TAB: Mr. Bojangles (solo guitar break by David Bromberg)
Key: D
Play: C Major, capo 2
Time: 3/4
Source: Originally in "Demon in Disguise" LP, not available in CD.
This tune is however included in "The Best of David Bromberg" CD [Columbia
CK 34467]
Transcription: C. Noda, Oct. 1997
This transcription was made from a live performance of David Bromberg, accompanying by an upright bass. David sings some verses, goes into explaining the background of the song (this alone is worth listening to), does the last verse and then starts this break. In my opinion, this guitar break is one of the most creative and beautiful ever done by anyone. I always wanted to learn the part and finally (with a help from my computer which slowed down the passage for me) I sat down and learned it. Mind you, this is quite difficult and I can't play this at the speed. A number of list members volunteered to look this over, and I'm glad they did. Thank you to all :-)
Some fingerings appear unorthodox. I came up with these to retain the fluidness of Bromberg's solo and I think it's pretty close. Also pay close attention to which finger is used - Bromberg keeps his finger on a note as long as he can to let notes ring and if you mess up fingering, you simply cannot do that. If some strestches are too tough for you, however, feel free to use other fingerings by all means.
My plan is to play one or two verses using Chet Atkins' fingerstyle solo and then go into this flatpicking solo. Yup, I can dream, can't I :-?
If you like to listen to an almost-note-for-note performance of this tab, click here (670 KB). This audio file was expertly and kindly provided by Mr Mark Thatcher. Thanks, Mark! You sound so great!! (January 2006). By the way, Mark played it in key of D (C form, capo 2)
Symbols:
| The bar above TAB indicates the downbeat on each measure
(5) The number in parentheses is an alternative position. In Measure 8,
the note can be played open 1st or 5th on 2nd.
/ means slide up. Example: On measure 1, the first note is reached
after a slide
\ means slide down
h hammer-on
p pull-off
^ choking (string bend). Example: On mwasure 40, ^Z means the actual
pitch is 12-fret (Z) but is played at 11-fret bent up.
Above tenth fret, I use a letter
X = 10 (X is Roman 10)
Y = 11
Z = 12 (12-fret is same as open, zero fret and Z is zero)
A = 13 (13th fret is same as 1st fret and A is 1st letter)
B = 14 etc
See Chord diagrams and Fingering Charts at the end
Left-hand fingering: In some measures, I included left-hand fingering (eg.
measures 5 and 6). 1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring and 4 = pinky.
Playing Notes:
Measure 1: I think this is the fingering he uses. Note you get E note from
2nd string and open 1st string.
Measure 2: I find it easier to play C note on 3rd string
Measure 5: The fingering is very tricky but you'll get very nice ring from it.
Measure 9: Again, the C, D, E sequence is played in unusual, cool fingering. This was about time I started to realize this arrangement is more complicated than it sounded.
Measure 12: He does some off-time hammer-ons and pull-offs. The notes are
| . | . | . < "." indicates up-beat
-3h5p3p-0-0-----------|
------------3h5-3p0---|
--------------------0-|
----------------------|
----------------------|
----------------------|
Instead of writing this out exactly, I wrote the "melody" in the TAB below.
Measure 15: Note C is played on 3rd string and is held in measure 16
Measure 20: This picking pattern is repeatedly used in meas. 26-28
Measure 29: The B and C notes on 1st string is held as long as you can
Measure 40: String is bent from 11 or 10th fret. I can only do it from 11, but the last note is 10-th fret so maybe you bent it from there?
Measure 42-44: Use your pinky to fret top two strings. It is not so hard as it appears.
You may play measure 44 as
C C/B C/A C/G
41 | | | 42| | | 43| | | 44| | |
---8-----8-----|---8-------8-|---8-------8-|---8-------8-|
-----8-----8---|-----8---8---|-----8---8---|-----8---8---|
-------9-----9-|-7-----7-----|-5-----5-----|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-9-----9-----|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
Measure 46: I'm not too sure.....
