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Version 1Song: Solid air Artist: John Martyn Composer John Martyn Album: Solid air Tabbed by: DJ 6th Oct 2014 Light gauge strings would not be advisable for this low tuning. Playing with a low C on the 6th string requires a real lightness of left -hand technique to avoid pushing the slackest strings off of the fretboard, you will also need to re-check the tuning more often than usual too if you play this tune repeatedly while practising it, the slack strings will go out of tune much quicker than standard tuning. John Martyn live duet with Danny Thompson: --.-/watch?ds49aKg_Utj4Aljc --.-/watch?ds49aohmSPv-rtSQ Live solo performance in Germany video(1978) --.-/watch?ds49aO8Blccc0PM0 Here John tunes even lower to: A# F C# D# G# C with, generally, the same chord shapes, but sounding a full tone lower. He busts a D string in the first part of the clip, so the song begins at [3:24] John constantly improvised on his songs, never playing or singing them exactly as his records. There is plenty of room for experimenting and adding your own subtleties, which is what his songs are all about. Use plenty of slides, hammer-ons and percussive slaps to add more life. The key to playing this song is the beautiful open tuning. Once you hear that chord on open strings you're half- way there. The chords are pretty much all one finger shapes, straight barres across all the strings. Getting to the open tuning is the trickiest part, a chromatic tuner is very useful, unless you've the keen ear that John had: Top E string - Down to D B string - Down to A# G string - Down to F D string - Up to D# A string - Down to G Bottom E string - Down to C OPEN TUNING: C-G-D#-F-A#-D Try this little run at the beginning of the 1st & 2nd lines of the verses. [Cm11 riff] You've been (tak -ing your...) D |-------------------------------| A#|-------------------------------| F |-------------------------------| D#|-------------------------------| G |-------0----0-----h3---h5---0--| C |--0----------------------------| N.B. Please IGNORE ANY POP-UP CHORD BOXES the website might automatically suggest and use the typed shapes shown below: Cm11 = 000000 or 050000 Fm11 = 555555 (Occasionally adding a high note - 555558) F11sus2 = 557555 Gm11 = 777777 Fm7 = 555756 Cm11 * = 0 0 0 0 12 12 (*Harmonics) h = Hammer-on note p = pull-off note \ = Slide note down Please select a star rating for this tab, many thanks ========================================================================== [Intro] Fm11 Cm11 Fm11 F11sus2 Fm11 D |---------------|----5-----5--5--|-----------------|-----5----5--5---5--| A#|---------------|----5-----5--5--|-----------------|-----5----5--5---5--| F |---------------|----5-----5--5--|-----------------|-----5----5--5---5--| D#|---------------|----5-----5--5--|-----------------|-----5----5--h7--5--| G |---------------|-------5--------|-----0-h3-h5--0--|--------5-----------| C |--0--0--12\-0--|--5-------------|--0--------------|--5-----------------| [Verse 1] Cm11 Fm11 F11sus2 Cm11 You've been taking your time, and you've been living on ...solid air, Cm11 Fm11 F11sus2 Cm11 You've been walking the line, you've been living on ...solid air, Fm11 Don't know what's going wrong inside, Gm11 And I can tell you that's it's hard to hide, Cm11 Fm11 Fm7 Fm11 Cm11 When you're living on------ ...solid air----------------------! [Verse 2] Cm11 Fm11 You've been painting it blue, F11sus2 Cm11 And you've been looking through ...solid air, Cm11 Fm11 You've been seeing it through, F11sus2 Cm11 But you've been looking through ...solid air, Fm11 Don't know what's going wrong in your mind, Gm11 And I can tell you don't like what you find, Cm11 Fm11 Fm7 Fm11 Cm11 When you're moving through ...solid air-----------, solid air! [Verse 3] Gm11 I know you, I love you, and I can be your friend, Fm11 I could follow you ...anywhere------, Cm11 Fm11 F11sus2 Fm11 Cm11 Even----- through----- ...so - lid air-------------! [Verse 4] Cm11 Fm11 F11sus2 Cm11 You've been stoning 'em cold, you've been living on ...solid air, Cm11 Fm11 F11sus2 Fm11 Cm11 You've been finding them cold, you've been liv - ing on ...solid air, Fm11 I don't know what's going wrong inside, Gm11 I can tell you that's it's hard to hide, Cm11 Fm11 Cm11 When you're living on ...solid air, ...solid air! [Verse 5] Cm11 Fm11 Fm7 Fm11 Cm11 You've been getting too deep, you've been living on ...solid air, Cm11 Fm11 You've been missing your sleep, F11sus2 Cm11 Cm11 * And you've been moving through ...solid air, Fm11 I don't know what's going wrong in your mind, Gm11 But I know you don't like what you find, Cm11 Fm11 Fm7 Fm11 Cm11 When you're moving through ...solid air, ...solid air! [Verse 6] Gm11 I know you, I love you, I will be your friend, Fm11 I could follow you ...anywhere, Cm11 Fm11 F11sus2 Fm11 Cm11 Even------- through ...solid ...air-------------! [Verse 7] Cm11 Fm11 F11sus2 Cm11 You've been walking your line, you've been walking on ...solid air, Cm11 Fm11 You've been taking your time, Fm7 Fm11 Cm11 Cm11 * But you've been walking on ...solid air, Fm11 Don't know what's going wrong inside, Gm11 But I can tell you that's it's hard to hide, Cm11 Fm11 F11sus2 Fm11 Cm11 When you're living on ...solid ...air----------------! [Verse 8] Cm11 Fm11 F11sus2 Fm11 Cm11 Been painting it blue, you've been living on ...solid air, Cm11 Fm11 And you've been seeing it through, F11sus2 Cm11 And you've been moving through ...solid air, Fm11 I don't know what's going on in your mind, Gm11 But I can tell you don't like what you find, Cm11 Fm11 Fm7 Fm11 Cm11 When you're living on ...solid air----------, solid air! [Verse 9] Gm11 I know you, I love you, and I will be your friend, Fm11 Fm7 Fm11 I could follow you ...anywhere------------, F11sus2 Fm11 Cm11 Fm11 F11sus2 Fm11 Cm11 Even---- through------- ...solid air--------------! [Coda] Cm11 Fm7 Fm11 Cm11 Fm7 Fm11 Ice cool------ ...solid air----! Cm11 Fm11 Cm11 Fm11 Cm11 Fm11 Cm11 Fm7 Fm11 Nice--------- cool----- ...so---------lid air! Cm11 Fm11 Cm11 Cm11 * | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / / / / | / ||