TIME IN A BOTTLE (Jim Croce)

Written by Jim Croce in the key of Dm in 3/4 time
Released on the album: You Don't Mess Around with Jim (1972)
Released as a single in 1973 (ABC/Philips/Vertigo)
Fingerstyle version for single acoustic guitar
Time In A Bottle 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 2b pressed in the green marked part
Click on < x > to do the switcheroo

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

TIME IN A BOTTLE is a good example to demonstrate the excellent teamplay between Croce and Muehleisen
As a single performer, you face the difficulty to combine both guitar parts somehow
And that won't work without compromise
So this is a less ingenious single guitar version of the song

INTRO

     Dm                                Dm/C#
e---------5b----------5b----------|---------5b-----------5b--------|  picking pattern:
b-------------6c----------6c------|-------------6c-----------------|  xa - c - b - a - c - b
g---!7d-----------7d----------\---|---!6d-----------6d-------------|  xa - c - b - a - c
D----0----------------------------|----0---------------------------|
A---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
                                                         ¼
     Dm7                               Dm6
e---------5b----------5b----------|---------5b-----------5b--------|  picking pattern:
b-------------6c----------6c------|-------------6c-------------\---|  xa - c - b - a - c - b
g----5a-----------5a----------\---|----4a-----------4a-------------|  xa - c - b - a - c
D----0----------------------------|----0---------------------------|
A---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
                                                         ¼

e---3d--------0---------1a--------|---3d--------1a--------0--------|  pickin g pattern:
b---3c--------3c--------3c--------|---3c--------3c--------3c-------|  xbc - a (5x)
g--------3b--------3b--------3b---|--------3b--------3b------------|  xbc
D---0---------0---------0---------|---0---------0---------0--------|
A---------------------------------|--------------------------------|  < x >
E---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
                                                          ¼

      A           Dm/A            Em/A              Gm/A        Dm/A           A
e-----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|  picking pattern:
b----2a----------!3d---------/----5d--------/---|----8d----------6a--------\----5a---------|  xbc - a (6x)
g----2a-----------2a--------------0-------------|----7b----------7b--------\----6b---------|
D---------2a-----------!3c---/---------5c---/---|----------8c----------0--------------7c---|
A----0------------0---------------0-------------|----0-----------0--------------0----------|  info
E-----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|  ritardando
     <---- 4/6 barré ---->

... If ...
e-----------------|-----------------|
b-----------------|-----------------|
g-----------------|------------\----|
D-----------------|-----------------|
A-----------------|-----------------|
E-----------------|-----------------|  info

1ST VERSE

... I could save time in a bottle ...
    Dm                               Dm/C#                            Dm7
e-----------------1a-------------|-----------------1a-------------|-----------------1a-------------|  picking pattern:
b------------3d-------------3d---|------------2c-------------2c---|------------1a-------------1a---|  x - a - b - c - a - b (3x)
g-------2b-------------2b--------|-------2b-------------2b--------|-------2b-------------2b--------|
D---0----------------------------|---0----------------------------|---0----------------------------|
A--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|

... the ... first thing that I'd like to ...
    Dm6                           Dm/Bb                             G6
e---------------1a------------|------------------1a-------------|-----------------0-------------|  picking pattern:
b-----------0------------0----|-------------3d-------------3d---|------------3d------------3d---|  x - a - b - c - a - b (3x)
g-------2b----------2b--------|--------2b-------------2b--------|--------0-------------0--------|
D---0-------------------------|---------------------------------|-------------------------------|
A-----------------------------|---1a----------------------------|-------------------------------|
E-----------------------------|---------------------------------|---3c--------------------------|
                                  <------ full barré ------->
 ... do ... is to ...
    A                                A7
e-----------------0--------------|----------------0------------|  picking pattern:
b------------2b-------------2b---|-----------2b-----------2b---|  x - a - b - c - a - b (2x)
g-------2a-------------2a--------|-------0------------0--------|
D-------!------------------------|-------!---------------------|
A---0----------------------------|---0-------------------------|
E--------------------------------|-----------------------------|

... save every day till eternity ...
    Dm                                Dm/C                            Dm/Bb
e-----------------1a--------------|-----------------1a------------|-----------------1a-------------|  picking pattern:
b------------3d--------------3d---|------------3d------------3d---|------------3d-------------3d---|  x - a - b - c - a - b (3x)
g-------2b-------------2b---------|-------2b-------------2b-------|-------2b-------------2b--------|
D---0-----------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A---------------------------------|---3c--------------------------|---1a---------------------------|
E---------------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------|
                                                                      <------ full barré ------>
... passes away just to spend them with ...
    G6                            F                                 Gm
e----------------0------------|-----------------1a--------------|-----------------3c-------------|  picking pattern:
b-----------3d-----------3d---|------------1a--------------1a---|------------3c-------------3c---|  x - a - b - c - a - b (3x)
g-------0------------0--------|-------2b-------------2b---------|-------3c-------------3c--------|
D-----------------------------|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A-----------------------------|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E---3c------------------------|---1a----------------------------|---3c---------------------------|
                                  <----------------------- full barrés ---------------------->
... you ... If ...
    A                                A7
e-----------------0--------------|----------------0------------|  picking pattern:
b------------2b-------------2b---|-----------2b-----------2b---|  x - a - b - c - a - b (2x)
g-------2a-------------2a--------|-------0------------0--------|
D-------!------------------------|-------!---------------------|
A---0----------------------------|---0-------------------------|
E--------------------------------|-----------------------------|

2ND VERSE (same tab as 1st verse)

... I could make days last forever ... 
... if words could make wishes come ...
... true ... I'd ...
... save every day like a treasure and ...
... then again, I would spend them with ...
... you... But there ... 