Measure 47: He hit the A note twice. Might be a mistake
OK, enough is enough. Here we go
C C/B C/A C/G
1 | | | 2 | | | 3 | | | 4 | | |
---------0---0-|-------0---0-|-------------|-----0-1-3-0-|
--/5-3-5---3---|-5-3-5---3---|-5-3-------0-|-1-3---------|
---------------|-------------|-----5-0-2---|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
F F G7 G7
5 | | | 6 | | | 7 | | | 8 | | |
---3/5---5-----|---3-----3---|---3---3-----|---1-----0---|
-----------6---|-6-----6-----|-3-------3---|--------(5)--|
-------5-----5-|-----5-----5-|-----4-----4-|\2-----------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-----3/5-----|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
LH 3 3 2 3 4 3 4 1 2 4 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 3 3
C C/B C/A C/G
9 | | | 10| | | 11| | | 12| | |
-------0-5-3-0-|-----0-7-5-0-|-----0-8-5-0-|-3-0-0-------|
-----3---------|---3---------|---3---------|-------3-0---|
---5-----------|-5-----------|-5-----------|-----------0-|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
F F G7 G7
13 | | | 14| | | 15| | | 16| | |
-----------1-0-|-------------|-------------|-------0---3-|
-----0-1-3-----|-3-1-0-------|---------0---|-3---3---6---|
---2-----------|-------2-0---|-0---0-2---5-|---5---------|
---------------|-----------2-|---4---------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
LH 2 1 2 1 4 1
F F C E7
17 | | | 18| | | 19| | | 20| | |
---5-----3-----|-5-----3-----|-3-----------|---4-------4-|
-------6-----6-|-----6-----3-|-----5-------|-----3---3---|
-----5-----5---|---5-----5---|---5-----5---|-4-----4-----|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
LH 3 2 4 1 2 4 3 2 4 1 2 1 1 2 3 2 2 3 1 2 1 3
Am G D9/F# D9/F#
21 | | | 22| | | 23| | | 24| | |
---5-3-0-------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
--------/5-3-1-|-------0-1---|-1-0---1-----|-------1-----|
---------------|-0-1-2-----2-|-----2---2-0-|-2-0-----2---|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-----4-----4-|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
G G G G7
25 | | | 26| | | 27| | | 28| | |
-------3-----3-|---5-------5-|---7-------7-|---X-------X-|
-----------3---|-----3---3---|-----6---6---|-----8---8---|
---2/4---4-----|/5-----5-----|/7-----7-----|/X-----X-----|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
LH 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 3 1 2 1 3 2 3 1 2 1 3 2 3 1 2 1 3
Am Am G7 G7
29 | | | 30| | | 31| | | 32| | |
-----7-------8-|---7-----7---|---5-------5-|---3-------3-|
-------5---5---|-----5-------|-----3---3---|-----3---3---|
---5-----5-----|-5-----5-----|-4-----4-----|-4-----4-----|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
LH (barre 5th)
Am Am G7 G7
33 | | | 34| | | 35| | | 36| | |
-----7-------8-|-----7-------|---5-------5-|-----3-------|
-------5---5---|---5-----5---|-----3---3---|---3---------|
---5-----5-----|-5-----5-----|-4-----4-----|-4-----4-4---|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
Am Am G7 G7
37 | | | 38| | | 39| | | 40| | |
-----7-------8-|-----7-------|---X-------X-|^Z--^Z--^Z\X-|
-------5---5---|---5-----5---|-----8---8---|-------------|
---5-----5-----|-5-----5-----|/X-----X-----|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
(string bend)
C C/B C/A C/G
41 | | | 42| | | 43| | | 44| | |
---8-----8-----|---8-------8-|---8-------8-|---8-------8-|
-----8-----8---|-----8---8---|-----8---8---|-----8---8---|
-------9-----9-|-7-----7-----|-5-----5-----|-4-----4-----|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
1 1 2 1 1 2 2 4 4 2 4 4 1 4 4 1 4 4 1 4 4 1 4 4
(barre 8-th fret using pinky)
C C/B C/A C/G
45 | | | 46| | | 47| | | 48| | |
-----0-------0-|---0-------0-|---0-------0-|---0---------|
-------0---0---|-------0-----|-----1-------|-----1-----1-|
---5-----5-----|-5---5---5---|-2-----2-2---|-0-------0---|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------3-----|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
C C/B C/A C/G
49 | | | 50| | | 51| | | 52| | |
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
-----1-------1-|---1-------1-|-----1-----1-|-----1-------|
-------0---0---|-----0---0---|---0-----0---|---0---------|
-0h2-----2-----|-0-----0-----|-------------|--------(2)--|
---------------|-------------|-3-----3-----|-2--(3)------|
---------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
(singing resumes)
I
C C/B C/A C/G
53 | | | 54| | | 55| | | 56| | |
knew man named Bojangles and he dance for you
F G C C
57 | | | 58| | | 59| | | . 60| | |
---------------|-------------|---------------|--0----------||
---strum-------|-strum-------|---------------|--1----------||
---------------|-------------|-0h2-0---------|--0----------||
---------------|-------------|---------2p0---|0h2----------||
---------------|-------------|-------------3-|--3----------||
---------------|-------------|---------------|-------------||
expect big hands
from audience!
Chord Diagrams
The followings are C major chord with descending bass notes.
C C/B C/A C/G
x _ _ o _ o x _ _ o _ o x o _ o _ o _ x _ o _ o
. . . . 1 . . . . . 1 . . . . . 1 . . . . . 1 .
. . 2 . . . . 3 2 . . . . . 2 . . . . . 2 . . .
. 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D9/F# chord in Measures 23 and 24
_ x o _ _ o
. . . . 1 .
2 . . 3 . .
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
(If this is hard, you can use D7)
Fingering in Measures 5, 6, 17, 18
_ _ _ _ _ _
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
. . . . . 1
. . . . . .
. . . 2 . 3
. . . . 4 .