Red River Valley (traditional)
this arrangement by Peter Wilson (closely based on the Reader's
digest Family Song Book, inspired by the Kentucky Headhunters)
This is your basic major chord progression in Gmajor
but I use some more advanced inversions to follow the melody
which I show below. The numbers in parenthesis are my own notation
and indicate the inversion in use. I came up with this by a
process of playing around, and I'm not God, so feel free to
experiment with this. The song uses a lot of parallel sixths
which I play using a regular pick and a finger pick on my
long finger which is a standard country technique. Finger them
like this. (Numbers are for fingers, not frets here)
--1---|-------|-------|---2---|-------
------|-------|-------|-------|-------
------|---2---|-------|---2---|-------
-
-
-
Sliding sixths are a lick which sounds very much like a steel
guitar. There is a particularly choice one on the last line.
Notice it is the bottom (bass) note which is slid. This tab comes
with no warranty and I accept no liability for consequential
damages. This song is a great confidence builder for beginners as
it isn't too hard to play, but makes you sound like a country pro.
Oh yeah, the passages I have marked stacatto, use a real common
lead guitar lick. After sounding the notes release the strings
quickly. You want to make the guitar chirp.
x x x x x x x x
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | o | o | | | | | o | | | | | o | | | | | o
7 ----------- 3 ----------- 5 ----------- 3 ----------
| | | | o | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | o | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | o | | | | | o o o | | | o o o | | | o | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
G(7) C(3) D(5) | | | | o |
-----------
G7
x x x x
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
o o o o o o o o o o o o | | | o o o | | | | | o
8 ----------- 3 ----------- 5 ----------- 10 -----------
| | | o | | | | | o | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| o o | | | | o o | | | | | o | o | | | o o o |
----------- ----------- ----------- ------------
C(8) G(3) D7 G(10)
Red River Valley (traditional)
adlib
G(7) G(3) C(3) strum
|-------------3--|-7---7---7---5--|-3---3---5---3--|-----3----------|
|---------3---3--|-8---8----------|-----3----------|-5---5----------|
|----------------|-7---7---7---5--|-4---4---5---4--|-5---5----------|
|----------------|-9---9----------|-----5----------|-----5----------|
|----------------|----------------|-----5----------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|-----3----------|----------------|
from this val - ley they say you are go -ing
adlib
G(7) G(10) D(7) strum
|-------------3--|-7---7---7---7--|-10--10--8---7--|-5--------------|
|---------3---3--|-8---8-------8--|-12--12--10--8--|-7--------------|
|----------------|-7---7---7------|-12--12---------|-7--------------|
|----------------|-9---9----------|-12--12---------|-7--------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
we will miss yr brt eyes + sweet smile
adlib
G(7) G7 (sl) C(8) strum
|-------------3--|-7---7---7---5--|-3---3---5---7--|-10--8----------|
|---------3------|-8---8-------7--|-6---6---6---8--|-----8----------|
|----------------|-7---7---7------|-4---4----------|-10--9----------|
|----------------|-9---9----------|-5---5----------|-----10---------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----10---------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----8----------|
for they say you are ta- king the sun shine
{ ----staccatto ------ } adlib
G(3) | D7 | G(3) strum
|----------------|-3---3---3---5--|-7-------5---5--|-3--------------|
|-------------5--|-3---3----------|----------------|-3--------------|
|-------------5--|-4---4---3---5--|-7-------5---5--|-4--------------|
|----------------|-5---5----------|----------------|-5--------------|
|----------------|-5---5----------|----------------|-5--------------|
|----------------|-3---3----------|----------------|-3--------------|
that bright -ens our path way a while
adlib
G(7) D7 G(3) strum
|-------------3--|-7---7---7--7---|-7---7---5---7--|-5---3----------|
|---------3---3--|-8---8----------|-7---7---7---7--|-----3----------|
|----------------|-7---7---7--7---|-7---7---5---7--|-5---4----------|
|----------------|-9---9----------|-9---9---7---9--|-----5----------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----5----------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----3----------|
come + sit by my side if you love me
{ ------ stacatto ---------------} adlib
G(7) G(10) |D(7) strum
|-------------3--|-7-------3---7--|-10------8---7--|-5--------------|
|---------3---3--|----------------|---------10--8--|-7--------------|
|----------------|-7-------4---7--|-12-------------|-7--------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-7--------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|----------------|
do not hast- en to bid me a dieu
adlib
G(7) G7 (sl) C(8) strum
|---------10--8--|-7---7---7---5--|-3---3---5---7--|-10--8----------|
|---------10--10-|-8---8-------7--|-6---6---6---8--|-----8----------|
|----------------|-7---7---7------|-4---4----------|-10--9----------|
|----------------|-9---9----------|-5---5----------|-----10---------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----10---------|
|----------------|----------------|----------------|-----8----------|
but re- mem- ber the red ri- ver valley
slide adlib
G(3) bottom D7 G(3) strum
|----------------|-3---3---2---3--|-5---5---7---5--|-3--------------|
|---------5---5--|-3---3----------|-7---7---7---7--|-3--------------|
|---------5---5--|-4---4---2---4--|-5---5---7---5--|-4--------------|
|----------------|-5---5----------|-7---7---9---7--|-5--------------|
|----------------|-5---5----------|----------------|-5--------------|
|----------------|-3---3----------|----------------|-3--------------|
and the cow- boy who loves you so true
|
|