CHORUS

||:

1... never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to ...
2... looked around enough to know ... that you're the one I want to ...
    D                                D/Db                              Bm
e-----------------2b-------------|------------------2a-------------|----------------2a-------------|  picking pattern:
b------------3c--------3c--------|-------------3b--------3b--------|------------3b-------3b--------|  x - a - b - c - b - a  (3x)
g-------2a------------------2a---|--------2a------------------2a---|-------4d-----------------4d---|
D---0----------------------------|---------------------------------|-------!-----------------------|
A--------------------------------|---4d----------------------------|---2a--------------------------|
E--------------------------------|---------------------------------|-------------------------------|
                                          <-------------------- full barrés ------------------->
1... do, once you find them ...
2... go through ... time with ...
    D/A                            G                                Dsus2/F#
e---------------2b-------------|-----------------3d-------------|------------------0--------------|  picking pattern:
b-----------3c-------3c--------|------------3c--------3c--------|-------------3c--------3c--------|  x - a - b - c - b - a  (3x)
g-------2a----------------2a---|-------0-------------------0----|-------2b-------------------0----|
D------------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A---0--------------------------|--------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E------------------------------|---3b---------------------------|---2a----------------------------|

1... I've ...
    Em                              A
e-----------------0-------------|-----------------0-------------|  picking pattern:
b------------0---------0--------|------------2b-------2b--------|  x - a - b - c - b - a  (2x)
g-------0-------------------0---|-------2a-----------------2a---|
D-------------------------------|-------!-----------------------|
A-------------------------------|---0---------------------------|
E---0---------------------------|-------------------------------|

2...
    Em                              A
e-----------------0-------------|-----------------0-----------------|  picking pattern:
b------------0---------0--------|------------2c-------2c--------/---|  x - a - b - c - b - a  (2x)
g-------0-------------------0---|-------2b-----------------2b-------|
D-------------------------------|-------!---------------------------|
A-------------------------------|---0-------------------------------|
E---0---------------------------|-----------------------------------|  ritardando

:||

INTERLUDE (intro variation)

    Dm                                Dm/Db
e------------------1a-------------|-----------------1a-------------|  picking pattern:
b-------------3c-------------3c---|-------------3c-----------------|  x - a - b - c - a - b (2x)
g--------2b-------------2b--------|--------2b------------2b--------|
D---0-----------------------------|--------------------------------|
A---------------------------------|---4d---------------------------|
E---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
                                                        ¼
    Dm/C                              G7/B
e------------------1a-------------|------------------1a------------|  picking pattern:
b-------------3d-------------3d---|-------------3d-----------------|  x - a - b - c - a - b (2x)
g--------2b-------------2b--------|--------0--------------0--------|
D---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A---3c----------------------------|---2b---------------------------|  < x >
E---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
                                                          ¼

e------------------0--------------|--------------------------------|  picking pattern:
b-------------3d--------3d--------|---3d--------2b--------!--------|  x - a - b - c - b - a
g--------0-------------------0----|--------0---------0----3d-------|  xb - a - xb - a - xb - a
D---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A---1a----------------------------|---1a--------0------------------|
E---------------------------------|-----------------------3c-------|
                                                          ¼

e-----------------------------------|---3a-----------------------------------|  picking pattern:
b---2b--------3d-------/---5d-------|---!--------/---6d-------\---5d---------|  xb - a (6x)
g--------0---------0------------0---|--------0------------0-------------2a---|
D-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
A---0---------2a-------/---4a-------|---4b-------/---5b------------0---------|
E-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------|  ritardando

... If ...
e-----------------|-----------------|
b-----------------|-----------------|
g-----------------|-----------------|
D-----------------|-----------------|
A-----------------|-----------------|
E-----------------|-----------------|

3RD VERSE (same tab as 1st verse)

... If I had a box just for wishes ... and ...
... dreams that had never come true ... the ...
... box would be empty, except for the memory of ....
... how they were answered by you ... But there ...

CHORUS (same tab now leading into the outro)

... never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to ...
... do, once you find them ...
... I've ...
... looked around enough to know that you're the one I want to ...
... go through ... time with ...
    Em                              A
e-----------------0-------------|--------------------------------|
b------------0---------0--------|-----------------5a-------------|
g-------0-------------------0---|------------6b--------6b--------|
D-------------------------------|-------7c------------------7c---|
A-------------------------------|---0----------------------------|
E---0---------------------------|--------------------------------|

OUTRO

    Dm9
e----0↑---0-------------0---------|----------------------------|  picking pattern: 
b---6b↑-------6b-------------6b---|----------------------------|  a~~~ b - b - b - b - b - b
g---7c↑------------7c-------------|---7c----------5a - harm.---|  a - a
D----0↑---------------------------|----------5a - harm.--------|
A---------------------------------|----------------------------|  info
E---------------------------------|----------------------------|  repeat tab 2x
                                      ¼     ¼    ¼
Play a final arpeggio [x007c6b0]