------------------------------|
E---0-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
                                                            ¼
... days ...
    D                                   Em7              A7sus4  A7
e-----------2c----------------------|-----------0------------------------|  picking pattern:
b-----------3d----------------------|---------------3d---3d------2b------|  x - a - bc - a
g-------2b-------2b-----------------|-------0----------------0-------0---|  x - x - x
D---0----------------------0--------|------------------------------------|  x - a - c - b - xb - a - xb - a
A-------------------0h2a-------2a---|--------------------0-------0-------|
E-----------------------------------|---0--------------------------------|  repeat tab 1x
                     ¼

2ND VERSE (same tab as 1st verse)

... Once we were lovers ... but ...
... that was long ago ...
||:
... we lived together then ... and ...
... now we do not even say hello ...
:||

CHORUS  (same tab)

... What came between us? ...
... maybe we were just too young to know ...
... now and then I ... 
... feel the same ... and some- ...
... times at night I think I hear you calling my name ...
... hmm, hmm, hmm, these ...
... dreams ... they keep me going these ...
... days ...

OUTRO

    Dm                Dm/C                  Dm/Bb  A
e------------1a----------------1a-------|---1a:---------------------|  picking pattern:
b------------3d----------------3d-------|---3d:----2b:--------------|  x - a - bc - a  (2x)
g-------2b-------2b-------2b-------2b---|---2b:----1a:--------------|  xabc (2x)
D---0-----------------------------------|----------1a:--------------|
A---------------------3c----------------|---1a:----0:---------------|
E---------------------------------------|---------------------------|
                                            ¼     ¼

Finish the song with a strummed D chord [x002a3c2b]