Misc Traditional – Red River Valley (Guitar Tab)

Versions (4)

Auto-scroll

Chords

#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------# #This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the # #song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. # #------------------------------------------------------------------------------## 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