Tony Rice Licks


The Japanese interview with Tony came with some examples. Unfortunately, these segments that Tony plays came without the song titles. Maybe someone can identify which tune the lick came from etc.

* As always, use a mon-spaced font (Courier, Monaco etc) to print this TAB out *

* The original was written with 16th notes. You might feel more at home if you devide each measure into two. *

* The vertical bar is for each beat. I used colon to indicate the back beat. *

Here we go.......

Example 1  << solo, medium speed >>
Key = A; Play = G; capo 2; time = 4/4

   G                                 G
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
-----------------------------------|-----3---3---6s7-3-----3----------|
-----------------------------------|-------------------6-3---6-3------|
-------------------0-----0-----0---|-2s4-------------------------6-5--|
---0---0-----0-2p0---0h2---0h2---0-|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|


   G               D                 G
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------||
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------||
---3---3---4-----------------------|---------------0-(end)------------||
-----5---5---5-3-3-5---3---5-------|-----------0-2--------------------||
---------------------5---5---5-0-1p|-0---0-1s2------------------------||
-----------------------------------|---3------------------------------||


Example 2 - << A Carter family tune >>
Key = E; play = C; capo = 4; time = 4/4

*: This measure is 2/4

 pick up     C                                 G*
   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   .   |   .   
-----------|---------------------------------|-----------------|
-----------|-----------------1---------------|-----------------|
-----------|-0---0-0-x-0-0h2---2p0-------0---|-----------------|
---2-3-----|-----2-----2-----------2p0---2---|-0---------0-----|
-----------|-----3---------------------3-----|---2p0-----2-0h2-|
-----------|---------------------------------|-------3---------|


   C                                 C       E7      Am
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
-----------------------------------|-0-----0--------------------------|
-------------------1-----1-----1---|-----1-----3---0h1-----1p0--------|
-------0-0-----0-------0---0-------|---0---------1-----2-------2---0h-|
-------2-2-0-2---2-----2-----------|---------------------2-------2----|
---3-------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|



   F               C
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-----1h3---1-----1-----------------|----------------------------------|
---2-----2---2p0---0-2-0-----------|-(continue on)--------------------|
---------------------------2-0-----|----------------------------------|
-------------------------------3---|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|


Example 3
Key = E; play = C; capo 4; time = 4/4

pick-up measure
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :    
-----------------------------3-----|
-------------------1-------1-----3-|
-------------------------0-----2---|
---------------------0h2-----------|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|



   C                                 F
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
---------0-----3-5p3---------------|-----------------5-8-------5------|
---0h1-3---3h5-------5s3-1-3-----1-|-3-5-6-6-6-6-6-8-------8-6---8----|
-----------------------------0h2---|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|



   C                                 G
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-------8---8-6p5---5-6p5-----------|----------------------------------|
-----------------7-------7---5---4-|---5-7-4--------------------------|
-----------------------------------|-----------5-(continue)-----------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|


Example 4
Key = G; play = G; no capo; time = 4/4

   G       C       D       G         G       C       D
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
-----------------------------------|-----------------2----------------|
-----------------------------------|-----------------3-3-1------------|
-----------------0-------0-0---0-0-|---------------3-------3-0---0----|
---------0---0-2---0-2-4-------0-0-|-----------3-5-------------3---3--|
-----0-2---3-----------------------|---4-3-1--------------------------|
---3-------------------------------|----------------------------------|



   G       C       D       G         G       C       D       G
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
---------------------------0-------|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------3-----|----------------------------------|
---------------3s4-------------3s4-|-0---------------------------0----|
---0-----3---------5---------------|---0-3-5-0-------------------0----|
-----3s5-----5---------5-----------|-----------1p0-1p0-1p0-------2----|
-----------------------------------|-------------------------3--------|


Example 5
Key = G; play = G; no capo; time = 4/4

   pick up
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------2u2u2u2u2u2u|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
                       u = bend string up one half step to D


   G                                 C
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
---2-2-2-2-2-2p1---1---------------|----------------------------------|
-----------------3---3s4-0-----0---|-----------3-----3-3---------5----|
---------------------------3-0---1p|-0---0-------------------3s5---5--|
-----------------------------------|---3---1-----1s3------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|



   G                                 D
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|---3-----3-------3----------------|
---5---3s4---------0-----0-2-0-----|---------------------5---3s4------|
-----5-----5-0h3-0---0h2-------3-4-|-0-----------3s4---5---5-----5-3--|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|


Example 6
Key = G; play = G; no capo; time = 4/4

   pick up
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :
-------------------3---3-----6u----| <- bend string one half step to B
-------------------------5-3-------|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|

   G
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
-------3---------------------------|----------------------------------|
---------6-3-----------------------|----------------------------------|
-------------6s5-3---5---3s4-------|-0-----------3---3s4--------------|
-------------------5---5-----5-3---|---4-0-----3---------5-3----5s4s5-|
---------------------------------5-|-------3s5-----5---------5--------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|



   D                                 G
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
---------7-------108p7-------------|---------8p7----------------------|
-----------10--9-------109-8-------|-------------8--------------------|
-------9-----10--------------107---|-7---107-------7-----0------------|
---0-----------------------------10|---10------------8-9--------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|


