Nickel Creek – Cant Complain (Guitar)
Drop D (D-A-D-G-B-E)
Key
-
Versions
(2)
Guitar Intro Tab
Guitar
Auto-scroll
Speed:
1.0x
Chords
1/18/2021
Tabbed By: Jacob Dexter
Ok I've wanted a tab of this song for like 15 years and never found one so I figured out what I could myself,
it sounds pretty good and close to what Chris Thile plays. This song is played on either an octave mandolin or
a bouzouki, not sure which, but this tab is for guitar. You could play this in standard tuning if you want as
the riff would be a bit easier to play but it sounds much better in Drop D I think.
Listen to the song and play around with it to get the strumming pattern down.
[CHORDS]
(DROP D TUNING)
e -0- -0- -4- -1- -0- -x- B -3- -3- -4- -1- -0- -4- G -2- -2- -5- -1- -1- -4- D -0- -0- -6- -3- -2- -4- A -x- -x- -6- -4- -2- -2- D -5- -0- -x- -x- -x- -x-
G/D Dsus2 G# C#maj7 E B
[Intro]
Riff 1 (ring finger on the 5th fret of the low D string, it's a stretch
but it is doable and keeps the riff sounding full with those G bass notes.
The 4h6 and 6/7 should be done with your pinky.)
e|---------------------------------------0--------------------|
B|---------------------------------------3------2-------------|
G|-----2------2h4-------4h6-------6/7----2---------2------2---|
D|-----0----0--------0----------0--------0---0----------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---5-----5-------5---------5---------0--------------0-------|
strum
Dus2
[Verse 1]
I made her smile,I made her cry
e|---------------------------------------0--------------------|
B|---------------------------------------3------2-------------|
G|-----2------2h4-------4h6-------6/7----2---------2------2---|
D|-----0----0--------0----------0--------0---0----------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---5-----5-------5---------5---------0--------------0-------|
Cleared her head, and made her wonder why
e|---------------------------------------0--------------------|
B|---------------------------------------3------2-------------|
G|-----2------2h4-------4h6-------6/7----2---------2------2---|
D|-----0----0--------0----------0--------0---0----------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---5-----5-------5---------5---------0--------------0-------|
I helped her live and made her want to die
e|---------------------------------------0--------------------|
B|---------------------------------------3------2-------------|
G|-----2------2h4-------4h6-------6/7----2---------2------2---|
D|-----0----0--------0----------0--------0---0----------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---5-----5-------5---------5---------0--------------0-------|
So she can't complain.
e|---------------------------------------0--------------------|
B|---------------------------------------3------2-------------|
G|-----2------2h4-------4h6-------6/7----2---------2------2---|
D|-----0----0--------0----------0--------0---0----------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---5-----5-------5---------5---------0--------------0-------|
She tried to date a friend of mine
e|---------------------------------------0--------------------|
B|---------------------------------------3------2-------------|
G|-----2------2h4-------4h6-------6/7----2---------2------2---|
D|-----0----0--------0----------0--------0---0----------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---5-----5-------5---------5---------0--------------0-------|
I was at his house when she came to say goodbye
e|---------------------------------------0--------------------|
B|---------------------------------------3------2-------------|
G|-----2------2h4-------4h6-------6/7----2---------2------2---|
D|-----0----0--------0----------0--------0---0----------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---5-----5-------5---------5---------0--------------0-------|
He stood her up, and she took it as a sign
e|---------------------------------------0--------------------|
B|---------------------------------------3------2-------------|
G|-----2------2h4-------4h6-------6/7----2---------2------2---|
D|-----0----0--------0----------0--------0---0----------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---5-----5-------5---------5---------0--------------0-------|
So I can't complain.
e|---------------------------------------0--------------------|
B|---------------------------------------3------2-------------|
G|-----2------2h4-------4h6-------6/7----2---------2------2---|
D|-----0----0--------0----------0--------0---0----------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---5-----5-------5---------5---------0--------------0-------|Alternate Riff you can use to keep it interesting during any part of the song using Riff 1
e|---------------------------------------0---------------------------| B|---------------------------------------3---------------------------| G|-----2------2h4-------4h6-------6/7----2-----/6-4-2----------------| D|-----0----0--------0----------0--------0---0----------0---4p2p0----| A|-------------------------------------------------------------------| D|---5-----5-------5---------5---------0-----------------------------|
[Verse 2]
Before the second verse you strum G# once then...
C#maj7 G# We took off for the weekend, had quite a time C#maj7 G# Shared everything we'd ever tried C#maj7 G# I told her I could love her, I told her I could lie C#maj7 G# So she can't complain.
[Verse 3]
Back to Riff 1 for Verse 3, played the same as the first verse
Riff 1
She didn't care, she saw me in her life
Riff 1
I left it up for her to decide
Riff 1
She couldn't see the end, and neither could I
Riff 1
So I can't complain
Riff 1
No I can't complain
[VERSE 4] (play it loud and with some sass)
E B She moved here and bought the first house she could find E B I moved in and we locked ourselves inside E B I guess we just kidnapped eachother's minds E B So we can't complain E B No we can't complain E B Oooooooooooohhhhhhhhh x2 then an extra half measure of B before verse 5
[Verse 5]
Riff 1
I cheated on her with a friend of mine
Riff 1
There are no days when we don't fight
Riff 1
But remember, I warned her and I'm a guy (I hate that line)
Riff 1
So she can't complain.
Riff 1
No she can't complain.
[Outro]
So at this point you stop playing the full riff and can just play arpeggios
or lightly strum these chords
G/D Dsus2 She can't complain G/D Dsus2 She can't complain
Do that as long as you want then come in hard and loud and scream your head off
G/D Dsus2 NO SHE CAN'T COMPLAIN G/D Dsus2 SHE CAN'T COMPLAIN G/D Dsus2 SHE CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANT COMPLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN G/D Dsus2 SHE CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANT COMPLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIN
And then just ride it out as long as you want. I hope you enjoy playing this song as much as i do.
This one is for Callie.
************************************
| x Dead note
| h Hammer-on
| / Slide up
| p Pull-off
************************************