Example 7
Key = E; play = E; no capo; time = 4/4

   pick up
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
---------------------2-0-1-2-1-2-2-|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|


   E               E7                A
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
---------------------------------2-|----------------------------------|
-----------2-----------------2-4---|-5-4-2---2---2-----------2---2----|
-------2-4---2-4-4-------3s4-------|-------4---4---2---2-4-2---2---7s-|
---3-4-----------------------------|----------------------------------|



   B7                                E
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-----8-----8-----9-8---8-----6-----|-6---7---4---4--------------------|
-----------------------------------|-----------7---5s6----------------|
---9-----9---9s11----9---9s7-----7-|---7---7-----------7-5---7---5----|
-----------------------------------|-----------------------7---7---7--|


Example 8  << medium blues, with David Grisman >>
Key = C; play C; no capo; time = 4/4 with triplets (12/8)

Note: There are three notes per beat.

      Dm                        Am
      |     |     |     |       |     |     |     |     
----|---------------------5-3-|---------5---8*5---5-----|
----|-------------1-3-4-5-----|-5-3-5-----------8-----5-|
----|---------0-2-------------|-------------------------|
--0-|-x-0-2-3-----------------|-------------------------|
----|-------------------------|-------------------------|
----|-------------------------|-------------------------|
                                           *slide up from 7

 F                 G       C
 |     |     |     |       |     |     |     |     
-------------------7-8p7-|-------------------------|
---------------8-10------|-8-------------8---------|
-7-5-------5-9-----------|---7---9*--------9-------|
-----7-5-7---------------|-------------------------|
-------------------------|-------------------------|
-------------------------|-------------------------|
                                 * slide up from 7


Example 9  << from an old TOny Rice Unit piece >>
Key = Bm; play = Am; capo 2; time = 4/4

One segment
   G6              Am
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :  
-----------------------------------|
-------8---10------8---10------8---|
---7s9---7---9s7s9---9---9s7s9---9-|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|

Another segment

   Am                            D
   |   :   |   :     |     :     |     :   
---------------12-11-------10-------0--8-----|
---10----------------13-10----13-10------10--|
---------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------|

   G               Em11              F
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :     |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :   
-----------------------------------|-----------------3----------------|
---8-------------------------------|---8-----------------5-3-5---3----|
-----9-8-7-5---5-------5---5---5-7s|-9-------------------------5---5--|
-------------7---7-5-7---7---7-----|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|

   G6              Am
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |   :
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|
---4-2-4-2-----4---4---4---4---4---|
-----------5-2---2---2---2---2---2-|
-----------------------------------|
-----------------------------------|

Example 10  << swing >>
Key = D; play = D; no capo; time = 4/4 (swing)


   pick up
   |   :   |   :   |   :   |     :
---------------------------------10-9--|
-----------------------10--10-12-------|
-----------------------9-11------------|
---------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------|


   Dmaj9
   |     :     |     :     |     :     |     :     
---(9)---------------------------------------------|
---------------12-10----10h12-10----10----7--9-----|
---------------------------------11*---9**---------|
---------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------|

* = quick hammer on from 9
** = quick slide down from 11

   Dm7
   |     :     |     :     |     :     |     :     
------------------------8--------------------------|
------------------8--10-------10----8--------------|
---5--4--5--7s-9-----------------------7*-5--7--0--|
---------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------|

* = quick slide down from 8

   G
   |     :     |     :     |     :     |     :     
------------------2-----5-----2--------------------|
------------3--------------------3-----------------|
---4--2--4--------------------------4--2--4--------|
------------------------------------------------4s-|
---------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------|

   Fmaj7                   Bb7flat5
   |     :     |     :     |     :     |     :     
---------------------------------------------------|
------------------------8--------------------------|
---------5-----5--7s-9--------9--7s-5--7--5--------|
---7--------7--------------------------------7-etc-|
---------------------------------------------------|
---------------------------------------------------|

Example 11  << jazz >>
Key = Ebm; play Ebm; no capo; time = 4/4 with triplets (12/8)

Note: There are three notes per beat.

    pick up                Ebm
 |     |     |     |       |     |     |     |     
-------------------------|-------------------------|
-------------------------|-------------------------|
-------------------------|-------------------------|
-------------------4---4-|---------------7s6-4---4-|
---------------------6---|-6---------4s6-------6---|
-------------------------|-------------------------|

 Ab7                       Bm          E7
 |     |     |     |       |     |     |     |     
-------------------------|-------------------------|
-----------6-7---6-6*--7-|-7#5-7-----9-10s9----9s8-|
-------6-8-----8---------|-----------------109-----|
-6-7-8-------------------|-------------------------|
-------------------------|-------------------------|
-------------------------|-------------------------|

*= bend up one half note?
# = quick slide down from 8

 Bbm7        Eb7           Abm7
 |     |     |     |       |     |     |     |     
-------------------------|-------------6---4---4---|
-----8-7-----7-6---------|-------------6---4---4---|
-9-8-----8-7-----7-6---6-|-8-----------------------|
---------------------8---|-------------------------|
-------------------------|-------------------------|
-------------------------|-------------------------|